Growing up, my father was an avid fisherman.

Occasionally, he'd get out all of his tackle boxes and take inventory. Whether he was fishing for trout, grayling or salmon, he had whatever we needed to catch fish once he'd completed a careful assessment of his needs. He used to suggest some of those tackle boxes were my mom's, but he wasn't fooling anyone.

Recruitment & hiring

As leaders, when it comes to recruitment and hiring, we don't need tackle boxes with every variety of hook, bait and tackle, but we can't afford to be unclear about what we need when it comes to our people.

In Eric Herrenkohl's book, "How to Hire A-Players," he defines an A-player as "an employee who creates superior results compared to the vast majority in your industry." Herrenkohl suggests we should always be recruiting and developing an A-player mindset.

As a way to recruit A-players, our company participates in an internship program at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), where we network with coaches and sponsor a booth at UAA's spring job fair.

Top talent

Last year, when looking to broaden the talent net for our clients' needs, opportunity struck on a flight out of Alaska. I sat next to a coach from the University of Alaska men's basketball team and we recognized common ground in efforts to recruit the top talent for our teams.

We were looking for candidates who demonstrated leadership, initiative, determination and excellence. Fortuitously, the coach mentioned a talented junior who would be looking for a job following graduation.

Related: The new face of leadership

Man fishing

Just like fishing takes the right bait and a degree of skill, landing the right A-player for an organization takes time and patience. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Help wanted: Only A-players need apply

I told the coach we'd be on campus for the UAA job fair this spring and invited him to send over the prospective candidate. Diante Mitchell, a graduating senior and captain of the men's basketball team, met us.

During my interactions with Mitchell, it didn't take long to recognize his A-player potential. He was a candidate who could drive value, so Mitchell progressed to an interview with our leaders.

Mitchell willingly shared his perspective of the recruitment and interview process, as well as what he was looking for in employment.

"I believe two goals exist in any interview a candidate walks into — getting to know the company and its employees, as well as gaining experience," said Mitchell.

"Going into the interview, I was looking to see how I would interact with the people. When I look for employment, I want to know that when I come to work each day, the people I work with will make it fun and enjoyable. I think in our world today, people take jobs because they have to and not because they want to."

Mitchell continued, "When I went to interview this prospective employer, I evaluated them on: 1) the work they were going to ask me to perform and whether it interested me, and 2) also on the growth opportunity in the company."

Growing great people is an investment

Having a great candidate to consider is a little like a good day fishing. There's tension on the line when you recognize you've got a keeper, and you focus on what you need to do to land a great catch. If you're lucky enough to land a great one, there is still a lot of work yet to be done in training, development and feedback. Growing great people is an investment in our future.

However, we don't always land the big ones. Mitchell was given an opportunity to follow his dream to play professional basketball.

"The only thing that wasn't a good fit was the timing," said Mitchell. "That is sometimes hard to control and I wasn't quite ready to give up my career as a basketball player just yet."

basketball player going down the court

Knowing your team members is key to effectively motivating them. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Make it personal

Mitchell shared the number one thing he does as a captain and teammate to make it fun for his teammates to show up. His perspective is useful to leaders who are trying to create a winning work culture and drive value.

"I try to get to know the players and let them get to know me on a personal level so I can help them stay positive and keep them upbeat throughout the season," explained Mitchell. "At the college level, the players on your team have a love for the game and that won't ever change. Sometimes you need to remind them the game of basketball is something they love and they should enjoy every step of the way."

Mitchell says that playing and practicing can get hard and every athlete needs to be reminded of his love of the game. "Each player is going to need to hear it in a different way. The closer you are to your teammates, the easier it is to wake up each day and be willing to work hard for them.

Have fun 'playing the game'

When you are doing it for your teammates, and not yourself, the team goes further and you have fun playing the game. I think this can be translated over into the business world as well," added Mitchell. "If you enjoy the people you work with, it's easier to go to work and make the best of each day."

As we strive to create solutions and cultures that will drive value in our industry, our tackle boxes must be outfitted to attract and retain the best talent for the industry. It's important to help the best candidates recognize the claims industry offers meaningful work, opportunities to engage and grow as well as to give back to our communities. A career in this industry is a great opportunity for A-players.

Susan Daniels (sdaniels@nadj.com) is the president of the National Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters (NAIIA), and is the president and owner of Alaska-based Northern Adjusters. Special thanks to Diante Mitchell for his contributions to this article.

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