Edward Tuorinsky, Managing Principal of DTS, brings two decades of experience in management, cybersecurity, compliance and IT services.
It’s not often that you get business advice from the Pat McAfee Show, but a few weeks ago, college football coaching great Nick Saban was a guest on the show and spoke about a philosophy that cuts to the core of hiring for 2025.
“I always look for guys that had what I call aspirations instead of needing inspiration. When you want some inspiration, that means somebody else has to motivate you to do something. When you have aspirations, that means you have goals to do something and accomplish something,” said Saban.
Coach Saban’s words came at just the right time. My team has been working on goals for the new year. We know what we want to achieve, but we’ll need to grow by adding others to help us. Using Saban’s “aspiration” mindset is a smart approach for hiring in our complex job market.
Pay Attention To Workforce Trends
Employers can see that the hiring environment is changing. The “great resignation” is over, and we’re looking at a tighter job market and shrinking pay premiums for those who job-hop. Instead of switching companies, employees are more likely to stay in their roles in 2025.
While economic pressures and job market uncertainties give companies an advantage and keeping employees sounds like a win, companies can’t ignore the employee experience or development opportunities. If they do, they risk disengaged employees and apathetic performance.
I’ve advocated for cross-training employees to create a more resilient, engaged and stable workforce. To the right group of employees, learning new skills and gaining practical experience is a powerful motivator. Instead of thinking, “What do I need for this job?” those employees seek skills and opportunities to take them to the next level.
Consider The Long Game
Employers have struggled with the transactional nature of hiring in the aftermath of the pandemic. Rather than having a career mindset with aspirations to work hard to achieve goals, we have seen candidates grabbing at quick salary and status gains without the patience or dedication to earn them. As the trends change, employers need to consider the long game.
Company leaders set the tone—sharing the vision and purpose driving company goals and helping employees see their role in those plans as critical and worth staying for. In effect, talking about the future helps future-proof your workforce.
Assess Motivation While Interviewing
During his interview, Coach Saban said, “I wanted guys that wanted to be head coaches. If they were assistants, I wanted them to be coordinators. They’re going to learn big-picture things and contribute more to the program in more ways than just coaching their position.” Similarly, we need to identify candidates with that intrinsic motivation.
Self-motivated people can improve your organization while gaining the skills to move up—or move on. When hiring, I look at a candidate’s experience, specifically their progress through other organizations: What did they achieve in their last role before moving on? Did they seek out learning opportunities on and off the job? Have they put in the effort to get a degree or certifications?
I also like to ask why they want this job or what attracted them to our company. Often, you get two distinguishing kinds of answers. One type of candidate will explain how they can fill the role, do the required tasks and meet the qualifications. The other will discuss the results they believe they can deliver and how the job fits into their goals. Would you rather hire a sales rep who talks about how they will identify leads or one who talks about how they will apply best practices to help grow the sales organization?
Aspirational candidates bring something to the job that permeates the entire company. We used to call those kinds of candidates “culture-builders,” but today, we need to see them as critical “growth leaders.” Their motivation for themselves lifts the organization and influences others around them.
Nick Saban never grumbled when his coaches moved up to coordinators or were hired away to become head coaches for other teams. And he didn’t shy away from going head-to-head with them. This is perhaps the most important lesson for business owners today. Saban knows—as we should—that nurturing and mentoring excellence doesn’t diminish your impact as a leader; it multiplies it. Seeking our aspiration-driven employees is the mindset for hiring that every company should embrace for the year ahead.
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