b'THE CENTER FOR SALES STRATEGYBeth SunshinePartner, VP Talent Services The Center for Sales StrategyCENTER FOR SALES STRATEGY BLOGHiring for Culture FitThe Secret WeaponT o remain competitive, orga- als, including 56 golds over theers frequently fail to pay atten-nizations must invest morelastfourgames.Theyclearlytion to it.Russell explains,time and effort into the se- have the recruitment and devel-lection process. If youre curiousopment of top talent down pat,Its about enabling whysomanycompaniesfailtoand no one makes it to the US Olympic team without talent. these athletes to fully activate the talents of their people, take a closer look at howperform at their they make their hiring decisions.Katie Ledecky, for example, has 5 Olympic golds and was 15 whenbest by creating Regardless of what your compa- she first swam at the Olympics.the ultimate team ny does, there is only one way toThatkindofsuccessonlyhap-pens when a person has a solidenvironment.A build a top-performing organiza- foundation of innate talent. You tion. You need to make sure youplace where they get both the talent and the cul- cant teach that to someone who doesnt have the right stuff! all feel comfortable ture fit right with every single hire you make. But their high-performance con- and feel like they sultant, Mark Russell, attributesbelong.much of their consistent success Talent + Culture =tomorethanjusttalentheRegardless of how tough the situ-Performance points to the importance of cul- ation, its clear to spectators that tureaswell.Culture,whichistheswimmerslovewhatthey Lets set the stage by looking atthe second half of the two-partare doing and enjoy being on the the United States Olympic Swimequation, is often considered theteam. Thats largely because the Team, which has won 123 med- secretweaponbecauselead- culture is strong.66'