>Find good people
Leading a successful organization is not something any one person can do alone; you are going to need a good team.
Holder looks for different skill sets and capabilities that makes the whole greater than the sum of the parts. While talent is important, don’t solely focus on it because it might blind you to a candidate who is deficient in other areas, such as talking over everyone and stifling creativity.
“Part of what I look for in senior leaders is, I look for people who are deep and competent in their particular domain,” she says. “But I also look for people who actually feel that they are on a continuous learning process, that they’re interested in learning from others and capable of working and talking with and listening to other people who might approach the same problem quite differently.”
When sitting down with someone you are thinking about hiring, remember that his or her knowledge is important, but it isn’t the be-all, end-all.
“Knowing their area of expertise is necessary but not sufficient to be a leader,” she says. “You have to know your stuff, but you also have to be able to take in what others are offering and be open to a creative process that allows you to do it differently the next time.”
Because Holder wants people she hires to have an open mind, she takes the same approach to finding people. If she comes across someone who looks interesting and could be an asset, she will bring that person in for an interview, even if she doesn’t have a position open.
“Sometimes I hire for talent as opposed to hire for a specific position,” she says. “You can’t do that a lot, but you should certainly, in my opinion, be open to it.”
Expand your pool of where you find candidates, or if you use a headhunter, challenge the headhunter to think outside the box in terms of who gets brought to the table.
For example, if you only hire people with years of professional experience in your industry, you could be missing out on a valuable employee.
“Sometimes you take a chance on a young person (who doesn’t) have a great track record but they sure do seem bright and energetic,” she says. “They’ve got a fire in their belly, and they’re really excited about what they are doing.
“It’s important to hire for attitude and energy and passion. The people that I’m the most interested in being surrounded with and spending my day with are the people who, when they get up in the morning, they are excited about what they are doing, and they want to do more of it.”
How to reach: UPMC Health Plan and UPMC Insurance Services Division, (888) 876-2756 or www.upmchealthplan.com
