three critical attributes of high performers.

Without being able to see them in action, how can you identify candidates who are most likely to be top performers? The people who will drive the future success of your business. Here are three critical attributes to look for.



Hiring smart people has always been a priority for high-performing businesses, but as competition increases, it is now more difficult than ever to secure top talent. Further compounding this competitive environment is the fact that technology now allows more people to work for themselves as freelancers, adding to the talent shortage.  



Instead of searching fruitlessly for someone that ticks every single box, concentrate on three critical attributes of high performers, says futurist and digital trends authority, Mike Walsh.

1) super synthesisers

No, this is not a massive musical instrument – it’s a term for somebody with the ability to scan massive amounts of information and pick out what matters.



In the past, gathering information was all about knowing who to call. Data came from focus groups. The insight came from industry surveys. Information was compact, manageable and easily digested.



Today’s business world is a tsunami of data and it is very easy for the uninitiated to drown, or to suffer data overload. A 'super synthesiser', as Walsh calls them, is a “human meta filter”. 



“With enough technical savvy and familiarity with blogs, social platforms and search algorithms – they can assess the topography of available data, see patterns and collate them as trends, prioritise and then act,” he says.

2) hyper-connectors

‘Hyper connectors’ are people who know how to swiftly build and exploit relevant networks to get things done.



“They won’t necessarily have the largest collection of contacts, but they will know how to use digital platforms to find and nurture just the right set of people to reach their goals,” Walsh says.



You will recognise hyper-connectors in meetings, Walsh says, because when offering the answer to a problem, they are the first to say, 'I think I may know someone who…’.

3) change optimists

A vital personal attribute for high performers in the workplace of the future is positivity. Change optimism is increasingly important in a world in which the pace of change is accelerating.



“There are people for whom that is good news and others who, if they are honest with themselves, view that fact with dread,” Walsh says.



“You can reassure the change pessimists about the future all you like but believe me – in the end, when faced with disruptive change, pessimists fight for the status quo, not for future growth.”



“Your best performers may not know the future, but they should be happy to meet it head-on.”