"People are a crucial part of Google’s long-term success, because great companies are no greater than the efforts and ingenuity of their employees. So our goal is to hire the best people at every level and keep them at Google. Our hiring has to be manageable, if we are to balance our short and long-term needs,” said Larry Page, CEO of Google, in remarks made to investors during the company’s third quarter conference call.

Google’s ability to balance both short and long-term needs is a critical aspect of that statement and the key to the company’s overall success as Mr. Page later notes,”… we are at still very early stages of what technology can deliver. These tools we use online will look very different in five years time…”

Too often, managers get caught up in today’s issues and lose sight of future opportunities for corporate growth. The result is that the potential employer places too great an emphasis on what an individual has contributed to his or her previous employer while failing to take into account that person’s potential to perform in the future, one that, as Mr. Page notes, will look very different from today. Of course, the disclaimer you hear and see in ads for investments, “past performance is no indication of future results,” applies to evaluating employee talent. However, solid clues do exist. Namely, environments – academic track records and employer proving grounds joined with credible histories of critical thinking, leadership and problem solving.

We at Hammer Haley pioneered the “Candidate Elite” Segment of Executive Search. The “candidate elite” is comprised of individuals with the finest academic and employment pedigree best suited for roles involving corporate decisioning and leadership centered on growth strategy. We have ongoing market dialogue with candidates that possess histories of performance spanning multiple verticals and broad transferable skill sets that grow companies. These individuals make decisions rather than recommendations. While others see obstacles, they create opportunities that facilitate corporate growth.

Smart companies recognize that solving for talent is a balancing act. Their recruitment strategies are built on understanding the benefit of thinking for the long-term while advancing current business objectives.