For thousands of years, we have not completely out of the primary era of talent identification and ***ion of standard related to the physical. To build the pyramids, canals, war, farming era, we choose the most robust body. Although times have changed, these standards and the job requires correlation is more and more low, but we are "in their" subconsciously. Fortune 500 ceos than americans on average 2.5 inches high, military leader and head of state of the data is similar.

I was born in a second era of talent identification, intelligence, experience and performance become the standard. IQ in the 20th century, namely, language, analysis, mathematical and logical ability, the course has become a key element, especially when hiring white-collar workers. Education background and test scores have become the importance of measuring method. Work standardization and specialization degree is higher, most of the job requirements of different companies and industries, the convergence, a lot of work of the evaluation is more and more transparent and reliable, that past performance becomes an important index. If you are looking for engineers, accountants, lawyers, designer, or a CEO, that is looking for in the industry, interview and hire the brightest and the most experienced candidate.

In the 1980 s, the identification of the third age at the beginning, I entered the search industry. The new standard in this era, is still popular today, "ability". David mak cleland (David McClelland) in 1973 published the "competencies and non-intelligence (Testing for Competence Rather than for the" Intelligence "), he thought the qualities and skills should be used to evaluate candidates, especially managers, use these standards to predict their future performance. The ways of thinking in accordance with the situation, because technological revolution and the industrial convergence to the job deion is becoming more and more complex, makes the past experience and performance of correlation with the new position. Therefore, we are going to a job is decomposed into different abilities, and found in conformity with the ability to mix right candidates. When appointed leader, eq is more important than intelligence quotient (IQ) have become the standard.

Today, we are just coming into the fourth time to recognize the talent, the potential to be a top priority. Today's business environment like the battlefield - VUCA (complex and changeable, fuzzy and uncertainty), with ability to evaluate and appointment of personnel has obviously not enough. The same person, the success for a post, doesn't mean he can succeed in the new position, because of the competitive environment, corporate strategy, partners and team members will be changed. So now the question is not whether your company's employees and leadership right ability, but whether they have the potential ability to learn new.