Senior hires need a longer lead time - here’s why ??

Hiring is an expensive process.???

It’s also something which should be done carefully and with enough time to find the right candidate by the time you really need that seat filled.

When you’re putting out feelers for a new senior hire, you meticulously create the job description as you would for any old hire, then sit back and wait for candidates to pile in, right?

? Wrong.??

Senior job roles are much, much harder to fill than junior hires and you might be sitting back for a lot longer than you realise if you don’t factor in potentially having to wait for the right person.?

Surprised?

There are 4 main reasons why senior job roles take longer to fill.?

Let’s have a look at them ??

1?? They’re highly qualified

It’s likely not a surprise that more senior candidates usually have a bit more education and training under their belts than junior candidates. With the gift of time and experience over their junior counterparts, these seniors have put in the work for years to get to where they are today.?

Therefore…there’s less of them.

You may be hiring for a specialised role and the right candidate is somewhere out there, but with those kinds of roles, the pool narrows. You need to know where to be looking to catch a big fish. ??

2?? They’re paid more

Let’s not beat around the bush. Senior hires will be paid a higher salary than a junior hire would be.?You may have to be more flexible in the package you offer its not just about the salary but the package (Shares, Commission /bonuses, Title).?I’ve already mentioned that hiring is an expensive process - do you want to go through all of that to find that they’re not quite the right candidate?

You need to make sure your interview process is rigorous and be sure you’re making the right call.?You need to pre-qualify expectations, making the wrong offer can lose the candidate to want.

And guess what that means…?

Got it in one - a longer hire process.

3?? They’ve got cards to play

You’re not the only one holding an interview. When you’re hiring for a senior position, it’s likely they will be interviewing you right back. Where a junior may be more keen to mould to a role, these senior individuals know what they like, what they’re looking for and can spot a bad fit a mile off.

So, as you are screening them, they are screening you as well. They cant afford to leave a good position to join you if it's not right for them, you have to sell the role. Doing a behavioural assessment to ensure the behaviour is a match & is part of the hiring process. It has to be right for the candidate as well as the client to get a 'win /win'.?

You might think you have the perfect person sitting in front of you, but watch out…

THEY could say no to YOU,?or they may say YES but not stay which can often be more damaging.

4?? They might not even be looking for a job

That’s right.?

Junior candidates may offer up their CVs across a wide range of platforms and websites, ready to jump into a new opportunity when one appears. A more senior person may have been in the same role for a while, be very comfortable, happy with their role and benefits and isn’t actively looking to make a move or obviously applying for jobs.?

We call them 'DORMANT' candidates, they are often the best as you can assess their skills, experience and behaviour. It also helps with diversity you can throw the net wide; it does not mean you will catch a wide selection but at least you can try.

Remember the big fish? This is where you need to be looking!

Searching in this way can really lengthen the process of that senior-shaped gap you’re looking to fill.

Take my advice: if you want the best senior talent, be prepared to wait for it.??

And if you want to get it right first time, invest in an experienced search firm.

Want to save your energy on senior hires? ??

Send me a message, I’d be happy to have a chat.

(P.S. I offer a 12 month guarantee on all first time hires).

Until next week,

Howard