The success formula for Executive hiring

Embarking on the quest for the perfect executive is no easy task. These high-level players wield serious influence over an organization's destiny. Choose the wrong one, and you might as well roll the dice with your company's bottom line and culture. So, how do you snag the crème de la crème?

What are the success criteria for this role?

Before you plunge into the search process, sharpen your focus on what you need from an executive. Define what is needed by the organisation and therefore what person you need for this role.

Don't just base this on a candidate's past experience. Base it on their achievements and the soft skills that they need to be successful.

For example: If you are hiring someone to lead a Technology Transformation Project, their tech skills are one of the last things to look at. Are they a great communicator? Can they take people on the journey with them, from board to practitioner level?

Don't forget culture fit, so often an organisation desperate to hire will overlook this. Are they in-line with your values, goals, and mission? Will they integrate with the existing team or play the office solo? Cultural harmony is the secret sauce for long-term success.

Hunt Down the Hidden Gems

Don't rely on the same-old, same-old methods. Forget about passively waiting for résumés to roll in or rely on your current networks.

If you want to innovate and change, don't fish in the same pool that you always have.

Engage a search firm. They specialize in unearthing hidden talent —talent pools that you may be unaware of or had not previously considered. The detailed market maps that they will provide will give you the knowledge to make the most informed hiring decision, thereby allowing you to hire the best candidate available to you.

A consistent and detailed screening process

We've already covered success criteria for a role, you now need to consider how you are going to measure this.

Secondly, you must then ensure that all candidates are put through the same screening process to ensure a truly comparable set of results. This should include a process where they can learn to understand your business, the culture and the people who work in it.

Finally, get them to show you who they are and if they are the right fit. This does not involve them providing you with a 50-page business plan. However, it should include a brief presentation followed by a detailed Q&A with all internal stakeholders to understand the direction they would lead the business or a division of the business.

Recruiting the right executive is by no means an easy task. By investing upfront in understanding what is required for the role and for the organisation to thrive, followed by best practice search and screening methods it does not need to be painful.

Please send me a message if you'd like to discuss attracting executive, niche or hard-to-find talent for your organisation to ensure that you deliver on your organisational goals.

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