When FSG CEOs Lauren Smith and Greg Hills hire, the candidates interview them.?

The influential social impact consulting firm, FSG, is hiring a new Managing Director for its Bay Area team. Instead of interviewing candidates first, CEOs Lauren Smith and Greg Hills let prospective candidates interview them. 

Here is how these two pacesetting CEOs are doing it. 

Shared the salary range of $200K-$320K in the job description. 

Unspoken rules became spoken rules. They posted the salary range and shared info via the FAQs re: benefits before an applicant applies. Among other factors, the salary bands are tied to revenue generation.

Launched a 'Q &A' document.  Being so open can feel risky and it turns out FSG is on to something. According to Wharton organizational psychologist Adam Grant, having a realistic picture of your job actually increased job satisfaction.  Excerpt below. 

• Generating revenue for the firm by securing the right clients is your number one priority. This does not mean that developing your team and delivering top notch work are not important. Revenue generation at all costs, without regard to the type of client, will not work here.
• Be the type of MD project team members want to work alongside. Project team members prefer working with MDs who properly scope work; set a clear vision for the project and why it matters; and give the senior consultants the space to lead the team on the day-to-day work. Be that type of MD.
• There are many examples of successful white leaders at FSG. There are some examples of successful Asian leaders at FSG. There are few examples of successful African American women senior leaders at FSG. There are no African American men in senior leadership. There are no examples of Latinx leaders in senior leadership at FSG. The current makeup of FSG’s leadership team reflects FSG’s historical commitment to the networks and connections of its initial team, who came from white dominant backgrounds. Today, FSG has a new commitment -- one that is rooted in equity, with diversity, equity, and inclusion as a business imperative for achieving the impact it seeks. While the burden of this shift is not for any one person or group to carry, your leadership will help shape what FSG becomes. Full FAQs here.

Created space on their calendar to talk to people they do not already know. 

This is notable for two reasons. First, most CEOs only talk to prospective candidates known to their network. Second, instead of peppering prospective candidates with questions, they opened the floor and said 'you ask me anything.' 

Updated the FAQ document with real-time updates. 

Lauren and Greg know that it would be virtually impossible to talk to everyone they might want to talk to, so they are updating the FAQ real-time with new questions and answers gathered from conversations with prospective candidates. 

Early results are promising. 

• 80% of the interest in theMD role is coming from leaders who identify as Asian, African American or Latinx. 
• The gender split in interested applicants is currently 50/50. 

Know someone we should talk to re the Managing Director role with FSG (even if they don't know it yet)? Please send them our way. Application closes Wednesday, 5/22.

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Ifeyinwa (Ify) Walker is the Founder & CEO of Offor -- the talent broker company. For nearly a decade Ify and her team have been talent brokers for CEOs, boards and top leaders around the country. All typos are Ify's own :)