Top senior-level personnel or leaders are vital for every company’s success. This is because leaders are the ones who can innovate, take measured risks, and propel the company to new heights of success.
However, candidates with leadership qualities, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly scarce. Furthermore, senior-level hiring errors are not only costly, but they can also have significant consequences for your company’s growth prospects.
Effective recruitment tactics will aid in identifying applicants’ competencies and personal attributes and determine whether or not they are of leadership material.
Here are FIVE tips to incorporate into your executive recruitment strategy to help you find the right solution.
Pay special attention to leadership and soft skills
Look for signs of emotional intelligence, communication and strategic leadership abilities, and the capacity to develop trust if your organisation doesn’t have a set of leadership characteristics against which it hires. All of these characteristics are visible in exceptional leaders. They create and lead high-performing teams, cultivate strong, trusting relationships with all stakeholders, and are quick learners. They can see the larger picture and lead a team accordingly.
Pay attention to “Cultural Fit” and “Cultural Add”
More and more emphasis is placed on recruiting “culturally compatible” or “culturally additive.” Every company has its values and practices. “Cultural fit” does not mean that future managers must be fully fit. That is, they need to complement the culture of your company. New leaders may already be in line with the values of the organisation but may bring other values that can provide new insights. Hiring executives with different experiences and perspectives promotes cultural diversity and are sometimes referred to as a “cultural add-on.” Both cultural adaptation and cultural complementarity are important when hiring leaders. It’s also important to successfully integrate new leaders to ensure that you enjoy the benefits of your team and your organisation.
Consider your medium-term goals
One approach to selecting potential leaders is to hire for your medium-term growth or strategic goals. Depending on the reason for hiring, focusing on a candidate’s immediate needs and skills may be short-sighted, while hiring for long-term needs may not meet short-term goals. While this is a delicate balance, consider your mid-term goals and priorities (i.e., remember that pitching your senior leaders, in particular, can take more than six months. Clarity about immediate needs and long-term strategic goals is essential when assessing each candidate’s leadership skills, competencies, and growth prospects.
Don’t limit your search to online job sites
Be proactive in building relationships. Stay in touch with the best talent from your competing organisations. Share your needs with your acquaintances. Online jobs can work, but you are more likely to get better candidates through personal referrals. A shared contact is often one of the best ways to determine if a candidate is a good fit for your organisation.
Always check candidate references
Invest time in the background and reference checks, even though it can be time-consuming. Besides references, look for other sources of information that can inform a new leader’s suitability. Has the candidate published an article or an article? Has it been featured in a webinar or podcast or cited somewhere? Look for thought leadership examples to verify that your potential leader would be the perfect fit for your business.
These five tips will make the process of recruiting top talent easier. However, the importance of a good recruitment process cannot be overstated. A solid recruiting strategy that incorporates these tips can help you recruit successful leaders.