The process of identifying leaders is an important part of any organization’s growth and development. Leadership is a complex, multifaceted part of any successful business with a myriad of nuances and subtleties. In our experience, we’ve found that CEOs and other executives often fall into the trap of making decisions about candidates based on lopsided information.
To that end, many companies don’t have the right procedures in place to produce an accurate picture of their best leadership candidates. To help overcome these problems, we’ve found steps you can take to choose the best options to lead your team. Read on as our executive recruiters discuss what you should do to choose the right leaders.
Skills and Qualifications Matter, But They Shouldn’t Be First Priority
Executive search firms explain that your organization’s success is usually determined by the people you hire, especially at the executive level. It can be tempting to ask whether or not a candidate has the skills to lead your organization, but that shouldn’t be the first aspect you focus on. Hiring a person with insufficient skills negatively affects their immediate responsibilities, but hiring a person who isn’t a culture fit—especially at the executive level—negatively affects the company as a whole.
Make Culture a Key Part of Your Leadership Assessment Process
Good recruitment consultants know that culture should be top of mind when you are looking for leadership, followed by skill sets. You can assess cultural fit by asking the following questions:
1. What is the candidate’s attitude about success?
Finding leaders who have a belief system that matches the way you see your organization attaining both short-term and long-term success is vital. For example, if your organization believes that success comes from curiosity and experimentation, a candidate who is a poor cultural fit would say that repeatable actions are the most important way to succeed.
2. How does this candidate perform under pressure?
Avoid people who divert blame and fail to accept responsibility when conflict arises. Whether your company is a startup or a veteran of its industry, you need a leader who is honest and can hold themselves accountable when needed.
Do Your Homework to Find the Right Leaders
A good executive recruiter will tell you that assessing cultural fit, especially how leadership candidates respond under pressure, is possible during an interview, but will take some cleverness on your part because executives and experienced managers know how to handle the interview process smoothly.
- During the interview, open up about yourself first and speak candidly about how you handle stress. Once you finish explaining, ask them how they handle stress; they will be more likely to respond candidly too.
- Any answer is positive, as many will try to dance around this question. Transparency is a good sign of self-awareness, which is key to leading any organization or team.
- You can also ask candidates to describe a situation where things weren’t going well and how they reacted. Ask them what they would do differently and who they worked with at the time. Write down those names and follow up during your background check process because they will be valuable reference points to get a more accurate view of how a candidate responded under pressure.
Consult the Best Executive Search Firm
It’s time to take your executive talent search to the next level. At Penta Search Group, our team of recruitment consultants make your executive talent search easier. With a blend of functional and sector expertise, our executive recruiters cultivate a deep understanding of each of our clients’ products, processes, materials and technologies to ensure the right match in filling quality assurance jobs and global supply chain roles. As a leading executive search firm, we spend the time necessary to find the best candidates at every level. From executive leadership and management to front-line professionals, you can count on us.
Whether you have precise requirements for a single role, or are seeking to build out a robust team, we will provide the expert support you need. Get in touch with our recruitment consultants to discover the Penta Search difference today.
