Executive recruitment is not the same as traditional recruitment. There are many nuances to the process that make Executive Search more complicated - there's a need for confidentiality, critical business impact, press coverage, more formal process, and the lack of transparency in the external market as to what roles are actually being searched on. This process is one with higher stakes, has more demanding stakeholders, involves sensitive political factors, and is much more emotionally charged.
A failed Executive Search will cost the organization a great deal and, unfortunately, I have seen too many failed searches lead to damaged reputations and job loss. Although everyone involved is aware of the challenges, almost half of the searches will still fail. The good news is that it is possible to circumvent derailment if you are familiar with the key reasons that cause it.
Incomplete Information
As we approach each new Executive Search, we need to understand that there is nothing "common" about it. Each search is unique and it's important to uncover the true details of each situation. In traditional recruitment, we may be able to have a "rinse and repeat" mindset but that does not work for Executive level searches. In fact, if you approach a search in that way, you will have already started the derailment process.
Learn What Is Unspoken
At the risk of stepping over boundaries or offending the Leaders around us, we tend to be less direct than we should be when gathering the details surrounding an Executive search. However, this could possibly be the most critical aspect of the search and, too many times, it is overlooked. With each search, there is always some level of unspoken truth (which is ok) but the members involved in the search should be "read in" and aware of the hard realities behind the role.
I'm not talking about the story that we will tell our candidates. I'm talking about the real behind-the-scenes truth about why a search is being initiated. Is it because there's a long-term strategy in place that requires this talent, such as a potential acquisition or divestiture? Is it because a current incumbent is not meeting Board expectations and needs to be replaced? Is it because there's a larger organizational redesign that's in play? What is not being shared with the public or employees openly? There needs to be common understanding here between the Executive Search partners and Panel Members in order to have a smooth and effective search.
Given the level of sensitivity that may be included in these details, we highly recommend using a NDA or confidentiality agreement where it makes sense. Don't let the fear of sharing valuable information get in the way of a successful Executive hire.
Learn The Political Landscape
The further up you go in an organizational hierarchy, the stronger the political battles become. There's a lot to learn and understand about the political situation when kicking off a search. If any political scenarios are overlooked, it can easily steer the search in the wrong direction or even block the search from progress while wasting valuable time that you don't have.
Over the course of our careers, we learn that being at the top of an organization does not necessarily guarantee knowledge or competence. Sometimes Leaders are promoted to higher level roles primarily because they are good at internal politics. Therefore, it makes sense to assume that these Leaders are adept at organizational politics. So in order to lead a successful Executive search, it makes just as much sense to understand these organizational politics in order to find and select the right Leader who complements the existing team and fits well in that particular environment.
Understanding the current landscape includes becoming deeply familiar with the Executive Team Members and Stakeholders.
What are everyone's roles and ambitions (what angle are the coming from)?
What are the varying perspectives (and how they align or conflict)?
Learn the various egos and reputations of those involved.
What are current team dynamics - Who works well with whom and who has ticked off whom?
What silent alliances exist?
Corporate politics can be very hard to decipher, particularly if you're an external partner trying to understand the underlying dynamics that no one talks about. From my experience, however, it it a crucial part to the search and is a great segue into the next topic.
The Wrong Panel Members
At the beginning of each search, we identify the panel members who will participate in the assessment and selection process. These members are normally selected based on their positions and business optics. Unfortunately, the panel will often include the wrong members who don't share a common goal nor add the right value to the search. For example, maybe the aren't familiar with the long-term strategy and vision of the role so they focus their assessment on what was previously needed in the role rather than what is needed moving forward. This will deter progress on assessments and group calibrations.
An effective panel would include 4-6 Leaders who provide the following perspectives:
Functional partnership - A key partner who will work closely with the new Leader and, given the relationship, they can either enhance or hinder the success of the role.
Key stakeholder - A Leader whose own performance is reliant on the role.
Executives who have strategic insight into the what the new Leader will be tasked to accomplish.
Executives who create potential conflict and, if not on board, could derail the Leader's progress.
Executives who share common goals and perspectives on what is needed in the role.
Those who will communicate a common and consistent story to the candidates.
It is important to gain buy-in from the key partners and stakeholders upfront while not allowing the differing opinions to hinder the search progress. You don't want to exclude a stakeholder who is opposed to the search, because that will only result in the derailment after the hire is made. You also don't want to include a stakeholder who does not agree with the profile requirements as that will result in a frustrating candidate experience and an ongoing search where no one wins.
The Wrong Executive Recruiter
Being that I am an Executive Recruiter myself, it feels strange to say this but it's true. Hiring the wrong Executive Recruiter for a search can mean the derailment of the search before it even begins. Finding the right Executive Recruiter for your search means more than hiring a well-known firm. In fact, the bigger search firms can be less effective in many ways depending on what your search requires.
In general, the "right" Executive Recruiter should demonstrate the following skills:
Strong business capabilities - They need to understand the larger impact of the search and all the surrounding aspects across the business, not just a narrow functional expertise. They should understand your business, products, financial performance triggers, and directional strategy.
Strong intuition and emotional intelligence - They should be able to pick up on what's being unspoken and "read the room". As mentioned above, many of the critical aspects of a successful search are not always addressed openly, so this is a key skill to have. They also need to be sensitive to the nature of the search as each search can be emotionally charged in many ways.
High sense of integrity and shared values - They should not be focused on closing the search quickly but closing the search effectively with the organization's long-term goals in mind.
Transparency and ability to connect on a personal level - Connecting with each candidate and prospect is done well by being open and transparent about the details of the search.
Ability to push back on potential process derailment or changes in priorities - It's important to keep the team focused on common goals and manage the process thoroughly, so they should have confidence and push back as needed.
Openness with compensation discussions - The compensation discussion should be embedded in the process and not just discussed in the end. This is an open two-way dialogue that is done respectfully and with little to no surprises.
White glove servicing - Candidate experiences are so important as this impacts your brand. They should be focused on treating the candidates with respect and care.
Due diligence in background checking and social media - It can be quite embarrassing if you hire an Executive only to find out about background issues later. Unfortunately this happens a little too often.
General executive onboarding knowledge - It's not just about hiring the right Executive for your team, it's about setting them up for long-term success. As they gather feedback and assessments on each candidate, these are valuable data points that should be included in the onboarding and development process.
This may seem like a long list of requirements but the expense of hiring the wrong Recruiter can be quite high. I have vetted and hired many Executive Recruiters myself so I know how hard it can be. That said, the one red flag that I would encourage you to avoid at all times is hiring someone who is too eager to jump right into the search before doing their due diligence and asking you the tough question about the situation (all noted above). It is important that you hire someone who you can have open and honest dialogues with in order to have a successful match.
About An McLeod
An McLeod is Founder of HEXA Executive Search. She is an experienced Executive Search Leader and Certified Coach who helps high-growth companies build their leadership teams and bench strength.
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