Four practical perspectives on research, selection and a clear decision process.
Turn a broad leadership requirement into a brief people can evaluate.
A leadership brief can collect many desirable attributes without explaining what the person will actually do. Start with the business situation and the decisions the role owns. This makes the requirement more specific and easier to discuss with prospective candidates.
Choose the research boundaries before widening the search.
The candidate market should follow the position, not an arbitrary list of companies. Consider the operating environments where the required experience is likely to have developed, including differences in organisation size and responsibility.
Give the hiring team a common language for candidate evidence.
Interviewers should know which parts of the mandate they are exploring. Agree the purpose of each conversation and avoid asking every participant to repeat the same general questions.
Represent the opportunity with clarity and respect.
An executive search conversation represents the client’s brand. Explain the role and its context accurately, make expectations clear and leave room for the person to decide whether the opportunity deserves further discussion.