Finding the right talent can be challenging no matter what position you’re hiring for, but if you are looking to hire an executive, it’s important to dedicate strategic resources to attracting the industry leading talent you’re looking for.

Although the role of an executive will vary from company to company, the duties will include running the organization and creating plans to help the businesses grow. This is a position that can’t go to just anyone.

A big part of finding the right executive will be taking the proper steps in the search and interview process. Below we’ve outlined our standard search process will outline the steps you should be taking in finding the best executive for your company.

1. Initial Meeting

The first step of the search process will involve setting up an initial meeting with others in your company who will be affected by the decision to take on a new hire. You can call in management, workers in the department you are hiring for and anyone else you think should be included in the decision-making process.

 During the meeting you will discuss your company and some of the challenges you’re been having. This will get everyone on the same page when it comes to determining your goals and needs.

Once you have a better idea of what your company needs, you will be able to figure out what you are looking for in an employee. This will allow you to get a clear vision of who your ideal applicant will be.

It is important to take notes during this initial meeting process. This will help the process run smoothly and ensure you find the candidate that is best suited for the position.

2. Client Research and Search Priorities

Now that you have a good idea of your company needs, it’s time to dig a little deeper to better identify your ideal applicant. During this second stage, there are important questions you should be asking yourself and your colleagues including the following:

·       What’s the reason behind the current executive search?

·       What are the priorities involved in the search?

·       What will the added position bring to the company?

·       What makes the search so critical at this time?

·       Will the person you are hiring be replacing an existing employee?

·       What does it mean to have an executive position at your organization?

What would you like the executive to have accomplished after a year? Three years? Five years?

3. Create an Ideal Candidate Profile

Creating an ideal candidate profile will let you know how close your candidates are coming to being Mr. or Mrs. Right early on in your interview process. It will save you a lot of time and effort spent searching so you can dedicate more of your energy to getting your new employee on their feet.

In order to create an ideal candidate profile, start by examining the research you gathered in steps one and two. Focus on the expectations you have of the candidate in terms of their experience and skill level and their cultural aspects. This will help you get a good outline of the steps you need to follow in the search and selection process. It will also help you create a concise job description for any help wanted ads you post.

You should also consider others in your industry. Who is succeeding in similar roles? What kind of skill level do these people have? What types of companies do they work for? What titles do they have?

Of course, everyone is unique, but you can hold these people as examples to measure your potential candidates against.

4. Market Mapping

Market mapping is commonly defined as a way for traders and investors to gauge the viability of a given trade or investment. In this case, let that investment be your potential employee.

For this step, you will be taking the research you have gathered, and you will be applying it across the market ecosystem. This will include various geographies, industries, competitors and any possible internal candidates.

Look at companies that have gone through transitions that are similar to yours, especially those that have a structure and scope that is comparable to those of your business.

Let these companies inspire you in terms of who you will hire and how you will handle the hiring process.

5. Candidate Research and Outreach Relationship Building

Now that you have a better idea of what your company is looking for and the type of candidate that will be best, you can start reaching out to see who will be interesting in interviewing for the position.

Remember, the ideal candidate will probably be someone who isn’t actively looking for work. This can make things a bit more challenging and it may take some out of the box thinking. However, there are resources out there that will help you find the people you are looking for.

Job boards shouldn’t be ruled out completely, but you may have better luck hiring from within or asking your current staff and colleagues for recommendations. Social media, data base searches, industry focused advertising and professional forums can also help you find the best employees.

You may also choose to search outside of the domestic market.

6. Introductions and Exploratory Calls

Once you have a good list of referrals, it’s time to reach out to make initial contact with your candidates. These initial calls should be kept brief and to the point, but they should allow you to glean information that will help you figure out whether the candidate’s interests and experience aligns with the company’s.

7. The Interview Process

Candidates that have done well with the initial phone call should be called in for an in-person interview. This is likely to be the most important part of the interview process, so it is important to think ahead so you get the most out of the questions you ask while doing your part to start off on the right foot with the candidate.

During the interview, you want to dive in deeply to determine their soft and hard skills and see how good of a fit they are for the role. Find out if they have worked with a company that had needs that are similar to yours and how they were able to help those companies achieve their goals.

Remember, the candidates you are interviewing have a lot of experience and they probably have their choice of companies to choose from when it comes to job opportunities. Therefore, you will want to make a good impression on them as well.

You can do this by providing a unique interviewing experience, calling staff members in to meet the candidates to let them know you are intent on building good relationships in the office. Give them plenty of opportunities to open up and give them a chance to ask the questions they would like to ask as well.

8. Offer, Negotiation and Acceptance

After the interview process takes place, it’s time to make an offer. During this time, you can further assess how the candidate communicates. It’s possible that some red flags and unforeseen challenges will emerge during this time. These may be setbacks to the hiring process, but it’s better to find these things out in the early stages rather than down the line.

On the other hand, if all goes well, an offer will be made. This includes pay, benefits, equity, scheduling, perks and so on. The negotiations should work to provide a situation that is mutually beneficial to both parties.

9. Onboarding and Integration

These early stages are crucial and you want to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. A stressful or disruptive onboarding process can alienate the candidate making them likely to rethink their decision to join your company.

However, you can make the process efficient by using state of the art technology to prepare digital contracts that confirm the terms of employment. These contracts can be signed online saving your new employee the trouble of making another trip into the office.

If relocation is necessary, support should be given regarding everything from helping with the moving process to providing candidates with information concerning the best schools, markets and more. This will make the employee have a less stressful relocation experience decreasing the likelihood of them dropping out due to issues with changing locations.

10. Post Hire Quarterly Check Ins

The first year with an employee will be crucial. You will want to keep an eye on them to determine how they are getting along. While an employer should do their best to follow up, it’s nice when the search firm is on their side to make sure things are running smoothly.

While many search firms disappear after the hiring is complete, we will stick around to make sure all is going well with your new employee. We provide quarterly check-ins to see how the relationship is going so we know whether you are happy with our services.

The search for the right executive is never easy but finding a qualified employee can make a world of difference in the success of your company. Good luck making a decision that is right for you!