4 Ways to Hire Top Executives Faster

Hiring top management-level professionals for your company isn’t easy because of the impact they need to have on the entire organization. That’s why many executive searches can take months or even years. And even then, with all the research and vetting, you can still misfire.

A hiring disaster can happen to even the largest, most successful companies. In fact, the Harvard Business Review reports that only 19 percent of new hires are fully successful.

We’ve outlined four ways you can hire top-tier professionals faster.

1. Have a clear vision

Before you start your search for talent for the higher echelons of your organization, you need to have a clear vision of your company’s mission, vision and values. Communicating these to the candidates ensures that you’ll be able to shortlist individuals who align with these important aspects of your company.

Your executives impact your company’s short- and long-term goals and results, as well as your company’s culture, so it’s important to communicate what is important to your organization and why. This not only attracts the right candidates but also repels the wrong ones.

While Forbes outlines a number of traits to look for when hiring executives, each organization must tailor that criteria to the specific role and the company culture and values.

2. Look beyond their resumes and LinkedIn profiles

When you’re doing an executive search, you’re bound to come across candidates whose resumes and LinkedIn profiles boast years of experience that can translate into deep industry knowledge. These dossiers may be completely truthful, but they may not reveal the entire truth. Candidates know how to cover up gaps and “frame” experiences so that they are seen in the best possible light. That’s okay, because that’s the point of a resume—to represent the best aspects of a candidate.

But the skills and expertise a candidate can bring to an executive position go well beyond what you may see on a piece of paper or online profile. Take Chrysler’s former CEO Lee Iacocca, who saved the company from bankruptcy in the 1980s. Although Iacocca’s dismissal from Ford could have spelled the end of his career, he went on to make Chrysler a profitable company again.

Look beyond the written profile for both virtues and flaws that are not as obvious.

3. Create a pipeline

Companies often struggle to find the ideal executive talent for their company when the time comes. Creating a talent pipeline, both internal and external, is a good way to prepare for the future. You probably already have a customer or client pipeline; this is the same idea.

Internal candidates are the easiest to consider. You know them and they know you. Their track records speak for themselves, and many internal candidates already have rapport with key people. But sometimes, your organization needs new blood to execute a new vision—or just an adjustment in its current vision. Outside executives could still be a good fit, and having access to them—either directly or through an executive search firm—can help you shorten your search process dramatically.

Remember, you have to “sell” your company to great candidates just as they have to “sell” themselves to you.  How your company shows up online and in social media is just as important as how the candidates appear online.  Are your company’s profiles on LinkedIn and GlassDoor up-to-date and positive?  How about the profiles of your key executives?  You have marketing deliverables to inform your targeted prospective clients or customers; do you have materials aimed at your targeted prospective candidates?

4. Get help from the professionals

Get the help of recruitment and staffing agencies like Brookwoods Group to work closely with your management team to find the right executive talent with the knowledge, experience and skills that fit your company’s mission, vision, values and culture.

Brookwoods Group is an executive search firm in Houston, Texas, that has been connecting talented professionals with companies since 1998.

To talk to one of our recruitment professionals, contact us today.