The Secret to Finding Top Candidates to Fill Executive Positions
Hiring for any position is intense. But no hiring strategy is as intense as hiring for an executive position.
You put a lot of trust in your execs. They have the power to make or break your organization. That’s why many candidates will apply, but you’ll only consider a small selection of them.
How do you know a leader when you meet one? It can be impossible, but all leaders will share the same qualities. That’s the secret to knowing who’s the right candidate for your open executive position. But what are these qualities?
When hiring for executive positions, here are the secret traits to look for.
They Have a Vision
Your company has a vision but so should your executives. When each executive has a vision for your brand, that helps catapult the company to heights you never knew existed.
The vision won’t only help toward your products, branding, or marketing. A powerful vision can motivate your team, achieve both short-term and long-term goals, and attracts customers.
Action
There’s a reason why some people make incredible leaders. They take action and compel their colleagues to take action with them.
Identifying action is difficult during the hiring process. Look for someone who has a path, can execute a plan, and can effectively communicate their ideas. They don’t wait around for a brilliant idea or for someone else to give them direction.
Passion
If you love what you do, you won’t work a day in your life, right? While executives are always on the grind, something should give them the push to keep things in gear.
Passion is the lifeblood of an executive’s job. Your executives are your company’s cheerleaders.
They live by your mission and your purpose. They use their passion and knowledge to provoke the rest of your team to work toward your company’s goals.
Integrity
How often do you focus on past executive experience? You should with each hire, right? What past qualities for you look for? Is it just proving they have experience leading a team, or can prove they lead a team with integrity?
This is more about morality than hard work and proven success. Integrity is what builds trust. A powerful executive not only builds trust with other executives but with the organization as a whole.
Problem-Solver
Executive roles aren’t easy. These professionals face a myriad of challenges. This is why your executives need to prove they’re excellent problem solvers.
Problem solvers aren’t those who know how to face complex issues. They are ones who love a challenge and see a problem as an opportunity to grow and gain new knowledge. This helps lead to new ideas and improved processes.
How do you gauge their problem-solving skills? Ask about the biggest hurdle they had to endure. Pay more attention to how they dealt with the problem rather than the outcome.
Is It Time to Hire for Executive Positions?
Are you ready to fill your open executive positions? If so, we offer many ways for employers to meet the best candidates. To find the most powerful executives, try our executive search.
