What are the most effective ways to identify the right candidate for a senior-level position?

It's important to clearly define what "good" looks like both with your recruiting partner and hiring team. Avoid using ambiguous terms like "A-Player, Rockstar, smart, or polished." Instead, focus on prior accomplishments, motivators, and adaptability. Ask yourself the question "What's trainable and what should this person know how to do to be successful?" Years of experience is not always a great indicator of success, nor is pedigree. I think we can all agree that just because someone works in a profession for 10+ years, doesn't mean they do it successfully. Finally, instead of "culture fit" think of "culture add." Diverse ways of thinking should be championed, so seek to find what perspectives would add the most value to your team.

The best approach that's worked for me is to make the candidate do a detailed, deep dive, 'no obligations', 'not for use' project. How to set it up: - Create a detailed document of what you want the candidate to study, review, contemplate and present. Specify the presentation template so that there is no confusion. Be detailed. The atomic nitty gritty will either scare the wrong candidate or appeal to the right one. In your intro, promise that you will NOT use the study for your personal/business gain. This reassures the candidate that it's not free work. Set a strict deadline and evaluate how the person applies herself, responds to the ask and comes back with a quality submission. Then, use the submission for your final interviews!

Out of the box sourcing will help us in finding the right candidates. Reaching passive candidates would really make a magic here. Shout out on Social media like twitter, Linkedin and facebook. Asking for referrals from communities would really help to find the best candidates. Referral campaign inside the organization is another effective way !

I really believe in the power of creative sourcing. A lot of top-tier senior talent are probably snug in their roles and aren't on the active lookout. So why not tap into platforms like LinkedIn Recruiter, Twitter, or even Reddit? And, of course, it's not just about finding them but also making sure we're selling the role just right.

Assigning specific focus areas to each interviewer helps create a more thorough and fair interview process. Candidate experience should also be top of mind; remember, top talent is interviewing us just as much as we are interviewing them, so assigning focus areas helps eliminate redundancies, boosts engagement, and minimizes interview fatigue. Candidates want to have engaged conversations with hiring leaders and they also want to be able to see themselves in your organization. This is why representation on your interview panel is essential! Finally, it's important to choose your interview panelists carefully. Seek out diverse individuals who represent the core values of your organization and who can sell the opportunity to top talent.

In my past 7+ years in recruitment, I've found structured interviews to be a game-changer when evaluating candidates for senior roles. Having predefined questions aligning with the role's key requirements ensures a consistent evaluation process. Behavioral and situational queries help uncover how candidates handle challenges, offering insights into their problem-solving and decision-making skills. Plus, maintaining this structured approach helps mitigate biases and ensures a fair and accurate assessment across all applicants. It's an invaluable method in identifying the right fit for senior-level positions.

Tasks and tests are usually the biggest killer of any senior hire recruitment process. It might be because the task is insultingly simple, it might be because it's fishing for answers the candidate might otherwise charge for, it might be too lengthy and time consuming, or it might simply be the act of asking someone to jump through a hoop. If you're going to incorporate a task into your process, make sure you respect their experience, and design something that is clearly communicated and aligns with the role and level you are hiring for.

Test what? If you're hiring a senior person, the last thing they want is to be tested on their abilities. In fact, if you are talking to the RIGHT person, they will have years of quantitative metrics they can produce as evidence of their track record, ask for that. Have a human conversation about their ambitions and the opportunity to find alignment, but don't waste their time or insult their intelligence by having them jump through hoops just to tick a box.

I consistently apply the feedback sandwich method, ensuring that I address all aspects of the interview process. Crucially, this approach empowers candidates to make enhancements based on the feedback they receive. The primary objective of providing feedback is to furnish candidates with a comprehensive understanding of their performance, facilitating their growth and improvement.

I'm very grateful to have coworkers to whom I can reset my mind and oversee my interviewed on this When we plan structured interviews we focus more in a specific information or skill and miss some red flags along the process And of course the client will search for things they like and dislike on the candidates we send them, it's very important to have all grounds covered

References and background checks are the least valid of all parts of a recruitment process. References are only given by people with something positive to say, not the other way around. Instead, opt for a personality assessment and do your own evaluation.

Attention aux prises de références en revanche. Elles ne doivent pas être systématiques et ne doivent pas remplacer la décision suite à un entretien structuré ou une mise en situation. Souvent la prise de référence ne fait que confirmer le choix initial de recruter ou pas.

I look for "Five A's": Aspiration - Do they WANT to do what we need? If so, why? Is their motivation biased heavily toward a personal agenda or more toward overall success? Ability - do their record of performance, assignments, experiences and education indicate technical and behavioral capabilities appropriate for the role? Availability - will they be available when we need them? If internal, how ready is their successor? What's the risk of removing them from their current role? Agility - can they adjust well to fluid situations with varying tempo, culture and expectations? Action - do they understand what actions the role/environment requires? Are they willing/able to take those actions? Be well my friends. Keep up the fire!

While data-driven assessments are essential, don't discount your intuition. I found often that trusting my gut instinct was one of the greatest tools to lead me to a successful hire. Hiring for senior-level positions is a complex process that requires a combination of careful planning, thorough assessment, and a focus on both technical skills and cultural fit. Tailor your approach to the specific needs and goals of your organization to increase your chances of making a successful hire.