How do you Successfully Recruit at a Senior Level?

Finding that key person can feel like an impossible task.

So set the stage by adopting a solid talent and nurturing strategy.

This will put your company in a good position to find the best fit. A bad recruit at this level can prove a costly mistake.

Your new employee needs to be ready to share and grow your company

But also, be willing to change and adapt. Too many times, senior recruits aren’t big fans of learning new ways to do things and the more senior they are, the less adaptable they may be. It is easy to employ someone with significant experience; however, it can be even more rewarding to hire someone who has a less conventional background.

In the interview ask situational questions

To make sure you are on the same page and that they can adapt to your company processes.

Listen to their questions

An excellent executive should be interviewing the company as much as the company is interviewing them! Also, the candidate’s questions will reveal a lot about them and what they can bring to your business.

Establish that you like the person

Liking someone is one of the key factors and there must be a rapport. You are going to be interacting frequently, so this is even more important for senior positions. Trust your gut instinct. Chances are, you’re hiring someone who has more experience than you in that position. They will seem impressive but your intuition about people’s experience and how your company culture works has been finely honed over many years.

Don’t rely just on advertising

Advertising alone to get people to apply is unlikely to get the right results. Top performers rarely browse job ads so, by talking to people in your own recruitment networks, it will ensure the right people are approached. Leveraging your existing recruitment contacts or building employee referral programs to identify any internal influencers, will help to promote your company and encourage your staff to share any recruitment campaigns in their own networks.

Be patient

Recruiting at an executive level can be a long and delicate process. It is important to realise that it’s not always about the money. For example, senior positions at a start-up are more about the challenge and desire to do something different. Top candidates will almost certainly need a lot of reassurance when considering such an important move, so above all, be prepared to invest some time and effort to get the person you really want.

Ultimately, it’s good to bear in mind that today’s footprint is tomorrow’s legacy.

Beverley Gedge is Operations Director at Compass Point Recruitment. If you are looking for a recruitment partner that is passionate about connecting the right people together, then contact Beverley on E: beverley@compasspoint.co.uk T: 01284 765700 or visit compasspoint.co.uk Twitter: @CompassPointRec

Photo of Beverley Gedge and Rebecca Thurlow taken by Simply C Photography