Even as COVID-19 continued to play a disruptive role in business and lives this year, one thing remains certain: organizations will need every ounce of talent they can acquire to guide them through this current situation and to drive growth in 2022 and beyond.
Your search for that exceptional talent should start now.
Regardless of whether your business is growing or you’re replacing a role, there is no more important decision than choosing the key people in your organization. As well as bringing in the required skills to maintain your current standards and/or kick the company up a notch, they may hire or approve other people in the company, set the tone for values, and make key decisions that will mean success or failure every business day.
Five Key Steps:
1. Start with a comprehensive audit of your company's current team and compare it with requirements for the coming months and years. Identify the gaps that need to be filled to achieve your company goals. If you are expanding, diversifying, or need to find investment, be clear in your mind about what you need and recruit accordingly. Circulate the job description to obtain input and comments from all stakeholders.
2. Decide on the interview process, timeline, and roles. Who will interview the candidates? Who will have final veto power or be responsible for the ultimate hiring decision? Many companies fail because the individuals that conduct the screening and interviewing of candidates lack the in-depth knowledge of the position they are trying to fill.
3. Leverage your stakeholders with the skills and experience you need for the hiring process. Interviewing a senior executive without possessing the right interview skills or knowledge of the role being recruited can harm your process. It can discourage the best candidates and lead them to conclude that the company doesn’t take recruitment seriously or value candidates. You will be perceived as wasting their time.
4. Consider: why should a prospective candidate join you over your competition? Investing time into crafting and communicating your candidate message ensures consistency and assists with your overall recruitment process blueprint. What you offer to prospective employees is as important as what you hope to gain.
5. Think about partnering with a specialist search consultant. They are highly knowledgeable about current hiring trends and have access to the hidden employment market, including professionals who are not actively looking for work. It’s a well-known fact that nearly 50% of individuals are open to a discussion with a well-respected recruiter; these are individuals who don’t browse job sites or check company websites for current vacancies. Their deep networks and knowledge of the industry, afford them the personal understanding to identify the right senior-level match between employer and employee. The right Search Partner is an extension of your business and worth their weight in gold.
Now is the time to look to the future and start the search process. The demand for top senior finance management is high and companies that will be best positioned after the crisis are looking ahead to what comes next. If you’re ready to plan for a successful 2022, email Paul, Brent, Troy, or Tara, or give us a call at 519-673-3463.
Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash