Archives for January 2020

The job of winning resumes is to present a candidate’s achievements and relevance for a particular  job in the most effective manner. Even though as an employers you will be gathering information form many other sources – particularly social media – that document with RESUME on the top is still the basic building block in the formation of your opinion about the applicant.

Having a stack of these in your inbox is daunting but you can simplify the first triage by looking for two things.  If you see them, push them to the next round.

First, recognize the key challenges presented by the resume process.

Challenge #1.  The hiring committee or manager faces hundreds of resumes in the course of his or her work.  A smart candidate (the kind you want) will recognize this and make a deliberate effort to get and hold your attention.

Challenge #2.  A Workforce survey a few years ago came up with a staggering statistics that 78% of resumes are misleading and that 53% contained outright false information.  This can invalidate any other claims made in the resume

So, the two core components you need to see to keep a resume off the floor? Creativity and honesty.

The first creates a bigger burden for the candidate. He or she doesn’t have to send the guy with the balloons, but you are looking for an effort to be original, to get your attention.  One candidate achieved notoriety with this line:

Held multiple sales positions doing more or less the same thing at incrementally larger rates of pay”

A light touch seldom fails to put a smile on the face of the reviewer and the authoring candidate has achieved the first goal. You are most likely to pass this one to the next round.

Creativity is a plus when it impresses you and moves an interesting candidate into a preferred pile. You would not describe honesty as a plus. If you find any reason to doubt it, that is as far as you need to go.

Most, if not all, employers conduct thorough reference and background checks, making it strange to think that so many people try to cut corners. It is only smart to play it straight and that means not even little cheats.

For example, a common corner that gets rounded is education. If a candidate studied for a degree but did not complete it, he is often tempted to leave the impression that he did.   It will come out in the background check and even a little cheat like that will sour your opinion of the applicant.

How you approach a resume may have a lot to do with the level of the job you are trying to fill. A production-level job may be easier to scam because most of these jobs are filled by recruiting software or by contingency recruiters.

A contingency recruitment only requires firms to submit resumes to the hiring company and, since it is competitive, becomes a numbers game – the more resumes submitted to you, the better your chance one of them will stick. The burden of assessment is on you and by implication,  your background verification may be less rigorous.

You are going to have a greater sense of involvement if you are seeking to fill a higher level position, particularly when you get to the manager and executive level.  You are more likely to have engaged a retained search firm which will work on an exclusive basis to find the best candidate, will have concluded a rigorous scrutiny of the top applicants and will make accompanying recommendations.

One CEO famously found out the hard way when the background check turned up a wife and two kids in California and another wife and two kids in Connecticut .

Lying on a resume can be grounds for dismissal should you find out after the applicant has been hired.  You can avoid the duststorm and the toll in time and effort by being scrupulous in your review with regard to honesty and striking out the cheaters.

 

Last week we ran a great post by Linda Gray, head of our new Non-Profit specialization group.  It spelled out the reasons why, if you are a Non-Profit, recruiting top talent is more likely to be successful handled by a Retained Search agency than a Contingency Search agency.  If you missed it, check it out here.

The post identifies services that specifically address challenges faced by NPs. But, as Linda points out, the retained search model overall creates advantage to any organization recruiting for the leadership team.

A ”best process”, though, becomes best when you understand how.  Here are three simple steps for ensuring success in executive search.

1. You want a partner, not a vendor.

This is not just another client-customer contract. To achieve the best result, you must become partners with your retained executive search firm.

The recruiting team you have just hired is bringing to the table specialist skills, knowledge and intuition that you don’t have. They look at things differently.

Don’t stay up late working on your description of who you want. The search pros will start further down the track and ask you what it is you need to accomplish.  They think like engineers: they need to know the desired end-state and then look at how they can get you there.

They will also help you see down the line.  Studies indicate 40% of executives fail inside the first 18 months.  The main reason is an issue of preparedness.  Like an iceberg, the biggest threat to recruiting success is unseen.  The term is “culture fit”; understanding, preparing and cultivating the right fit is perhaps the biggest contribution the retained search firm can make for you.

2. Recognize the right partner

Not all recruiters are created equal. Fortunately. Candidate search firms can offer similar skill and expertise but one will fit better and be more comfortable to work with. Remember, it’s a partnership you are looking for.

There are thousands of executive search firms and the best in the world are members of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (as are we). So, start here. The AESC logo is a respected and reliable indication that you are choosing to do business with an expert and trustworthy organization.

Your due diligence should cover basics. Does your talent pool need to be global?  Does the search firm have a track record in your business?  Is this a domestic position or cross-border? If the latter, who is managing it?  What is the search firm’s track record in your niche?  Average time to engagement?  Stick rate at 24 months?

Then there is that part of the iceberg under the surface.  Do these people understand you well enough to know who will fit in?  Do they really know your business? Are you comfortable with them?

George Bradt, a prolific contributor to Forbes Media, is famous for saying that there are only three job interview questions that matter: Can you do the job?  Will you love the job?  Can we work with you?

3. Understand your candidate

Don’t leave everything to your partner.  It is important that you, too, understand what is motivating the candidate.  You should know why she or he would choose you.

The more senior the position, the more personal the selection exercise becomes. The person you engage will be your peer, will have to fit in with the leadership team. He or she must be someone able to understand and share confidential aspects of management and leadership.

Trust is fundamental to a company’s corporate strategy because the employer-employee relationship is one of the most tangible trust-points in our lives. You and your colleagues must be satisfied that this is someone you can work with, someone you feel you can trust.

But also realise your candidate is no less concerned.

He or she is about to make a huge life choice that comes with risk.  A wrong placement can have devastating effect on a person’s reputation and career.  An illustrious career can suffer major setbacks from being hired into the wrong leadership positions.

Next Steps

Building a top-notch leadership team is rated by many organizational gurus as the most important task of a business enterprise.  A fundamental element is anticipation.

So, before the need arises, research the optimum path to attracting and securing the best talent in the world.  A good starting point is our e-book “Recruiting Top Talent”

With limited budget dollars for the crucial work a non-profit needs to do, it can be challenging to convince BODs to spend money on retained search for top talent.  After all, they have carefully earmarked their funds to best support their mission and the consumers who benefit from it. Their mission IS their passion and their efforts are not only best spent supporting the mission but so is their funding.

Because of this focus on budget dollars, when they do need to recruit for leaders, non-profit organizations are faced with the decision of whom to hire to bring in top talent; Retained or Contingency firms. Although it may sound more cost effective to choose a Contingency firm whose model is based on the “pay when you hire” structure, the value in selecting a Retained firm far outweighs the cost.

Non-Profits have distinct needs and constraints besides availability of budgets.  This inevitably has a bearing on the requirements needed in new leadership and the reason why Cornerstone International Group has formed a specialized service for Non-Profits.

Here are six reasons why a Non-Profit organization should go the Retained Search route.

• Skin in the Game

The Retained firm invests time, money and resources into understanding your precise needs and “fit” – a process especially important considering the unique configuration of the non-profit. They set up milestones, frequent communication and robust vetting of candidates to ensure the Non-Profit Search Committee is only spending valuable time talking with the cream of the crop in the talent pool.

• Facilitating the Search Committee

The ability to facilitate agreement ranging from selecting the top competencies, to the interview questions, to evaluating candidate responses is critical for the success of the search.

Search Committees are a volunteer subset of the Board of Directors (which is also volunteer for Non-Profits) and they typically are high ranking For-Profit leaders.  They come with very different opinions of what the direction, strategy and leadership of the organization should look like.  And they should.  This is often a robust and lively conversation and the search firm you choose should have a keen ability to facilitate these discussions and successfully bring an unanimous outcome.

• Proper Management of Board/Partner Agency Referrals and Internal Candidates

Managing referrals from Board Members, Partner Agencies and leaders in the community along with potential internal candidates can be a tricky part of the selection process for a Non-Profit.  There are dynamics and political agendas that come into play and the referrals/internals need to be handled with a higher level of engagement by the search firm.

There are expectations from the referrers/internals that the potential candidate (whether qualified or not) will be given an opportunity to go through the initial vetting process for consideration.  The search firm will also need to be adept at handling the conversation if/when the referral/internal is taken out of consideration.  How this information is delivered can make or break the reputation of the Non-Profit organization

• Positive Representation of Your Reputation in the Community

When searching for a leader in a Non-Profit, everyone is watching. The employees of the organization, the Board, the community and, you better believe your funders are watching carefully too.  How the search is handled by the firm has a far-reaching impact in giving a very positive impression of your organization.  A Retained Search firm takes their deep understanding of your mission, vision, values and future growth orchestrates very positive and exciting conversations with your potential candidates.

And word gets around quickly.  How the search firm is portraying your organization out in the marketplace ultimately effects everything about your reputation.  Their messaging, marketing and delivery has to be spot-on to ensure your future success. Hire a Retained Search Firm that understands the clout they have in representing your organization and they take it very seriously.

• Candidate Experience

Organizations need to hire a firm who will represent them well from beginning to end.  The search firm is the face of the client’s organization and you need to trust that they have a deep understanding of the organization, the mission, the role and what makes a great hire.  When you choose a Retained firm, you as the client will not only get a first-rate experience but so will your candidates. They will learn what makes the organization work, where the opportunities are for improvement, what the culture, the leadership and overall engagement is all about.

They will be able to assess the three pillars of “fit”; motivational, cultural and organizational based on the deep understanding of the search firm.  The opportunity for the candidates to vet these dynamics early in the process allows them to ensure alignment with their passion and vision for their next career move.   You can’t afford a big miss on the candidate experience. If you don’t get that right, there is zero chance for success in the short and long ter

• Hiring Decision Making

In For Profits, although there may be other department heads interviewing the potential candidates for input and feedback, the decision is ultimately that of the hiring manager. In Non-Profits, the decision is the responsibility of the Search Committee and it can be a cumbersome and often the most intense part of the search process.  Search Committees by nature bring very different views of the organization and what type of leader is needed to take the reigns for the next iteration of growth.

You will need a search firm which has a proven, quantifiable process to lead the discussion around the hiring decision.  The Search Committee Chair will ultimately bring the Committee’s hiring recommendation to the Board of Directors for final approval, so it’s imperative to have accurate and appropriate data on the process, the candidate pool and the decision making in order to solidify Board buy-in.

In today’s tight labor market, you can’t afford to risk losing the talent game. Contingency search has its place, but it can be ill-fated to put faith in a firm that prioritizes their efforts based on which positions can bring the fastest dollar to sustain their business.

It is in the best interest of the mission, the consumers and the community to use a good Retained search firm to position your organization as a contender in the quest to hire the best leadership and take the organization to the highest imaginable level of serving its grand purpose.

For more information on recruiting for Non-Profits, contact me at linda-gray@conterstone-group.com.

ATLANTA, Ga – January 15, 2020 – A new specialization group focused on Non-Profit organizations has been launched by global recruiter Cornerstone International Group.

Cornerstone, a retained executive search organization with 58 member offices in 36 countries, will concentrate its new service first in North America to meet market opportunities.

Non-Profit companies often face distinct challenges recruiting senior level leaders, ranging from limited budgets to a shortage of experience in assessing and evaluating talent.  Cornerstone’s new specialist team is focused on custom solutions to address these needs.

“Step one for any non-profit is to work with a Retained Search firm,” says Linda Gray,  Senior Vice President, Executive Search at Cornerstone Cleveland, who leads the specialist group.

“Retained search offers a unique and custom approach to securing top talent by becoming a true extension of the organization through in-depth understanding of the motivational, cultural and organizational “fit” required for long-term success of the chosen candidate.”

Servicing the needs of non-profits is a natural specialization for Cornerstone, says President Larry Shoemaker of Atlanta.

“Non-profits represent the third largest workforce in the U.S., behind retail and manufacturing,” says Shoemaker. “They are the recipients of over $390 billion in annual charitable giving and most of these organizations fit into the target range of our member offices.”

A summary of the benefits offered by the new service can be found on the Cornerstone global blog. See Six Reasons Why Non-Profits Need Retained Search

Information:

Linda Gray
Senior Vice President, Executive Search
Cornerstone Cleveland
linda-gray@cornerstone-group.com

Happy New Year!  But, before we start on a new journey, let’s take one last look over the shoulder at 2019.

The Cornerstone Blog was busier than ever – over 70 posts and national reports.

We looked at the the recruiting scene in depth. We reviewed changes in organizational strategy in 2019 and the rise of Corporate Social Responsibility.  Then we followed up with a five-year summary of Women in Leadership, the latest in Agile Talent and a $150 billion company committed to enabling a fossil-free environment within one generation.

So, before you get all wrapped up in new issues, refresh your memory on the old ones, knowing they will all be back again.

Wishing you a happy, healthy and rewarding 2020!

Chris Allan
Editor

JANUARY

Our Window On A Wary Europe

We began the year as usual with situation reports from our members around the world. This summary links to 10 Western Europe countries out of the 21 we reported.

 

FEBRUARY

China Steps Up Control of Pharma Market

First of several excellent reports on the world’s second biggest Pharma Market by Eric Bouteiller in Cornerstone Beijing, lead of our Life Sciences and Health practice group.

 

MARCH

The Flip Side Of Executive Search – Are You Fit

So much of the executive recruiting process revolves around the hiring company resolving whether the candidate can continue to meet expectations in the long term. What about the reverse, asks President Larry Shoemaker?  A top talent is equally concerned about the company he may join.

 

APRIL

Cornerstone Santiago Keeps Pressure Up For Women Leaders

Diversity & Inclusion is a driving issue for many members, particularly Elena Terol in Spain and Alejandra Aranda in Chile. Here is how Alejandra persuaded 10 of her peer search firms in Santiago to sign a 10-point Code of Good Practice on Gender Diversity Management

 

MAY

Leadership Integration is the new Executive Onboarding

We undertook rapid and massive expansion of our executive coaching services in 2019. This recommended read is the third article in a series “When Do You Need an executive coach”?  Nashville coach Ginger Duncan explains how yesterday’s “onboarding” has become “Leadership Integration” and not at all the same thing.

 

JUNE

Executive Headhunters vs Recruiters

Know the difference between an executive recruiter and a headhunter?  The Editor steps up with the answer. Each year, we publish many posts on the advantages of Retained Search over Contingency. It remains a leading topic and our E-Book on the issue is our most popular download.

 

JULY

Where Is your Business Heading?

In mid-year we released a major Cornerstone report on shifts in organizational culture.  The report was driven by Heinz Wester of Cornerstone Stockholm and examines the impact of disappearing boundaries both internal and geographical.

 

AUGUST

Need a new Executive in a Hurry?

In woodworking shop they tell you to “do it right, not over.”  Same goes for recruiting. In any business, the organization is only as good as the people running it. So, while tools such as AI can speed up the recruiting process, don’t forget your guiding consideration is the future of the company.

 

SEPTEMBER

The Key to Recruiting the Best Candidates

This is a fascinating look at Vattenfall, one of Europe’s largest electricity and heat providers with revenues over US$150 billion and 20,000 employees. After 100 years, it is re-inventing itself to enable fossil-fuel-free living in one generation.

 

OCTOBER

Leadership Strategies Are Only Real When You Apply Them

In isolation, a theoretical strategic choice is practically useless, writes George Bradt of Forbes Media. It’s not real until you apply resources and capabilities. And it’s not worthwhile unless the application of those resources and capabilities create more value than you invest.

 

NOVEMBER

Women Leaders and the Broken Rung

Forecasters predict it will take at least another 30 years – an entire new generation of working women – before gender parity becomes a reality in USA businesses.   D&I expert Anne Glenn of Cornerstone Atlanta tells us the gap comes at the very beginning. For every 100 men promoted and hired to manager, only 72 women are promoted and hired. Thus begins a path of disparity.

 

DECEMBER

Executive Search in 2020 – No More One-Offs

Having and keeping the best talent managing the business has emerged as the single most important element of business strategy.  A big trend, says The Editor, is the move from on-demand engagement of executive search professionals to the forming of partnerships.

Forming an expert relationship with a talent specialist removes an uncertainty from the team building.  The skills and knowledge of the search firm contribute value in new ways: consultation on the make-up of the team leadership; where are we going? How do we get there?

With a search partner, you can fine-tune the employer value proposition, seen by many as the greatest challenge in building top teams.

Contact us to learn more