by Ron Cullimore, Head of Client Services, Manila Recruitment
An effective executive is a diamond in the rough. Recruiting top candidates in itself is a challenging feat, much more when it’s a top-level executive you’re looking for.
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Recruiters have limited choices when it comes to available candidates. The workplace culture is shifting, and recruitment trends are driven by technology and diversity. But, does this make finding modern executives more difficult? No.
ThisWay Global compiled statistics and data to assist recruiters and businesses in the recruitment process. With this information, you can better strategize your recruitment process and find the top candidate that suits the position you need to fill. Let’s delve into that deeper, shall we?
Demand for Extraordinary Leaders
Extraordinary times demand extraordinary leaders. It’s the digital era, and the way work is done is different from the way our parents did it. Gen Y and Gen Z are taking over the workforce, and they are looking for mentors who can keep them motivated and inspired. The world is innovating!
To keep up with this trend, companies and businesses are looking for outstanding leaders who can make confident decisions that will help the company and its people grow. Think about some of the world’s greatest thought leaders and how they contributed to the betterment of the world, be it through technological advancements, philanthropy, or their art.
Leaders are influential, and today’s generation needs a positive influence to effect daily productivity and inspire positive change within their organizations and companies.
Qualities to Look for in an Executive
It’s not just about the suit. Executives are people with the overall air of professionalism, confidence, and authority. Top executives are great leaders who instill optimism in the hearts of their followers. “Culture is more important than strategy,” says Rene Carayol at the TEDxPlainPalais conference in Barcelona, Spain. You can’t train attitude. It comes with the culture of the business.
Manila Recruitment provides us an infographic with quite an accurate description of the qualities of an effective executive, from the appearance and behavior down to the professional experience and educational background.
Executives always appear clean and put-together from the top of their heads down to the soles of their shoes. Their confidence stems from years of experience in dealing with people from various walks of life. They have good communication skills honed from listening to their subordinates and colleagues.
An executive’s résumé doesn’t have to be long to show their qualifications. When you look at their résumé, there’s one thing evident—commitment. Effective executives are committed to their craft and will take necessary efforts to further their knowledge and skills. It will show you years of hard work from just a few companies. Their résumé will show you the time and effort they invest in every endeavor.
Screening Executive Candidates
Screening executive candidates require a different approach. Executives are hard to come by, and recruiters should recognize that when screening for C-suite executives, it’s not about what the company wants. It’s what the candidate is looking for.
According to Laura Byrne’s article published in LinkedIn, “[T]he recruitment process can become a buyer’s market—with the candidate … as the ‘buyer’ at the helm of the decision-making.”
Bring your A-game when interviewing executives. As the recruiter, you represent your client or your own company. Present yourself professionally and dress to impress. Make the candidate feel like their goals and needs are your top priority and streamline the process to make it convenient for both the employer and candidate.
When hiring top-level executives, evaluations and background checks are performed extensively, so ensure confidentiality in your screening process. This is important for both employer and candidate.
Final Word of Advice
For most companies, they leave the task to third-party recruitment agencies to widen their search. With C-suite executives, it’s not as simple as you may think. But, it can be easier and smoother with the help of recruitment consultants.
In this digital age, recruiters need to stay up-to-date with technology and strategies that can help companies and businesses find and retain the right leader for this generation’s workforce. Strategizing the sourcing, screening, and interview process will ensure that you can match the right candidate to the right executive position. Use the advanced tools and channels available in today’s technologically advanced era to your advantage.
A great leader is like a diamond in the rough. They are rare and hard to come by, but they exist. They’re just waiting for you to find them.
| Ron Cullimore is Manila Recruitment’s Head of Client Services. He is a deeply experienced customer service and recruitment professional. His expertise covers client experience and engagement, service management, business development, offshoring and recruitment strategy for start-ups. |