Creating a great senior management team can be a difficult and lengthy process. The right candidate should be knowledgeable, experienced, and a cultural fit for both their team and company. In order to find the right candidate, human resources often need to conduct many in-depth interviews and skill set checks as these people are crucial to the success of the company.
To simplify the process for you, here are our top strategies for building a strong senior management team.
Top 6 Strategies to Hire Senior Management
Performance-based hiring process
While it’s tempting to hire based on a candidate’s extensive resume, it is just as important to assess each individual’s performance. Typically, this works best when hiring internally, as it is more difficult to assess external talent. When interviewing candidates outside of your organization, ask open-ended questions on previous experience and conduct thorough reference checks. Your company needs senior management that can actually deliver, so vet each candidate thoroughly.
Identify what the ideal candidate looks like
Determine the experience, skill set, and personality traits that you wish your senior leadership to possess. In any event, it will be much easier to narrow down the candidates from a set list of criteria. While these desired traits shouldn’t be a ‘be all end all,’ they can give a good gauge on whether or not the prospective employee will succeed in the position. Remember that different roles may require different skill sets and personalities. The right individual to fill the CFO position will not be the perfect fit for a creative director.
Set roles and expectations
Clearly outline short-term and long-term expectations for senior management. What are their day-to-day activities? What are you looking for them to contribute to the company long term? By clearly indicating all given expectations, ask for their input on how they would reach these goals. This can indicate their planning and leadership styles, which may or may not be compatible with your business.
Ask for employee input
Before you make a selection, consider asking your employees for their input. Are they looking for someone with whom to consult their projects? Do they need someone to check in on their project timelines? It will give you a better understanding as to what you need for your company. While someone could be a great fit for executive management, they may not be the right personality for their team. Ask multiple behavioral questions to determine personality and leadership styles to prevent any future compatibility issues.
Promote internally
Promoting from within is often one of the best ways to build a new senior management team. Generally speaking, they already fit into the company culture and have demonstrated results on what they can do for your business. In addition, they might have valuable insight into current inefficiencies and improvements that can be made.
Partner with an executive search firm
An executive search firm can save you the headache by finding the perfect candidate for you. Using a staffing agency has benefits; not to mention, trained professionals are available to help you along the way. Consider partnering with an executive search firm for timely development, cost-effective results. With 17 years of experience, Trupath uses research-backed recruitment methods to find candidates that will meet your company’s objectives. All in all, using their extensive talent database, they have successfully filled over 16,000 roles for various companies.
With rave reviews and long-standing client relationships, Trupath’s knack for quality job placements has made them an industry leader in finding the ideal leadership. Partner with Trupath today to fill your senior management openings.
Find your perfect senior management team
Don’t wait until it’s too late! The senior management team is an integral part of everyday functions and is instrumental in paving the path forward. Build a savvy leadership team to help your company grow in positive directions.