Five reasons why it doesn’t.
Focus your executive search on real criteria, not how many years they were at a former firm, here is why and five tips to tell if it really does matter.
#1 These candidates are ready to join your culture.
Transitioning over to a new culture is difficult – even more so for a candidate that has been somewhere for over five years to a decade (or more). We want your next hire to join the team, assimilate, and begin contributing as quickly as possible. Candidates that become too entrenched into a former culture may have a hard time with the change. In this case, a candidate that has successfully joined other teams and brings reflective thoughts may be of great value to your organization. They are nimble and ready to share their notes that can strengthen your team.
Tip: Ask your candidates what they think their first month will look like. Ask them what they plan on accomplishing. Successful candidates will talk about who they’re going to meet with and what relationships they’ll build, internally, aiding their success. Be on the lookout for candidates that ask you when the next company event is so they can plan ahead to be there!
#2 They’re paying attention.
These candidates are paying attention and see the world as a place of opportunity! Long gone are the days when loyal employees stayed somewhere for 40 years and entered into retirement. In this era, if the salaries, benefits, advancement opportunities, location, or anything else don’t work, employees simply move on. Imagine that you attracted a leader with a bountiful mindset and you brought them to your firm… the impacts could be wildly positive and you may find your firm positioned as the most competitive firm in your industry.
Tip: Ask candidates why they moved on from each organization. You’re looking for signs that each step was a step forwards and upwards. Taking notes from Simon Sinek‘s The Infinite Game, leaders with bountiful and infinite mindsets will propel your organization forward (we highly recommended you read his book!)
#3 They’re not settling.
Employees can sniff out a lack of career advancement quickly and why would your next all-star stay anywhere that kept them stagnant? Leadership and high performers are looking for a place where they are recognized and understand how they can advance. They may have made the most valuable, highest revenue-generating idea a company has ever seen… but if they are not made part of the success they will take their talent elsewhere.
Tip: Ask candidates what contributions they’ve made and what the impact was at their last two employers. This question will help you gauge how great of a contribution they will make to your firm.
#4 They want a place to invest their career.
With all this said, leaders, managers, C-suite, and executive candidates are looking for positions where they can stay and enjoy a really REALLY nice retirement. This means that they are looking to invest their time and resources into a firm. The leader you want is smart and they are evaluating a firm’s financial health, growth potential, culture, retention, succession plans, operational efficiencies, and innovation. They’re also asking about the path to ownership. The truth is that some of your competitors don’t have this figured out. Rockstar leaders won’t wait, they’ll continue in their search.
Tip: Discuss your company’s ownership and succession plan with your current leaders/owners. Be prepared to cover this topic with your top candidates. The candidates that want to make your firm successful will ask about their future and, if made to feel included in the success of your firm, are more likely to stay longer.
#5 Did you feel that? It was a Pandemic…
It’s important we cover the obvious: The Pandemic caused a shake-up for everyone. We all have weathered a lot of movement due to furloughs, lay-offs, unsustainable growth, and inflexible employers. There are awesome candidates that are seeking their next position. But guess what, your firm is the firm they’ve been seeking!
Tip: Ready your firm for the next generation… review your current flexible work platform and other benefits to attract and retain today’s best candidates and stay ahead of your competition!
Let ‘s speed this up. Let Next One Staffing do the candidate vetting for you. There is a war on talent and your firm needs the best placement service. We base our search on the criteria that matches your needs and candidate desires, not dated information. Next One thoroughly prescreens our candidates and has developed a capable, motivated, and valuable pool of talent ready to join you and your team. Contact our team ASAP!
“Next One was able to find a quality candidate in a very challenging labor market for my team because they took the time to really understand our needs. Very impressed and looking forward to working with Ryan and his team on some of the other management positions in my team now and in the future!”
Sonu Chandi, Owner, CEO
Chandi Hospitality Group
