Author Archives: Shaun Carpenter

Straight Talk with the Head-hunter

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As a candidate, how can I get constructive feedback when unsuccessful in a search process?

It’s not easy when you’re receiving the bad news that someone else was chosen for the career role you had your heart set on, but remember, at the onset there can often be 50+ candidates all shooting it out. If you’ve applied to a position that was advertised and you were not selected for an initial ‘qualifying call’ on the phone or a face-to-face interview with the search firm handling the assignment, you shouldn’t expect to receive the feedback described below as the volume of candidates will usually make this request unreasonable to expect. If however, you make it to the shortlist, which is traditionally only 5-6 finalists, you’ve invested a lot of time and energy to the process and should the offer not come to you in the end, there’s still informative information you can benefit from. A reputable Head-hunter should be open, consultative and forthright in providing feedback when you’re receiving the turn-down professionally (hint…try not to sound defensive or augmentative in the discussion). Go ahead and ask:

1) Was the hiring company open to candidates from outside their industry?

Some clients’ selection committees are dead-set on finding someone who can make a quick transition and will not be required to learn how a new industry works while others have less time urgency and are looking for leadership and strategic skills that can transferred from one sector to another. As a candidate, this sort of decision is a little outside your ability to influence no matter how convincing you are.

2) Did the feedback you receive from your client align with how you viewed my candidacy?

As Head-hunters we’re looking for consistency in how you show up for an interview, whether you’re successful or not. Its difficult enough to predict with certainty how a candidate will do in a position based on what you assess in their interview, but even more difficult when there are wild variations in your confidence level, communication style, preparedness, energy and responses to questions from one meeting to the next.

3) Which questions could I have done a better job answering?

Notice, like all really good probing questions, that this query doesn’t allow for a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer so it will get the Head-hunter to share where you didn’t do adequate research, could have provided a more relevant example, gotten into more detail, or where you simply didn’t have the prior exposure.

4) Please leave me with a piece of advice for future interviews.

This will allow the Head-hunter to be honest and candid about what you can think about doing to improve your interviewing techniques and if you’ve made a fatal mistake, this question should get to the bottom of it.

Remember to thank the recruiter for providing information as the way you handle rejection and the manner you seek constructive criticism can go a long way to developing a deeper relationship. There have been countless instances when a client decides they want to go back and re-engage with someone who has been released earlier and how you communicate your disappointment can go a long way in bringing your name back up to the top.

If you have any burning questions about the executive search business and you’d like to receive some straight talk, please feel free to contact me at shaun@pfmsearch.com.

Successful Succession Planning

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The mass exodus of Baby Boomers has been delayed slightly by the global recession, but company leaders shouldn’t be taking their eye off the ball when it comes to identifying their future successor.   You need to ask yourself who will be in your seat when you’ve left.

Start now. Search firms are often retained at the time the pin is pulled, and it surprises me how few companies have a plan in place. Boards and CEOs should be working with HR and acting like talent scouts inside and outside the organization to build a list of prospects; a roster which will of course change and evolve over time. Specialists in selection and assessment can be brought in to help look at the internal bench-strength and networks can be tapped to add prospects’ names from outside.

Recognize it’s not going to be easy. Leaders struggle with filling their own role more than any other search they’ll ever do because, guess what, they’re going to be looking for someone just like themselves. To top that off, demographics are working against you; Candidates for executive leadership roles in highest demand are those in their late 30s to late 40s with lots of “runway” and these folks who are sandwiched between the Boomers and the Y Generation are simply less plentiful.

Cast the net broadly. Look closely at leadership candidates from different functional areas of your own organization and even from other industry sectors outside your company. Just because you came up the stream of Engineering or Finance doesn’t mean your successor will need to rake the same path to the top. Every company we do business with believes their customers, suppliers, market, competitive forces and technology are completely unique; they’re right and some technical roles require specific qualifications, certifications and training but if we’re talking about an executive role, smart successful leaders can often transcend perceived gaps, especially with qualified technical teams beneath them.

Let the prime candidates in on the plan. Communicate openly about the succession strategy and be specific on timeline, commitment, compensation, and other items the person will need to understand when contemplating the job you’re grooming her/him for. As a an executive search consultant, I can’t tell you how many times a strong candidate is out looking for something new, not because of being unhappy or unfulfilled, but rather because she/he is completely in the dark about their future prospects.

The continued success of your organization will be determined by the team you shape.

How to Make the Most of an Interview

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Being interviewed?  Here are 7 tips for your next big one.

  1. Always dress the part.  A good rule of thumb is to be one degree more formal in your attire than the audience you’re presenting to…and don’t be mistaken, you’re always presenting.  You can never go wrong with a dark suit (both for men and women) and a crisp white shirt.  Save your quirky fashion statement pieces for cocktail parties and make sure your shoes are always polished and in good shape.  You can tell a lot about a person’s character from the condition of their shoes.  I could write a whole column on clothing alone but lets move on to other important considerations…
  1. Know when to start talking and also when to stop.  Nerves can be amped up in an interview situation and you may be keen to jump into prose because you see where the question is going and you have the perfect response in mind.  Slow down, keep eye contact with the interviewer to ensure all the words are out before sharing your best example.  Provide a complete and succinct answer and then say no more. Usually there is a whole slate of questions an interview committee will want to ask and you should always be cognizant of the time.
  1. We want proof.  Avoid answering questions with “I would do this or that…” because…well, it sounds like you’re speculating.  Interviewers are looking for answers to their questions which provide specific examples of how you’ve done things in the past and what success you had.  Use, “I experienced that when…”, or “An example which could be relevant was…”
  1. There is no “I” in Team.  I’m sure you’ve heard this before but it warrants pointing out because its one of the most common comments made in the debrief session after an interview. There are bound to be a number of wonderful things you’ve done in complete isolation but unless you can walk on water you’ve needed colleagues, clients, direct reports and supervisors to help accomplish the objectives in your quarterly plan.  You’ll never be criticized for being too modest by saying “we”.
  1. Stop moving around.  Incessant fidgeting is just as distracting for an interviewer as it was for your grade 2 teacher.  Whether your habit of choice is flipping a pen, making sewing machine movements with your foot, or constantly glancing out the window, try to take a deep breath, calm your body down, and let your accomplishments and ideas be what gets noticed.
  1. Silence can be golden.  Don’t be afraid of taking a pause required to think of a real example.  Behavioural based interviews are the norm and a good interviewee will ask some thought-provoking questions beyond….”What are your key strengths?”  Take a minute to probe your mind rather than providing a response that just touches the surface or even worse, responding with, “I can’t remember a time when that has ever occurred”. If you’re totally stumped, at least offer to come back to the question later in the interview.
  1. Be yourself.  You won’t want the job, and certainly won’t be successful in it if the Selection Committee chooses the person they see in the interview and that person isn’t the real you.  Be genuine and true and it will be the right outcome whether you’re selected or not.

How to Ensure You Hire the Best Possible Candidate

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I’ve highlighted some of the important steps a Hiring Official should take when working with a headhunter, to maximize the chance that the organization ends up with a superb hire.

  1. Make sure all stakeholder voices are heard – It is extremely important at the onset of a search for the Hiring Official to be inclusive and encourage involvement from all the interested stakeholders.  All those who will be directly impacted by the role can be invited to sit down one-on-one with the headhunter to share thoughts/opinions in confidence.  This step at the beginning of a search can be quite challenging to organize from a scheduling standpoint and can also be enormously time consuming for your headhunter, but well worth it. A good executive search consultant will invest the time required; not only will this process get everyone invested in the search but it allows the recruiter to hear “the real deal”.  Critical information inevitably comes out of these conversations that can be shared with prospective candidates so there are no surprises when he/she joins the organization.  The recruiter needs to know the good, the bad and the ugly.
  2. Keep the process open and transparent – There are some exceptions when confidentiality overrides this but whenever possible, a Hiring Official should communicate internally to their organization as well as externally to the marketplace that an executive search firm has been retained and a search has commenced.  This way everything is out in the open and all politics, biases or any other influences can be removed and a thorough, effective and objective process can prevail.  The Hiring Official can encourage internal candidates to apply and this way they will be evaluated fairly as every other candidate in the selection process.
  3. Give the headhunter all the tools – These items may seem obvious but they are important and having them ready right at the beginning of the search can help get the headhunter get off to a quick start:
    • An updated electronic job description.
    • A written or on-line benefits summary.
    • The base salary targeted, the approved range and realistic “wriggle room”.
    • A comprehensive relocation package.
  4. Plan ahead and communicate often – Take a look at the time-plan right away and secure dates in the calendar for everyone who will be involved at shortlist presentation as well as at the interviews. If you have a large Selection Committee everyone is bound to have very busy schedules so locking in dates early will save frustration and delay later on. A long-list discussion before the executive search firm actually interviews candidates is also useful to review people who are perhaps know by various employees and again update the Hiring Official as to those who look most promising.
  5. Utilize the headhunter to help get to “Yes” – Once a Hiring Official or Selection Committee has chosen the top candidate, the negotiation begins and the headhunter can be very useful at this stage, acting a facilitator and preventing any breakdown in discussion.  A Hiring Official may be looking for strong negotiation skills when describing an ideal candidate for the job but then see these skills in a completely different light when on the other side of the table negotiating an employment offer. Acting as a middleperson, we can ensure that everyone feels good about an accepted offer and there are no hard feelings when the person shows up on day one.

A good headhunter should be like an extension of your own organization and these 5 tips will assist you in finding the best possible talent during an executive search process.

How to Handle Interest in Various Roles

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The “Bird in the Hand” scenario is a pretty common situation for a job hunter, especially if you’re highly qualified within your field and in between roles. No two hiring processes move at the same speed and often you’ll want to see things through before withdrawing after one offer comes your way…especially if the other opportunity is of greater interest.  Ideally, you’d like to meet all the key stakeholders including potential supervisors, colleagues, and staff for each position, understand the business goals and future objectives of the organizations, get a clear sense of chances for progression, and then be able to compare offers, allowing you to select the role which fits best.  The odds of this all working out are actually greater than you’d expect.

I’ll often be told when interviewing a candidate, “I received a good package from my previous employer and I’m in no rush to jump at the first opportunity that comes along…” and then this is precisely what the person does.  I’m surprised by how many individuals will do the equivalent of walking down the street to the local car dealership and choosing a vehicle right off the lot in whatever color, model and specifications happen to be available.

My suggestion to job seekers is to be strategic about their career, do their homework about potential employers, consider the geographical scope they’re willing to consider and take a reasonable amount of time to make a decision on their next move, weighing all the options available, not just this week but perhaps this quarter. Networks need to be tapped into (both in-person and through social media), headhunters need to be consulted, and specific companies of interest need to be proactively targeted.

If you do find yourself in a position where more than one job prospect is appealing, be open and upfront in the interview process, and explain that you are involved in two (or more) searches.  Be honest about your timeframe for decision-making and see if it coincides with the timing of the hiring organization.  If it doesn’t, and you’re a leading candidate, you’d be surprised how the company will speed things up or slow things down slightly to ensure they have a chance to fully consider your candidacy.

If you’re working with a search professional in the process, don’t hide anything about other searches you’re currently engaged in, keep him/her apprised of any developments, and let that person help communicate to the client on your behalf. You may also want to ask the search consultant about his/her opinion concerning your chances of coming out on top on a particular competition; if you have a trusting relationship and the search has progressed far enough for the recruiter to have a clear picture of the candidate pool, you should be able to get an accurate indication which will help you decide whether or not to take the other offer that is currently on the table.

I shudder when an outstanding, highly marketable individual says that he/she needs to respond to an offer quickly and therefore can’t complete their due diligence on another opportunity.  If you’re the best candidate for the job, an employer will understand your need to take the next two weeks to thoroughly explore the options you’re considering in order to make an informed decision…a decision that won’t be regretted 6 months down the road.  Take a moment to remember that you are, in fact, in the drivers seat of that car you’re test driving.