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Published On: Wed, Dec 4th, 2019

6 Tips for Hiring New Senior-Level Employees

Losing employees who hold top executive or management positions due to resignation, retirement, and any other reasons can be one of the most trying times in your company.

Due to their years of experience and expertise, they can be depended on to make the right crucial decisions nearly all the time. Since these employees have worked their way up to high positions, they are considered leaders and are generally well-respected within the company.

When you lose a C-level executive or manager, you are also saying goodbye to a reliable smart decision-maker and a person that your employees trust and look up to.

Finding their replacement, therefore, will be a difficult feat to accomplish. However, doing so is not impossible, whether you are looking for a new Chief Finance Officer (CFO) or finance or investment managers.

Finding the Right Persons to Fill in Top-Level Positions

Below are six tips that will help you select and hire the best person to fill in a vacant senior-level position:

Create a candidate profile

Since you are looking for a new employee to take on a senior-level position, using your general job candidate profile template is not advisable. You need to come up with a more detailed candidate persona to attract and hire only the most qualified applicant.

To create the ideal candidate profile, talk with the management, all decision-makers, and your recruitment team. Identify the educational background, experience, skills, and traits everyone thinks is crucial and the new employee should have.

Make sure everyone agrees on these requirements or profile so that only the most qualified candidates will be shortlisted.

photo: photologue_np via Flickr

Make a stellar job description

Important-sounding titles and a list of benefits and perks are no longer enough to attract top talent, particularly passive job seekers, who can fill your senior-level vacancy. You have to create a clear, detailed, and tailor-fit job description if you want to catch the attention of the most qualified candidates.

Use the candidate profile as a starting board for the job description. Next, think about the responsibilities and duties the new employee has to assume and the problems he or she will have to deal with and solve. These should include both frequent and uncommon ones.

To get more ideas about what to put into this job description, talk to current employees who have similar roles and the manager or C-level executive the new hire will report to. Ask them what skills and qualifications they value the most and the problems they deal with. Their responses will help you craft a more detailed document.   

Once you start writing down the final job description, ensure it is not merely a list of responsibilities. It should be a comprehensive document that describes the ideal candidate you are looking for and what he or she needs to succeed in the role.

Focus on passive candidates

In general, the most qualified candidates for senior-level positions are already employed. And since they are already good at what they do and possibly comfortable with their standing and compensation package, it is highly likely that they are not actively looking for a new job.

However, this does not mean that they are not open to exploring career opportunities. As such, you can include them in your talent pool.

To search for qualified passive candidates, use LinkedIn and other job and networking tools or platforms. Don’t hesitate to contact the candidates you are interested in. With the right communication and hiring strategies, you may convince one or more of them to apply for your opening.

Prepare selling points that will pull in the most desirable candidates

Once you have a pool of qualified applicants, think about how you can get them on-board. This means knowing how you can clearly and thoroughly explain to them why joining your company is an excellent idea.

Having details of their compensation package and other benefits is a good start. However, keep in mind that candidates have different preferences and requirements regarding salary, incentives, and perks. 

One applicant, for instance, may value continuous learning and, thus, would appreciate various training opportunities. Other candidates, however, would not be interested in such programs and ask for other things.

Additionally, to pique the interest of candidates and move them to the next recruitment stages, customize your offer. Study their CVs and backgrounds. If the job title is higher than their current position, use this as your main selling point.

However, if they already hold the same rank, highlight new skills they can develop in the role, opportunities for further career growth,  and exciting projects they will spearhead.

Screen applicants thoroughly

Although you have the most qualified candidates in your pool, you still need to go through the hiring process properly. This means screening them properly.

Conduct several informal and formal interviews. If possible, have the candidates who passed these stages attend a panel interview so that the management and other senior-level executives can help make you the right decision.

During these interviews, ask some questions that will give you an idea of the applicant’s quality of work and management and communication styles. Their answers will help you determine if they are a good fit for the company culture and if they will thrive in the role.

Finally, conduct background and investigative check thoroughly as well. Aside from getting in touch with the candidates’ references, reach out to the people who gave them recommendations on LinkedIn. Ask them why they gave these reviews or commendations and if they think the applicant would be an excellent fit for your team.

Think long-term

Lastly, to avoid the challenges of recruiting new senior-level employees, focus on hiring a candidate that will stay with your company for a long time.

This is where assessing their fit to your company culture sets in during the interviews. You need to be sure they understand and will work to achieve the organization’s target goals.

Additionally, ask questions during the interviews that allow you to gauge how happy and motivated they will be when they move to your company. Moreover, try to assess how committed they will be to their future job and team.  

Since hiring senior-level employees can be complicated and arduous, consider working with a recruitment company that is known for headhunting and placing top talent in executive and managerial positions. With their help, you will skip various onerous steps yet still have the most qualified candidate to take on the important role and the accompanying duties and responsibilities.

About the Author:

David Mackenzie, a recruitment professional with over 20 years’ experience in the field and a record of entrepreneurial accomplishment, is Managing Director and Head of HR at Mackenzie Jones. As the Group MD, David is responsible for the overall direction of the Mackenzie Jones Group, including Mackenzie Jones, MumsAtWork, MENA Solutions, Simply Digital and ThinkTech.

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About the Author

- Writer and Co-Founder of The Global Dispatch, Brandon has been covering news, offering commentary for years, beginning professionally in 2003 on Crazed Fanboy before expanding into other blogs and sites. Appearing on several radio shows, Brandon has hosted Dispatch Radio, written his first novel (The Rise of the Templar) and completed the three years Global University program in Ministerial Studies to be a pastor. To Contact Brandon email [email protected] ATTN: BRANDON

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