Today’s topic will consist of what does the presentation to that candidate contain. There are two items in particular that need to be highlighted:
- We present the opportunity and why it ought to be considered for the candidate.
- Qualify the candidate.
- Is this candidate appropriate for the opportunity?
- Could this be a career enhancing move for the candidate?
First, consider the opportunity. When we’re doing the presentation, there are several components that a candidate is looking for that we need to present.
- Is it a great brand to identify with?
- Would this individual enjoy this opportunity?
- Would the candidate enjoy working for this particular hiring authority?
- Would this candidate appreciate the overall cultural environment of the company?
Let’s backtrack regarding the company. Most professionals want to identify with a big, popular brand and that is a very strategic, career building move. We represent companies of that stature including: Novartis, Baxter, Bayer, Hewlett-Packard and Dell. Big brands are very popular and something that most candidates would like to be aligned with.
Next, we turn our attention to the job. The way we determine if this job is appropriate and will add value to the candidate is by asking this question, “What might be lacking or unfulfilled in your current position?” Then we can identify what our clients have to offer and determine if it is a good match.
An example of this is a candidate having no career growth opportunities at their present job. If we present that candidate with a job that has an immediate promotional opportunity and could potentially provide long term career growth; then that is our hook.
One of the next components we consider is the overall culture of the company. Some people like structure and others prefer more latitude in a less formal environment and we have to make that connection as well.
Another component is determining if the candidate would enjoy working with the immediate supervisor. You have to tout the background and leadership skills of this hiring authority and make sure it is a good match.
Once all this has been determined, we focus on the candidates qualifications for the opportunity. This is quite different than most people think and it isn’t all based on technical abilities. What most people don’t realize is that technical abilities may only comprise 20 percent of the hiring decision and 80 percent is based on leadership, energy, and delivering persuasive messages throughout the organization.
Let’s start with the technical skills and the way we decide if someone is technically proficient for the role. We don’t just ask about their responsibilities because people are adept at talking about those and it really doesn’t convey their value ad. We ask-How have you created value? The answer we look for specifically is- Did a,b,c resulting in with some qualifier. If someone is able to speak about how the created value in their present employer, then this is how we determine if they are qualified for the opportunity.
After this we look at the softer skills. We’re looking for presentation skills, both visual and verbal skills.
- Does someone have great energy when they speak?
- We all feed off people’s energy. In leadership roles, this wonderful energy is required to convey messages in a powerful and persuasive manner.
Leadership is another characteristic we look for; leadership in training, hiring, mentoring their staff and throughout the organization. The professional we place are predominantly Chief Compliance Officers that work within various areas of the organization, so they must be persuasive and articulate enough to sell their ideas. This is what is expected of a leader.
Finally, we assess the professional’s soft skill of internal fortitude. We pose the questions:
- Would you give us an illustration of when you faced adversity?
- What was it?
- How did you overcome it?
- What did you learn from it?
This is a powerful tool to see if the candidate is resilient because all of us know we do face obstacles both in or professional and personal life. What we want to know is can this candidate bounce back from adversity?
All of these components are something we give considerable attention to. This basically highlights our methodology and what we look for when we do a present to the candidate.
Compliance Search – Hiring Process – Presentation-to-Candidate
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
