By: Maurice Gilbert
Top professionals like the ones we represent to our clients (Compliance Officers) are in high demand and they know it. They ask very pointed questions of hiring authorities as part of their due diligence; they are interviewing you while you are simultaneously evaluating them. They have been trained to ask these questions:
- What new products or services do you have in the pipeline to ensure your sustainability as a company?
Top performers want to align with top companies, companies that are continuously reinventing themselves. - What are the greatest business risks that can significantly impact the business?
This question, as the one above, has to do with sustainability. If you are on an aggressive expansion plan into emerging markets where corruption is rampant, this could represent unacceptable risk to the professional. - If I were to join your team, what would you want me to accomplish within the first 120 days? The first year?
High performers want to be challenged immediately and continuously. - What are the top three things you consider when evaluating your staff’s performance?
High achievers want to know they will be evaluated on their contributions and not the color of their pants. - What are the three things your staff would say in describing your management style?
Top performers are looking for things like clear messaging of expectations, autonomy and whether you will acknowledge publicly their successes or co-opt them as your own.
We coach our clients on questions they’re likely to receive from our candidate pool like the ones listed above. You, as the hiring authority, need to prepare for the candidate interview as methodically as we train our candidates if you want a good shot at attracting the best talent.
Maurice Gilbert is Managing Partner of Conselium Executive Search, which specializes in placing Compliance Officers and Legal Counsel for clients in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Maurice is also CEO of Corporate Compliance Insights, a worldwide publication devoted to governance, risk and compliance issues. Maurice can be reached at maurice@conselium.com or maurice@corporatecomplianceinsights.com.
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
