From experience, we find that it’s key for all members of the search team to understand the thrust of the hiring requirement. The job brief, or position description, helps with this but doesn’t get to the heart of the issue. A job brief can be the aggregate of several views, some of which do not have the weighting of others. For a true perspective and insight into the thinking around the search, we like to spend time observing in real time the first few meetings between a candidate and the hiring CEO. In an in-person situation, we like to sit as an observer in the interview room with our client, when they meet the first two candidates from our side. In this way, we can hear the types of questions being asked and how our client responds to answers. We can soak up a lot of the visceral ambience and then apply what’s learned to generate better-aligned candidates.

We feel the most effective way to manage the search process is by iteration. We aim to present the first candidate within ten days of the assignment starting and then learn from observation how to present better candidates in the future. Within the first four weeks, we set the expectation that the client will have met four or five candidates. We will continue generating ever more aligned candidates until we make a placement.

In terms of psychometric testing resources, we have no preference about what clients use. We have been impressed with Hogan as it provides real insight without taking too much time from candidates. Of course, Hogan, like other assessment packages, requires a trained professional to interpret.