How To Hire Automotive Executives

new Cars in a factory lot

The automotive industry is moving faster than ever now, with the rise of the electric car (EV), a car is the most technologically complex piece of technology most people own now.  A vehicle is a complex mix of precision machinery, and high-tech computers to monitor, and technology to control the car.  This now includes autonomous driving capabilities in some models.

This indicates that finding the most qualified candidates is more important than ever before if you are looking to hire automotive industry leaders. Who is current on the implementation of cutting-edge technology, product development, complex research and development, and the management of massive budgets.

What do you need your next automotive executive to do?

The answer to this question is critical because it will help you prioritize the skills and experience your next hire needs.  Do you need someone who can turn around a struggling division?  Are you looking for an expert in electric vehicles to lead your charge into the future?

Perhaps you are looking to fill a brand-new position in your company that has been developed to capitalize on recent developments in the industry.  Regardless of the motivation behind your search for a new employee, you first need to determine what you require from the person you hire.

To accomplish this, you will need to put together a search team.  A group of people who are accountable for determining your company’s requirements for the new hire and selecting the candidate.  This needs to be a group of people to whom the newly appointed executive will report and who they will regularly communicate with.  This will assist you in determining the gaps in your knowledge and the proper requirements for this individual.

Sample questions your selection team should ask:

  • What does our leadership team need from this new hire?
  • What are the top three qualities this person must bring?
  • What will be their primary duties and responsibilities?
  • What experience is essential for this role?
  • How will their performance be measured?
  • What does a good performance look like three months from now?
  • What does good performance look like a year from now?
  • Have we established KPIs for this position?

The formation of this group will help you achieve alignment on your requirements and in your search. Assisting you in finding better candidates in a shorter amount of time. In addition to this, it will eliminate any biases that may exist and ensure that all of your company’s requirements and knowledge gaps are met by the new hire.

lorry in mining tunnel

How to find top automotive executives

There are a couple ways you can go about this:

Using the services of an executive search firm is the first and most typical option. Executive search firms assist businesses in finding top executives for specific roles by conducting in-depth searches of their networks and databases. These searches help companies find the best candidates for the role. This encompasses both the active and the passive market.

The leaders of an industry-only occasionally look at job listings. They are contacted at least once per month, if not once per week, by headhunters about potential roles. so that they won’t need to do it. You will need someone to make direct contact with these people if you want to hire them because they are currently outperforming their peers in another company. This is the area in which executive search consultants focus their efforts. To find out more, take a look at the post I’ve written on what executive search firms actually do on my blog.

Doing it yourself

Making open job listings on various digital platforms is a well-liked strategy for finding talent.  You can access a large audience of job-seeking professionals by visiting websites like Betterteam, ZipRecruiter, and LinkedIn.  It is also a common tactic to have a corporate website where you can post your opportunities.

A sound plan must be in place to deal with the responses to your advertisements.  Sadly, most people who apply for your positions won’t be qualified.  As you search for potential candidates within the applicant pool, you will require a committed team to assist in managing the process.  Companies with an experienced internal recruiting team can approach a hiring process with relative ease.

Internal referrals within your company have a lot of power, which you shouldn’t ignore.  Many members of your team have never worked with qualified candidates before.  Pay special attention to the team members who have recently joined your organization.  They frequently have a new viewpoint on the talent from the recently disbanded organizations.  Many of my clients provide incentives for referring candidates who are hired.  It is typically a monetary sum, but it differs significantly from business to business.
 

Want help in your automotive executive search?

Don’t hesitate to contact me.  Since I am a Managing Partner at Boyden, I am able to refer you to the executive search consultants who will be most helpful for your company. We are an international organization with over 43 offices and domain experts in every major field.  Want to know more about what does an executive search firms do?

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As a Managing Partner at Boyden, I am here to either assist you directly or put you in touch with the member(s) of our worldwide search team who can best meet your unique executive search requirements.

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Robert Travis Executive Search Managing Partner at Boyden contact me

Want Professional Executive Search help for any industry globally?

Contact me now! As a managing partner at Boyden's Global Executive Search Firm with 25+ yrs experience. I'll either help you directly or connect you to someone that I know who is best suited to your companies needs!

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