Hiring Senior Managers

The hiring process for a Senior Manager through a search process is no different than the process followed for an Executive placement.  It would help if you established clarity around what the role is responsible for, who it will report to, and the team that this person will manage.  The effort you put upfront will be rewarded by a more efficient search for your new Senior Manager.

Skip to my Senior Manager Specific Hiring Guides

Define the Manager’s Role

What success in that position would look like should be the first thing taken into account when appointing a manager? What were they doing incorrectly if you are replacing a management who isn’t performing well? What KPIs can you implement to promote a better outcome? What traits and abilities must this Manager possess to succeed?
 

The hiring team, internal or an external search consultant, must work closely with the people to whom the Manager will report.  The skills, experiences, and quality will differ significantly depending on your company culture, your company’s life cycle, the team they manage, and even the country/region they will be working in.

Write a Great job description

Are you looking to hire a Presidenthire a VP of HR or hire a VP of Finance?

Once you have established what your ideal Manager looks like, you should put effort into writing a modern, compelling job description.  The market is shifting, and the impact of events like the pandemic has created an environment where people are seeking a new chapter in their careers.  They are inspired to apply for positions that appear to fulfill aspects of what may be missing in their current job.

More than ever, new executives and senior manager roles are being filled with Millennials and Gen-Z applicants.  They often bring a set of expectations for their new jobs, company culture, perks and benefits, and compensation.  The majority prioritize work culture, company vision, work-from-home schemes, job flexibility, and other benefits, sometimes as simple as birthdays off.  Many of these intangibles weigh as heavily in the decision-making as compensation.

So I highly recommend you look at what the top players and fastest-growing companies in your industry and your region offer.  By searching on sites like LinkedIn, Indeed, Angelist, and local job boards, you can see what types of messages are being used and what types of unique perks/offerings are out there.  It would help if you considered what you could do as an employer to stand out.

Find Top Potential Talent

One of the first things you need to do to attract more top-quality talent is to have a strong employer brand. This means having an active presence on LinkedIn and other social media platforms to showcase why working for your company is great.  This will help your business attract young and bright talent.  But remember, authenticity is critical.  Don’t pretend to be something you are not.

Applicants may not be familiar with your company.  Potential candidates can see how you celebrate your company’s success, show expertise in your field, and portray your company culture.  Managing a positive message will make you look like an exciting company to join and help candidates see themselves working there.  I recommend you audit your website, make a company page on LinkedIn (if you haven’t), and start actively posting!  If your company is on LinkedIn, review how you may be perceived.  Get an outside perspective if you feel you can’t make an objective assessment.  Doing this well can help you attract far more high-quality candidates.
 

Post it publicly online

Advertise the position on several job boards. The more visibility, both locally and on major job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn, the better. Of course, if you’re replacing an under-performing leader, don’t do this. In this situation, working confidentially with an executive search agency can be your best choice. They can assemble a pool of qualified prospects discreetly on your behalf.

Partner with an Executive search firm

What does an executive search firm do?  They are networks of expert executive search consultants who can work independently or together as a team to meet your business’s executive search needs.  Using their expertise to find you a better selection of talent faster while taking the workload of the process off of your leadership team.  They can even conduct confidential executive searches on your behalf.
 
If you need help with your executive search please don’t hesitate to contact me.  I have over 25+ years of executive search experience as a Managing Partner at Boyden.  I can help you find your next executive or full leadership team.  I can also connect you to an executive search partner who specializes in fulfilling your specific needs, in any country and industry.

 

 Share the job description within your Company

Internal promotion. There might be a great experienced candidate in your team already.  The regular offering of internal job positions gives employees goals to aim for and a clear vision for progression in your business.  It also offers lateral movement across departments to help provide cross-functional experience to your team.  This helps with retention and may assist in helping employees find a role where they may excel.

Referrals are incredibly valuable and often have the highest success rates.  Why?  Because your employees will not refer just anyone, they are putting their names on the line with recommendations.  They only recommend people they perceive to be good fits, especially if they will work with them.  An example of the value that this can provide can be seen in the bonuses that a company like PWC offers.  PWC awards the referrer for any candidate suggestion that is hired and passes their probation period (differs by region):

  • Associate – $3000
  • Senior Associate – $6000
  • Manager – $6000
  • Director – $7000

Screen Candidates

Once you have your applications, you can filter out those who don’t meet your core requirements.  Simple things like ensuring the applicants are legal to work in the country are sometimes overlooked.  Many businesses at this stage also do short screening interviews to verify questions that may have been raised during the resume review process before committing to full interviews.

Interview Candidates

You invite your remaining candidates to full formal interviews, which often take longer.  More in-depth questions are asked, such as how they would address specific tasks given their experience.  How they perceive they would excel in the role, allowing them to share examples of how they problem solve, work with teams, address conflict, or train and mentor employees.

It’s also a great time to discuss aspects not included in the job description.  Many companies, at this point, inquire about the applicant’s expected compensation and how they would organize their team.  Also, it’s a time for them to ask any questions they may have.

Choose your Finalist

Based on the success of the interviews, you will want to narrow your selection to who you perceive is the best for the job.  Your decision will likely have many factors such as how you perceive the person fitting in your company, alignment in compensation expectations, the new skills they would enhance your company, etc.  All this while ensuring you observe local ethical and legal standards in hiring.

Perform background and reference checks

One of the final and most critical steps is to perform reference checks.  Usually, a candidate is asked to produce 5-6 references.  These should be a good cross-section of people the candidate has worked for, peers, and subordinates.  This will provide a full-circle picture of how people perceived things like technical skills and management style. . 

It is also essential to verify that the information presented in the resume was factual by verifying both education and employment history.  Depending on the role being filled, conducting a credit, criminal, public records, and driving abstract check is not uncommon.

Make your hiring decision

Following the positive outcome of your reference and background checks, you will be in a position to present a formal offer in writing to the final candidate.  Some companies prefer to walk the candidate through the offer verbally to make sure there is alignment before it is put in writing.  If necessary, it allows for negotiating if an aspect of the package was overlooked.  Once you have a verbal agreement, then a written copy will be provided for review and signature.  This written offer is typically accompanied by a copy of the company’s benefits program.
 

Hiring for a new branch in a different country or continent?

Hiring reliable management abroad can be extremely challenging, especially trying to do it remotely.  In these cases, most companies choose to partner with executive search firms.  If you need to be connected to one, contact me. You may be asking what does an executive search firm do? An executive search firm can help your company find top leaders in that country, from identification to final selection.  With the experience and understanding of the local business landscape, it will greatly reduce the risk and time in establishing your company’s presence abroad.

Trying to build full teams abroad?

Not only can executive search firms help with finding the people to lead your international expansion, but they can also facilitate the establishment of entire teams.  They can also help newly appointed Regional Directors or Managers get their leaders of sales, marketing, finance, human resources, etc., and sometimes help establish the teams that report to them.  All of this, with a high level of local expertise and track record, can help ensure the success of your business abroad.

Need Help Hiring your next Executive, or building a full team abroad?

Please get in touch! I have worked as a Managing Partner at Boyden for more than 25 years. I can assist you in building a new executive team or entire leadership group in any location or industry.  I can also put you in touch with an executive search partner who focuses on meeting your special requirements.

Robert Travis Executive Search Managing Partner at Boyden

Guidance on hiring specific managerial roles

Looking for more specific guidance on hiring specific senior managerial roles? And other useful information such as:

  • What qualities and skills should I be looking for in a candidate for this role?
  • What interview questions should I ask them?
  • How should I compensate them?
  • And more!

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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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