Canadian HR Reporter

www.hrreporter.com 3 "We do a deep, deep dive into refer- ences and not always just references that that candidate provides us because, typi- cally… they're going to give you people that they've probably got a pretty good relation- ship with. So, you've got to read between the lines on that kind of stuff," he says. "We' ll talk to two people that the person's reported to, maybe a board chair; we' ll talk to peers or stakeholders or clients; and then we'll also talk ― which is where some of the best information comes from ― with two subordinates, people that have worked for this individual in the past." You want to speak to enough people that you get a pattern, says Goldbeck. "If everybody's telling you the same thing, it's usually fairly reliable. And then, if management style is important, then you can speak to people they've reported However, it's also true that some very successful companies have been run by leaders, such as Jeff Bezos of Amazon, who might be considered toxic, says Goldbeck. "From a financial or business success point of view, it's not black and white." But, overall, "if you have toxic leader- ship, you're going to have more turnover," he says. "You're going to have more stress and ill health around your employees. There's a benefit in the employee satis- faction, usually, in their longevity. There's a cost to turnover and, long term, I think the company's goals will be affected. "So, it's finding that balance ― if you're a hyper-ambitious, driven company, how do you balance that?" References, interviews crucial to process In Payette's case, previous colleagues and employees actually made complaints about her, so the vetting process just wasn't there, says Faison Hewlin. "The first thing is to speak to previous colleagues and employees about the lead- er's style as a people manager," she says. "As well, the leader should be asked [about] their own definition of leader- ship, and this should be done through an impartial committee whose mandate is to conduct the proper due diligence in the hiring process. And, so, a good question could be: What are they most proud of as a leader? What do they enjoy most… about leading people? And if there are no refer- ences to people development, empathy, sharing concerns, especially now, I would say that these would be signals to carefully evaluate." In recruiting for the leader of an organization, it's important to do a full 360-degree reference check, says Brown. to in the past… And some companies have potential reports interview the person ― that's fairly rare but, certainly, if you want to be thorough, that's not a bad thing." The lengthier the hiring process, the more likely you' ll get past the initial "dating stage" when everyone is on their best behaviour, he says. "By the second or third interviews and interviews with other people, it's harder to maintain that ideal presentation of yourself." Assessments provide key insights Psychometric assessments can also be used to determine behavioural ten- dencies; for example, how someone deals with stress and pressure. And they can definitely add objectivity to the decision- making process, says Brown. "Most of these tests are designed to, essentially, catch you out. If you're maxi- mizing your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses, that'll show up on the test; if you're trying to manipulate the results to show, 'Oh, I don't have any weaknesses and I've got all these great competencies that I can bring to the table,' that will show up." The results can lead an employer to question a person's self-awareness and integrity if they see exaggerated results, he says. "[The tests] may come back saying this person has all these great strengths, but here's three areas that they need to work on... You may still hire that individual and then the board or the ownership group would be able to put a put a plan in place or at least keep their eye on those areas or provide some support in those areas." WORKERS LOOKING FOR POSITIVE LEADERSHIP "[By not addressing the situation], the signal that you're sending to the rest of the company is that money is more important than culture." Dan Brown, Boyden The assessment should reveal a person's natural leadership strengths along with potential development areas. But there's no assessment that will say anybody is perfect, says Jonas. "They're always going to highlight, 'Well, this person may need more support in this area.' And that's no exception, even for senior executives who've been doing the job for 10 years. So [then it's about] 'How do we support that person? How do we get a team around them that can help compensate for some areas that aren't the strongest for them? Or how can we help them personally develop to become more self-aware of the impact of their behaviours?'" People may have been problematic in the past, but with the testing, employers are going in with their eyes open, says Goldbeck. "And maybe that person is really willing to [change] and doesn't want to repeat that kind of situation. And if they insist that 'No, I'm not going to change,' 50% Percentage who say their leaders uphold the stated values of the organization 44% Percentage who say their leaders become resentful when people disagree with them 38% Percentage who say leaders take proactive steps to create a healthy workplace culture Source: HR.com Rideau Hall in Ottawa, the official home of the governor general.

• Cover