Canadian HR Reporter

28 www.hrreporter.com S P O N S O R E D A SOPHISTICATED WAY TO HIRE FOR SUCCESS ADMITTEDLY, on the surface, execu- tive and mid-manage- ment search has not evolved as quickly as other HR and professional service practices. While many of the key steps of the process remain tried and true — such as sourcing strategies, networking and interviewing — certain elements must be updated, refined and applied to truly elevate and modernize the process to reflect the transformations that have occurred in business practices and society. The shift in top talent It is no longer enough to have the right work experience and education to be the best candidate for a role. The pandemic and social movements of 2020 have broken down our old ways of thinking and doing, thus providing opportunities for our understanding of leadership to evolve. Effective leaders today are making rapid decisions and constant improve- ments to their approach that help keep their teams engaged and productive and customers happy, as well as ensure that the organization is meeting its goals and producing results. While they must possess competencies such as agility, strategic thinking and decisiveness, traits such as empathy and self-aware- ness are equally as critical. This new shift in defining leadership has had a tremendous impact on the hiring and recruitment process. It is not enough that a good candidate with the right credentials is available. They must also have the right competencies and behaviours to ensure both culture fit and performance. Of course, some of this informa- tion can be extracted from traditional sourcing and interview processes, but to truly understand a candidate's potential, an organization must utilize a scientifically valid behavioural assess- ment tool. The right tool While using an assessment tool in the hiring process may not be something new, not all tools are created equal. A powerful behavioural assessment tool that produces accurate scientific data will also reveal key information about an individual to predict their performance and satisfaction in a role. For organizations, this data can be leveraged across the talent spectrum and supports confident and objective HR decision-making that also miti- gates risk. Onboarding support and coaching When bringing on a new leader to an organization, previous experience alone is not enough to set them up for success. If a company has gone through all the effort and investment to find a new leader, it only makes sense to support them as they integrate into their new environment. A large part of a successful hire is successful onboarding, and advanced search practices take this into consideration. In executive search, success is often measured by a "stick rate" or how long an individual stays in their role. Some 40 per cent of leaders leave an organi- zation within the first 12 to 18 months, according to Leadership IQ , and when you look at the reasons behind these failures, a key factor is how well they were integrated into the organization. Taking on a new role is tough. It typi- cally takes at least six months for a new hire to begin adding value and feel integrated as they are learning new processes and systems and building rela- tionships — all while trying to achieve the role's objectives. The best way to mitigate risk during this period is to provide new hires with onboarding coaching to help them effec- tively integrate and be successful in the role. An executive coach can provide tactical support to help a new leader develop a plan, set goals and be a voice of reason or reassurance for them. Also, remember the candidate data you have from the search process? This can be strategically utilized by an exec- utive coach to help the leader increase their self-awareness, including their strengths and the areas in which they need to improve, to succeed in their role. As the economy bounces back and organizations need to replace or add new leadership talent, a more sophisti- cated recruitment process may be just what they need to ensure recovery and long-term success. CHRR For more information, visit www. optimumtalent.com or email René Tardif, National Practice Leader, Search Solutions at rtardif@optimumtalent.com. Optimum Talent is a division of Gallagher Benefit Services (Canada) Group Inc. If a company has gone through all the effort and investment to find a new leader, it only makes sense to support them as they integrate into their new environment. Unbiased candidate data Issues of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are at the forefront of organizational concerns. While it is important to source candidates from diverse talent pools, the subjective views of HR, leaders and board members during the hiring process need to be considered. A valid, unbiased behavioural assess- ment tool can assist with the organiza- tional advancement of diversity efforts by ensuring bias is eliminated from the hiring process. By generating a valid, reliable and fair profile, based on fit to the role, organizations can ensure they have a more complete picture of their candidates including competencies, preferences, motivators and potential. Without a proper psychometric assess- ment, human bias (both conscious and unconscious) can never be eliminated from the recruitment process, so it should be considered a table stake in today's climate. R E C R U I T M E N T & R E T E N T I O N

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