Fauve’s 6 steps
for successfully defining an executive role
There are many ways to attract top executive profiles. At Fauve, we develop tailored recruitment strategies for key positions, specifically adapted to our clients’ needs. We take a methodical approach, based on an in-depth understanding of the industries we operate in. We also carefully assess the skills and experience required for our candidates to succeed in executive roles. Most importantly, we focus on clearly defining the role’s parameters and the nuances of the desired profile. Here are the key steps of our approach, summarized in six stages.
Step 1: Establish transparent communication and realistic expectations
As headhunters and recruitment experts, we need to know your company’s strengths and weaknesses, the opportunities available to potential candidates, and some of the challenges they may face. We understand that potential drawbacks like high turnover rates, restructuring, or market challenges are possible.
Insights about your company’s culture will help us find candidates whose values align with yours. We’ll ask questions like: Why would your company be a great place to work? What are the perks and benefits? Will they have many growth opportunities? People in executive positions will want to know about your company’s financial health, revenue, growth targets, and market share. Transparency from the beginning builds trust with potential candidates and gives them a clear idea of what to expect.
Step 2: Gain a deep understanding of the client's company specifics
When a company approaches us for executive talent, one of our main priorities is understanding their business. We want to know their mission statement, history, vision for running the company, the values that are important to them, and their long-term goals. We’ll also take the time to assess the competitive landscape, identify their market positioning, and look at the key business trends.
An executive will want to understand the potential challenges they might face within the industry, especially one they’re not familiar with. Underlining financial pressures, regulatory changes, or leadership gaps gives us the context to select the right profile for the job.
Step 3: Clearly define responsibilities and organizational structure
At Fauve, understanding the role, defining its strategic impact, and how it aligns with the organization’s broader goals is an important part of knowing which candidate will best fit the role. Mapping out reporting structures and defining internal collaboration points and cross-functional responsibilities will give much-needed context to the role.
Positions at the executive level often require overseeing and collaborating with large teams. Providing candidates with an overview of the team’s size, skills, and challenges can give them important insights into the team’s dynamics and will get them thinking about how to get the best out of their new potential team.
Step 4: Agree on key performance indicators
The role of an executive often involves « big picture » thinking over the long and short term. If you’re looking to hire for one of your key positions, consider the type of leadership that would benefit ongoing or upcoming projects. Defining your KPIs for the first year will help you and your headhunter align on the best profile for the role.
When hiring an executive, you’re looking for more than just a temporary solution. You’ll want to look at the long-term impact that someone can bring to the role, including metrics tied to organizational goals like revenue growth, operational efficiency, and cultural changes.
You have to define your expectations and consider all angles clearly. Do you want someone who is exclusively performance-driven? Does the role require someone good at making decisions under pressure? What about interpersonal skills? Adaptability? These are all factors to define and consider.
If your organization has a strong and well-established corporate culture, it will be essential to select a candidate whose values are closely aligned with it. In a dynamic and fast-evolving work environment, you will require someone with the flexibility and adaptability to effectively navigate ongoing challenges
Step 5: Candidate Profile: Must-Haves vs. Nice-to-Haves
Once you have a clearer image of the role, now is the time to sit down with your headhunter and sketch out your ideal candidate—this is the matchmaking portion of the process. At this stage, you’ll try to define the specific skills and experience necessary for the role. Having dealt with the people who previously held the position, what attributes made them successful?
Knowing your team, what personality trait and management approach will get the best out of them? If you have a strong, well-established culture that people have bought into, you’ll want someone who aligns with those values. If the work is dynamic, you’ll want someone adaptable to the challenges. At Fauve, we aim to tick off as many boxes as possible in your ideal executive candidate wishlist while finding the best person for the job.
Step 6: Clearly outline the challenges to address
You know the challenges of your business better than anyone. A role requiring a specialized background is bound to have a limited talent pool. Expanding your search beyond local candidates and requiring relocation for the candidate might also cause some issues.
Candidates will want to know the whole story if your company is in a difficult position before considering an executive role. As always, transparency is the best approach here. At Fauve, we provide solutions to your recruitment problems, which require open-honest communication about what to expect. With everyone on the same page, we can find candidates with a track record of overcoming tricky business and industry challenges.
Conclusion
Clearly defining an executive role is a collaborative process that requires transparency between your recruitment team and our strategists. By partnering with Fauve for your executive recruitment needs, you are assured of meeting candidates with the skills and qualities necessary to tackle the challenges specific to the role and, more broadly, to the company.