Recruiting experienced and high calibre executive talent is a major undertaking, and one that requires significant investment. However, according to Geoff Curran, Practice Leader for Gerard Daniels in Sydney, making the wrong appointment at this level comes at an even greater cost.
“Senior leaders determine the current performance and future direction of your organisation,” he says. “When individuals with the right skills, experience, attributes and cultural fit are chosen, it leads to significant organisational growth. But when the wrong appointment is made or the decision lacks rigour, the fallout can be significant.”
Having a finely tuned interview process is an important part of making good hiring decisions, but it’s not as easy as it looks. Avoiding these four interview mistakes will help to improve the outcome of your next appointment.
1. The halo effect
It can take just seconds (not minutes) for interview biases to shape the impression that a candidate makes. If this bias impacts their progression through the recruitment process, we call it the ‘halo effect’.
For example, often too much focus is given to a particular attribute, such as a candidate’s physical appearance, communication style or confidence.
“While these may be valid considerations, too much emphasis can prevent other important attributes from being assessed and limit a candidate’s ability to demonstrate their suitability for the role,” says Geoff. “Being overly impressed by the calibre of previous employers in a candidate’s work history is another example – because prior employment does not reflect individual performance during this time.”
To assess candidates effectively:
- All bias must be removed
- Candidates must be carefully and thoroughly evaluated against the key selection criteria
- Appropriate weighting must be applied to all skills, experience and attributes, relevant to the role.
“Hiring decisions must be informed by evidence and validated information, not quick judgements, assumptions or surface level observations. Training in unconscious bias awareness and greater diversity of thought and perspective in recruitment teams, can help hiring organisations to achieve this,” says Geoff. “Involving an external party can also lead to a more discerning and independent assessment and bring valuable perspective to the interview process.”
2. An interview process that lacks structure and consistency
Defaulting to unstructured assessments or informal fireside chats to assess senior talent is another common mistake. “There’s no such thing as a quick, or even a general candidate evaluation, because when interviews lack structure, they don’t lead to informed decisions,” says Geoff. “Even if the process is made to feel less formal, boundaries must be put in place to properly assess senior leaders, with a clear purpose and objective agreed ahead of time.”
No two interviews will ever be the same, but when there is a lack of consistency in how individual candidates are assessed, it further affects the integrity of the hiring decision. “While this again talks to the issue of structure, to fairly assess different candidates you also need to be consistent in what you ask; how you score different criteria; and the type of information that you seek,” says Geoff. “This becomes particularly important if more than one person is involved in the decision making process, as you need to be able to compare candidates equally to reach a decision.”
3. Thinking cultural fit can only be assessed internally
The more senior the role, the more important cultural fit becomes. Getting a good sense of this during the interview process is key to the success of Executive appointments, however, the misconception that cultural fit can only be determined internally can hold hiring organisations back.
In-house recruitment teams and other internal stakeholders have an intricate understanding of the culture and values of an organisation, so they are well-placed to assess cultural fit. But this internal perspective can also lead to a stereotypical view of what defines a ‘good fit’ for the organisation.
Partnering with an external consultant removes this bias and provides valuable objectivity to rigorously question and challenge all candidates. Interviewing senior Executives also requires a set of specialist skills and experience that you don’t always find in-house, which again speaks to the strength of a more collaborative approach.
“There is no one-size-fits all approach to get a true sense of a candidate’s cultural alignment – some organisations rely on their own internal assessment, while others seek independent feedback to complement their in-house approach,” says Geoff. “What matters, is being clear ahead of time on what information you need and the cultural nuances that inform this assessment.”
4. Failing to equally assess internal and external candidates
In executive search assignments, both internal and external candidates may be considered. However, given the potential for unconscious bias, both for and against internal candidates, the interview process must be managed carefully and objectively.
“To achieve a successful appointment, there must be a level playing field for all candidates,” says Geoff. “While it is entirely possible for an in-house recruitment team to achieve this, an external consultant can play a valuable part in helping to independently assess people against the selection criteria.”
“When there is a particular preference to appoint from within, having an external party involved ensures the integrity of the process and allows internal candidates to speak more openly about their achievements; what they can bring to the role and where they see challenges,” Geoff continues. “This objectivity can also create opportunities for sharing feedback with hiring managers and internal candidates and help to identify professional development opportunities moving forwards.”
Engaging an Executive search consultant can complement the capability of your in-house recruitment team and help to improve the outcome of search assignments. For advice on your next appointment, connect with Geoff or reach out to your local Gerard Daniels team.
