Five Signs That Executive Recruiters Need To Look Out For To Identify Wrong Candidates

Hiring The Right Talent Is Holds Much Significance As Competent Employees And Executives Form The Backbone Of A Successful Organization. Wrong Hiring Decision Can Cost A Company Not Only In Terms Of Reduced Growth Rate But Also Damage Its Market Goodwill. So, While It Is Important For The Executive Search Firms To Minimize The Duration Of The Recruitment Process, They Also Need To Devise Methods To Eliminate The Wrong Candidates. Discussed Below Are Five Signs That Such Firms Should Look Out For To Identify Non-Viable Candidates Early On In The Recruitment Process.

Being Fixated On Monetary Benefits

While Discussing Compensation Issues Is A Natural Tendency For Prospective Candidates Looking To Take Up Executive Positions. However, The Fixation Of The Candidates Only On This Aspect, While Ignoring Other Motivating Factors Such As The Pursuit Of Excellence, Leadership And Creating Real Value Should Be Considered As A Warning Sign By The Executive Recruiters.  This Is Because Candidates Obsessed With Money Alone Are Least Likely To Possess The Ability To Lead And Inspire Their Teams And Help Them Attain Great Heights.

Answering Questions In A Vague Manner

It Is Understandable When Prospective Candidates Make Efforts To Present Themselves In The Best Manner. However, This Does Not Justify Their Providing Misleading Or Even Intentionally Vague Answers To Questions. Such Behaviour Is Often Indicative Of The Fact That The Candidates Might Be Trying To Hide Some Critical Information Or That They May Lack The Ability To Own Up To Truths That Might Prevent Them From Getting Hired. Such Candidates Generally Have Flawed Values And Cannot Be Expected To Work In An Honest And Transparent Manner.

Inability To Keep Their Promises

Many Times, It Might Be Essential For The Recruitment Teams To Seek Additional Documentation From Prospective Candidates. However, If The Candidates Fail To Provide The Requested Documents Within The Set Timeframe Without Any Valid Reason For The Delay, Then It Must Be Taken As A Warning Sign. Such Behaviour Might Be Indicative Of The Lack Of Interest Of The Candidate In Taking Up The Position They Are Being Interviewed For.

Sudden Breakdown Of Communication

A Sudden Breakdown Of Communication On The Part Of The Candidates Is Surely Something That The Top Executive Search Firms Need To Take Quite Seriously. The Failure Of The Candidates To Respond To Calls, E-Mails Or Other Forms Of Communication Might Be Indicative Of The Fact That The Candidates Are No Longer Interested In The Job Post. It Is In Fact, Advisable For The Recruiters To Ask The Candidates About Whether They Are Being Pursued By Other Employers At The Very Start Of The Hiring Process To Get A Clearer Picture.

Being Too Proud Or Arrogant

While It Is A Good Thing For Candidates To Have A Positive Approach And A Good Sense Of Self-Achievement, Being Arrogant And Proud Is Definitely Not A Desired Skill. The Candidates, Who Believe Themselves To Be Perfect And Lacking Any Weaknesses, Are Generally Not Capable Of Working With Their Team Members In A Cordial Manner. Such Candidates Generally Brew Discord Within The Workforce And Fail To Establish Themselves As Capable And Forthright Leaders, Who Are As Humane As Their Peers.

Managing Conflict At Workplace Aspect Of Creating A Great Company Culture

Conflicts are an integral part of any workplace environment since the ties the business markets were established. However, rather than trying to curb these conflict, managing them efficiently is what makes for a great company culture. In fact, efficient management of workplace conflicts is one the desired skills sought by executive search consultants in candidates being considered for management positions. The below discussed tips can help leadership candidates to satisfy this key requirement and play a constructive role in developing a great company culture.

Never Ignore The Conflict

Many times the executive managers tend to ignore conflicts believing that they will get resolved with time or to be too insignificant for their attention. In fact, this approach is likely to lead to escalation of the conflict and disrupt the workflow and morale of the organization in a significant manner. As such it is essential for the executive leaders to make sure that they never ignore any conflicting situation at workplace, no matter how small or even irrelevant it might seem. In addition, they should arrange to be made aware of any conflicts that might still be brewing.

Explore The Cause Of The Conflict

The first step in the direction of resolving any workplace culture is to find learn about its actual causes and establish its authenticity. For this the executive leaders need to talk to all the parties involved in an individual and neutral manner. The objective of such communication should be to establish the actual cause of the conflict and the best possible ways to resolve it in a lasting and effective manner. Many times, the leaders might be surprised to learn that the conflict is nothing more than a simple case of misunderstanding between the involved parties. At the same time, the possibility of unravelling other serious underlying issues is also quite high.

Listen Attentively To What Everyone Involves Has To Say

While there might be several reasons responsible for the creation and even non-resolution of workplace conflicts, the inability of executive leaders to listen attentively is one of the key contributors. Listening and not just hearing, the views, feelings and opinions of the people involved can help the executive professionals to truly understand all aspects of the arguments and make the best decisions based on this understanding. It is only after gaining a complete understanding of the whole situation that the executives can take the necessary steps to resolve the conflict effectively.

Bring The Involved Parties To One Table

One of the key aspects of any conflict resolution strategy is to ensure communication between the involved parties. In this context the professional advisors from the top retained executive search firms in India stress on the important role played by the executive managers. They should ensure that all the people involved in the conflict are made to sit down and discuss all the aspects of the problem face to face. It is also essential for the executives to be a part of any such discussion mainly to act as a mediator in case of any disagreements and also to be the neutral voice for ensuring better and effective resolution of the conflict.

Useful Tips That Can Help Executive Search Firms To Ensure Great Hires

One of the key responsibilities of executive search firm is to ensure that they help their clients choose the most suitable candidates for various job positions. However, this is often not as easy as it seems and many times the recruiters end up making bad hires that prove costly for their clients in more than one ways. Most experts suggest that the best solution for this problem is to invest professionals capable of performing the executive search India in a more intelligent and effective manner. Using smarter and unique recruitment strategies helps the search firm to gain a serious competitive advantage in terms of great talent acquisition. Some key tips that can be utilized by the search firms in this respect are discussed in brief as follows.

Pursue Only The Best Candidates

It is essential for the search firms to devise a method for identifying only the best candidates for specific job positions.  Not being aware of the best candidates available in a specific niche minimizes the chances of the recruiters for making a great hire. The first step in this direction is to filter data that can help the recruiters distinguish top performers from average ones. The recruiters need to do some thorough research to get hold of this data that can prove vital in ensuring great hires.

Perform Pre-Reference Checks For Candidates

Pre-referencing the candidate is an essential step in the process of short- listing top talent. Performing pre-reference checks should not be confused with verifying the formal references offered by the candidate. Rather it involves performing discreet checks on the candidates through back channels to establish whether or not they really are top performers. Verifying the competence of the candidates from at least three independent and discreet sources is advisable for selecting the best candidates.

Keep Out An Eye For True Grit

In order to build a team of the most competent professionals, it is important for the search firms to keep an eye for candidates that have an intrinsic sense of motivation and a true grit. They should focus on finding candidates with an extremely deep sense of persistence and determination, which makes it possible for them to handle even the most difficult tasks. The recruiters should analyze the achievements of the prospective candidates thoroughly to get a clear idea of their level of grit.

Never Set Too Much Score By High IQ’s And GPA’s

It has been proved umpteen numbers of times that high IQ levels or even high GPA’s of candidates do not make them quantifiable as successful hires. This is especially true in case of leadership hiring, where the recruiters need to focus on skills and traits essential for motivating a team. When it comes to efficient management of the workforce and building strong teams, high marks and impressive degrees cannot prove to be of much help to the prospective candidates. For such situations, it is the inherent behaviour and attitude of the candidates that the recruiters need to focus on.

Conducting Interviews In A Mindful Way

Interviewing the candidates is one of the most effective ways of establishing their suitability and competence for a specific job post. However, in order to recruit top talent, it is essential for the executive search firms to conduct truly mindful interviews. This essentially means that the interviewers should not only ask the right questions but should also have the ability to truly listen to what the candidates are saying. This will help them to learn about the values, ambitions and goals of the candidates and how these align with the roles and responsibilities they are being considered for. It is also important for the recruiters to ask follow up questions and look for any discrepancies with respect to the earlier responses of candidates.

7 Useful Ways Of Helping Internal Communication At Workplace For Better Business Skill

Employee engagement has become one of the most critical aspects for ensuring higher retention and greater productivity of a workforce. In this context better internal communication is one of the key focus areas as it ensures that the members of the workforce have a common understanding if the company objectives and are able to discuss the different ways to achieve the same in a free and frank manner. Discussed below are the 7 effective ways suggested by employee engagement firms in India for improving internal communication.

Open Plan Office

An open plan office helps in breaking down any physical and psychological barriers that might prevent the employees from communicating freely. More importantly, it helps in creating a pleasant work environment where the junior members of the staff do not feel embarrassed or fearful about expressing their views and opinions.

Open Lines Of Communication

Some responsibility of improving internal communication also rests on the managers within a business organization. They need to work towards establishing open lines of communication with their peers and subordinates. They need to assure their co-workers about being easily approachable without feeling the fear of reproach or embarrassment.

Lead By Example

The top level executives within an organization need to make sure that they adapt the style communication they want their team members to follow.  This means that they should communicate effectively with the employees at all times, whether it is while talking about non-professional issues or providing constructive feedback to them.  Employees are likely to be more influenced by watching their leaders practice the things that they preach.

Use Software And Technology

In addition to face to face interaction, business organizations should also integrate the use of software and technology for internal communication. The use of digital communication methodologies proves especially beneficial for organization with remote working employees. These communication tools such as emails and video conferencing help the remote employees to remain updated about the going-on at the workplace in real time.

Make Use Of Messaging Apps

It is not uncommon for organizations to have several collaborative projects going on simultaneously. Using messaging apps to communicate vital information to the employees involved in these projects helps in improving internal communication quite significantly. In addition to the one-on-one messaging facility, these apps also offer group chatting to make it easier for people to communicate even while they are on the move.

Regular Accomplishment Reports

The experts from the HR consulting firms in India believe that providing regular reports to the employees about the accomplishments of the team over a specific time period. This provides a common ground of discussion for the employees to enhance the overall accomplishments over the next fixed period. It also provides an avenue for the employees to offer their feedback and opinions to make assured improvements.

Provide Opportunities For Non-Professional Communication

Providing the employees with avenues of non-professional communication is one of the most effective ways to improve internal communication. As the employees connect on a more personal level there bonds within the workplace are likely to grow stronger. This can in turn help in ensuring a significant rise in hassle free communication and mutual co-ordination between employees.

The Role Of Personality Of Candidates In Executive Recruiting

When it comes to hiring the right candidates for executive positions, the recruiters tend to consider various aspects including their qualification, expertise and skill set. Unfortunately, most recruiters tend to pay little attention to of the most important aspects for selecting the right candidates, namely their overall personality. The companies offering the services of executive search India understand the fact that matching the personality traits of prospective candidates with the overall company culture and job responsibilities is the key to ensuring the perfect hire.  That is why they stress on making proper personality assessment an integral part of the hiring processes employed by the recruiters.

Is Personality Truly All Important In Executive Search?

Even though personality plays an important role in deciding the suitability of prospective candidates for an executive position, recruiters need to avoid falling into the trap of focusing their search around this single aspect. While some personality traits such as confidence, leadership qualities and effective communication skills are desirable in almost all candidates, the candidates lacking the same might not necessarily prove to be a bad choice for the hiring organizations.

 

It is essential for the recruiters to ensure that the personality traits of the prospective candidates correlate with specific aspects of company cultures. This is especially true in case of executives, who need to work closely with the other employees of the organization. However, making the personality of prospective candidates all important during the hiring process can create several problems for the recruiters. Not only will it increase the risk of company culture being moulded to match the personality of the executives, but will also make the organization less well-rounded.

Challenges Of Evaluating The Personality Of Prospective Candidates

It is a well known fact that assessing the true personality of an individual is not an easy task. However, when the individual in question is a candidate being interviewed for an executive position, personality assessment becomes even more complicated. This is not only because human personality is extremely inconsistent, but also because it individuals tend to present only the most suitable aspects of their personality when going through an interview or a hiring process. This tendency of hiding their true personality is especially prevalent in candidates being considered for job roles with extremely high stakes such as above average compensation benefits and tremendous growth opportunities.

Finding The Right Solution

Keeping the above facts in mind, it would not be wrong to deduce that while personality does play an important role in executive search, especially leadership hiring, it should not be the focal point of a recruitment strategy. The personality assessment should be made only to ascertain the ease with which candidates can adapt to the company culture. It can also be used to assess the ability of the candidates contribute positively towards enhancing the overall company culture. In fact, when choosing candidates for leadership roles, it is important to give preference to candidates with an extrovert personality as it will ensure their ability to communicate with their team members in a more effective and motivating manner.

 

At the same time, the recruiters should not give preference to personality to other key constraints such as their skills, competence level and expertise. Doing so will result in a bad hire and will end up costing the recruiters in much more than wasted time and effort. After all, a candidate with a pleasing personality but lacking other essential traits necessary or fulfilling the responsibilities associated with the job position cannot be considered the right fit. Finding a balance between the right personality and desired aspects is the key to making the recruitment process truly worthwhile. This is true even in case of executives sought for positions that require them to interact extensively with public, media and other such entities.

Key Concerns To Remember While Developing Social Recruitment Tactics

With the growing awareness about the benefits of using social media for recruiting top talent, social recruitment strategies are becoming an integral part of the hiring process of most organizations. In fact, a majority of leading organization development consultants in India are advising their clients to use focus on this new recruitment strategy to attract and hire the best talent. However, what the recruiters need to understand is that the social recruitment strategy is not just about posting information about prospective job positions across various social channels. In order to be able to exploit the full benefits of social recruitment, it is essential to consider the following key aspects while developing such a strategy.

 

Invest In An Effective Team

One of the key aspects of ensuring the success of any social recruitment strategy is to ensure candidate engagement quite during the early stages of initiating the process. Achieving this critical objective is possible only through an effective social recruitment team, with each member having a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in the overall scheme of things.  They also need to be well aware of the social recruiting goals that their organization is trying to fulfil.

 

Select The Most Appropriate Platforms

The number of social media sites is increasing at a rapid pace. However, this does not mean that the social recruitment teams have to make use of all the available platforms to search for the best candidates. Rather they need to focus their efforts on using the few channels that are likely to provide the best results as per their needs. This is because every social media channel caters to a completely unique set of audience and uses a different way of communicating with them. Hence it is essential for the hiring team to carry out proper research to identify the most appropriate platforms for their social recruitment campaign.

 

Create An Impressive Job Posting

It is important for the recruiters to carefully consider the content of the job posting and ensure that it is not only impressive but also sufficiently informative. The recruiters need to have a clear understanding of the type of candidates they intend to attract through the job posting and especially the skills and expertise they are seeking. This information is essential to create the right job posting that leave a deep positive impact on the minds of the prospective candidates and might even stir some curiosity amongst passive candidates. The recruiters need to bear in mind that producing the right content is essential to sell the job amongst the best candidates.

 

Highlight The USP Of The Hiring Company

The experts from renowned employee engagement consulting firms stress on the importance of highlighting the “wow factors” of the hiring organizations during social recruitment. They advise the recruitment teams to create a list of company’s mission and values while paying special attention to the factors that make the company unique. In case the company has won any awards or accolades, it is essential to provide information about the same in the job postings. Using employee testimonials can also prove to be a highly effective tool for creating a sense of excitement and transparency amongst prospective candidates.

Be Sure To Evaluate All Candidates

The recruiters should make sure that the social recruitment strategies are not used for unfair or biased hiring. They need to set a system for evaluating all the candidates who might have shown interest in a job posting. Even if they do not find the candidates suitable for the specific position, they might consider them for another available option that matches their skill set. The recruiters also need to make sincere efforts about understanding the kind of topics discussed by applicants, learning about their interests and their reaction upon being approached.

Getting Familiar With The Do’s And Don’ts Of Executive On-Boarding

Executive on-boarding is one of the most important aspects of the hiring process and if done in the right manner can ensure efficient management and better retention rates for new talent. In fact a great on-boarding experience can play a critical role in ensuring a rewarding and long-term partnership between the executives and the employers. Here it is important to mention that ensuring a great on-boarding experience is a multi-faceted process and depends on a wide range of organizational factors. It is the awareness of this fact that leads the hiring organizations to seek the services of companies offering professional executive on-boarding services. Discussed below are the various do’s and don’ts associated with this process that can help organization to ensure a truly exclusive experience for the new executives.

Do’s

As mentioned before an exceptional executive on-boarding experience can prove beneficial to the hiring organization in various ways. It can not only help on enhancing the employee brand but also drive engagement, increase productivity and boost retention. However, in order to exploit these benefits it is important to take the following steps.

Ensure Proper Training Of New Talent

Every organization is different and hence needs to make sure that its new executives are well informed about the ways things are done. For this they need to have a proper training program in-place which will provide the newest members of the workforce a clear understanding of the work environment and culture of their new company. It helps them to gain a better understanding of the best ways in which they can use their skills and expertise to enhance organization growth.

Invest In Customised On-Boarding Programs

Just like companies, no two individuals are alike, even if they share the same professional background and expertise. That is why it is advisable for the employing organizations to invest time and effort in developing customized on-boarding programs for every new executive. Opting for the one-size-fits-all method generally does not prove as effective besides which it might not cover all the ob-boarding aspects as applicable to specific executives.

Ensure Effective Communication And Seek Feedback

Effective communication and regular feedback are the two most important aspects of every successful on-boarding program. The employers need to be sure that they are available to clarify any doubts and queries that the new executives might have. At the same time they also need to be good listeners and show an interest in the views and opinions of these executives, even if they might not agree with them. It is also essential to seek feedback from the new recruits about their on-boarding experience so that any gaps can be filled well in time.

 

Don’ts

There are several things that can make result in making even the best on-boarding programs unsuccessful. To prevent this from happening, it is important for the hiring organizations to avoid the common on-boarding mistakes listed below.

Wait Till The Day Of Joining

Most organizations commit the mistake of waiting till the day of joining of the executives to initiate the on-boarding program. This according to the performance management consultants can prove to be a critical error as it will elongate the learning curve and make the executives feel disconnected on their first day of work.

Leaving The Allotment Of Workspace Till The Last

Once the recruitment of an executive has been confirmed, the organization should work towards setting up a dedicated workspace for them. Leaving the task undone till the very end can make the new executives feel disappointed and even rejected.

Failure To Establish Expectations

The recruitment team should make sure that the new executives are made well aware of what is expected of them during the on-boarding program. Failure to do so can lead to a downfall on the performance of the executives.