Many business leaders can struggle when it comes to finding the best-suited executive talent to grow their company. One of the most devastating mistakes an organisation can make is to hire the wrong person for an executive, senior or C-Suite position. This is why large businesses and organisations use the services of executive headhunters to hire only the most relevant and best-suited executive talent.

So, how do headhunters identify the best talent to avoid making a bad hiring choice?

Strength of character

The right candidate for an executive position needs to possess ‘true grit’ and be determined to succeed. Finding the right talent with this personality trait is difficult. However, working with an established executive search firm means they have access to a global network of suitable candidates that are experienced within your industry or sector. They assess candidates based on factors such as their past achievements to determine their strength of character.

Personality – not just qualifications

Executive headhunters understand that a candidate’s IQ doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be the right fit for the role or the organisation. Apart from their previous experience and qualifications, headhunters identify the best executives by assessing their personality, values and personal goals.

They search for leadership traits including empathy, self-motivated, confident and being a long-term thinker. Traits such as a lack of empathy or narcissism must be weeded out as negative personality traits result in ineffective leadership in an executive position.

A context-driven approach

Executive search firms can have access to a global network of contacts and possess in-house research departments. Their researchers can conduct a background analysis to help create a strategic executive search that is tailored to the exact type of talent their client requires. This ensures that each presented candidate is a top performer in their field and is committed to growing the business for the long-term.

The risk of making a bad hire

Making a bad hiring choice can result in a ‘domino effect’ of negative outcomes for an organisation. If the wrong executive is hired, it may lead to issues down the track such as job burnout or the person leaving the company and needing to start the hiring process again.

But it can also trickle down and affect the people around them. Team members may quit due to a loss of morale as a result of bad leadership. A company’s clients may even leave elsewhere because of a drop in the quality of service or results.

In the IT industry for example, hiring a bad senior software engineer can result in costly mistakes such as missing a crucial bug during the coding of a piece of software. Team members will then have to put in extra work hours in order to meet the project deadline on time. This can not only affect morale but will also cost the organisation time, money and resources to correct the issue – especially if repeated mistakes are made.

The difference between making a bad or a great hiring choice will determine the success of your business. This is why hiring executive headhunters is crucial for ensuring the continued growth of your company.