Getting Ready for the Final Interview

This week has been wonderful. I say that because this is the week that all of my firm’s hard work is starting to payoff with a Chief Level position we have been working on.

For the past 8 weeks we are now to the point of having (3) Chief level finalists for a great executive position for a valued Austin client. Our job this week is to get them ready for their final interview.

What can a retained executive search firm do to get the chief level final candidates ready to “win” an offer from the client?

Here is our obligation:

1) Discuss how your firm has “pitched” their candidacy from a technical and soft skills perspective. This will offer the candidate a perspective of how they have been perceived from the client point of view.

2) Discuss interview day personalities. Offer the candidate a perspective on operating personalities and what to expect from a people style point of view. Walk thru the entire agenda that has already been created for the candidate.

3) Discuss compensation parameters. Insure that the candidate understands the compensation range (base and bonus) and make sure they understand what has been communicated to the client about their current compensation.

4) Discuss how initially they have been perceived with comments that have been made about their candidacy with any earlier interviewing they have completed with the client (if not considered client confidential). Make sure they are ready to answer any concerns about their candidacy.

5) Review any candidate presentation materials to observe if there is anything that does not fit the specific client culture and operating style.

6) Insure that the candidate has completely researched the company and personalities they will meet.

My firm also likes to meet face-to-face for this final coaching preparation meeting. It is just better to do it in person.

Get your final candidates uber ready to present themselves in the best way for the final interview. The stakes are high for the client, the candidate and your firm.

Do this the right way and then sit back and let it happen. Your client will make the right choice.

2017-07-15T02:06:01-05:00By sbalistreri|Candidate Communication, Executive Search Process|

“As a search committee member, we selected Sal's firm to help us with a key CEO search. They made the process painless both for the candidates and our search committee. We made the right choice and Sal's team delivered.”

Michael Bennett, Head of the APRO Search Committee, APRO Search Committee

“Sal specializes in executive search and has delivered some outstanding results for Silvercar. He has assembled a great team and they conduct searches the way it should be done – from scratch! He understands the importance of not only finding the right skill set, but also finding the right cultural match. He does his homework before he starts and does it well. Sal has jumped through hoops for me and delivered great results. He provides personalized service from start to finish and won’t stop until you are satisfied. I highly recommend that you consider Sal and his team for your next search.”

Kay Stroman, Former Chief Administrative Officer, Silvercar

“Sal was definitely a huge asset in our recruiting efforts. He spent a lot of time getting to know our culture and understanding the values that were essential to the makeup of of our team. Sal is a great partner and I certainly recommend him and his firm to anyone looking to recruit a great team. You will not be disappointed!”

Craig Taylor, Former CEO, Cirrus Systems

“Sal clearly understands the culture of the client and clearly understands the REAL person behind the candidate. This allows him to best match clients and candidates because he sees beyond their words and understands their real talents and value systems. Sal also has the ability to present a candidate because he is committed to her/him and their talents and values they could bring to the job. He is even MORE committed to the client’s analysis of the candidate so that he learns from any rejection of a candidate in order to fine-tune the search for the next better candidate.”

Vickey Thayer Kleinsmith, Former Vice President Human Resources, Lozier Corporation

“I appreciate the fact that Sal takes not only the job requirements into account, but he also considers culture and “fit”. These are rare and valuable traits for a recruiter and that is one of the many reasons that we love working with Sal.”

Debbie Mitchell, President/CEO, Velocity Credit Union

“Sal is able to communicate our company culture and organic growth strategy and along with his high level of responsiveness, is a great partner to work with.”

Karen Ganzlin, Former Chief Human Resources Officer, TD Ameritrade

"Sal and his team are awesome partners in our success. His team has taken the time to become part of our team so that they understand the "fit" component of our hiring process that includes the mission, vision and values and most importantly, our culture."

Scotte Hudsmith, Chairman & CEO , Specialized Dental Partners

“Consider Sal if you need a recruiter for key management positions and C-Level searches. Sal is very focused on finding the right person for the right position. He produces solid candidates across a variety of industries and will personally work with his clients to help them achieve success in hiring. He is a seasoned expert, well networked and very responsive.”

Kurt Halvorson, President, Imprimis, LLC

“Sal and his team offered a great process with a very good long term result for Lozier. It was a process made easy for our team to meet all the candidates in a short period of time and come to a conclusion.”

Sheri Andrews, Co-Chair, Lozier Corporation

“Sal is one of those rare business executives who truly believes in the power of ‘doing well by doing good.’ He is generous to a fault with his time and his network. He spends his professional capital to help others in his community with no eye towards personal gain.”

Cat Nawawi, President, The Highland Group

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