4 Qualities to Look For When Hiring an Executive

Hiring an executive may be one of the biggest challenges a recruiter faces. These highly important positions come with large price tags and time considerations. Choosing the wrong executive can set an organization back quite a bit. It is the responsibility of a recruiter to identify an applicant’s experience, expertise, and qualities in order to determine best fit. That being said, this article will provide 4 qualities to look for when hiring an executive.

Experience vs. Qualities

Experience is a critical component of hiring the right executive. This goes without saying.  How long someone has worked in an industry, what types of technical skills have they acquired, and other questions like that help to determine someone’s ability to succeed. That being said, a person’s qualities/ characteristics is what puts them over the top and demonstrates that they are a strong leader. Experiencee and qualities go together and it is never an either/or. It’s a combination.  Experience is easier to ask and learn about. In addition, good recruiters develop the talent in how to measure qualities in a person.

4 Qualities to look for

1. Approachability – Will employees of any level feel comfortable seeking out this person? If the answer is no or not sure, move on. This is a critical trait in a leader and must be paid attention to.  Executives that are closed off and unapproachable create a high level of distrust throughout.
2. Good Communicator – This isn’t just about responding to emails and presenting at meetings. This is more about being able to communicate the organizations mission and goals to each employee to ensure they understand why they are there. So many times this piece is missing from companies and it’s because the leadership does not possess this communication quality.
3. Problem solver during challenges – The applicant should demonstrate ways they have solved problems during challenging times. Adversity is part of any company, and the strong ones have executives who can resolve issues by remaining calm and focused on what the ultimate outcome needs to be.
4. Hires and Fires effectively – Good executives know who and when to hire and fire employees.  If this dynamic is off or missing in a company, it creates a cascading effect of negativity and low morale. In addition, this trait is tied directly back to leadership skills. Move quickly when necessary, and slow it down when that’s called for.

Remove the guessing factor

Quality recruiters are strong fact finders, and have to rely on instinct and guessing less and less. To remove the guessing factor, make sure to ask questions that require the applicant for the executive position to demonstrate the above qualities. If they can’t demonstrate them, they don’t have them. Guess less, ask strong and open ended questions, and ensure the applicant convinces you they are the right person for the job.  If they can’t convince you, they won’t convince the hiring managers at the company. Separate yourself from the pack of so-so recruiters and be great. Present the right executive applicants by looking for qualities that are linked with success.