Finding Your Dream Team Members

Title : "Finding Your Dream Team Members".Business


  Unfortunately, good executives don't grow on trees (and you wouldn't want to
hire the ones that do). Since their decisions can make or break your business,
you want the best. Newspapers, classified ads and internet bulletin boards are
not the way to go. And mass-market ads will attract exactly that--the mass
market, people who have no other job prospects. (A skillful, former executive
rarely lists themselves in the same newspaper section as used backyard grills
and heavy farm machinery.)
If you have
the funds available, executive search firms are a good way to go. Although they
charge through the nose to find candidates, they do due diligence and present
you with pre-screened candidates, so when you're running around handling the
emergency of the day, they can be a huge time-saver. They also monitor the pool
of executive talent and can likely reach candidates you couldn't approach on
your own. Search firms may specialize by industry, function, geography and level
of job, so if you decide to hire one, make sure you know what you're getting.
Networking
is a time-honored way to find new hires. Let your professional and personal
networks know what kind of person you're looking for. Then get one-on-one
introductions, and take the candidate to lunch to test the chemistry.
When
networking, avoid specific "networking forums." Go straight for what you want.
If you want a law firm CMO, spend a weekend at the Legal Sales and Service
Organization's Raindance conference, which attracts senior marketing folk from
law firms. Network, network, network--but make sure it's targeted.
Once you've
got a potential candidate, how will you know for sure they can do the job?
Executives have great impact--on employees, on systems, on profits--so it's
worth your time to check them out thoroughly. Call each of their references, and
listen between the lines (with lawsuits today, recommendations always glow). A
CFO may have embezzled from his last company, but the employer still says "They
did a good job" (I swear--this is a true story). This grade inflation means you
need to listen for less-than-glowing opinions. "Fred showed up and sat at his
desk like a real trooper" is a sure sign that Fred enjoys taking every Wednesday
off to go golfing with the boys.  >If you want to learn some Power Principles of
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