It may be true what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men, but thinking ahead when the future of your company is on the line is more than just a good move: it could be essential to keeping things on track.
Since so many other factors surrounding your company may be unstable, clinging to one of the few pillars of stability that you have – your chief executive – seems only natural. However, in some cases, this choice may not be entirely in a company's hands.
For example, the Wall Street Journal has reported that the adolescent clothier Abercrombie and Fitch is being pressured by its financial backers to find new leadership soon.
This may or may not have to do with the minor scandal that cropped up earlier this year, when an interview with current CEO Michael Jeffries from years ago that contained potentially offensive remarks was rediscovered and caused a media stir.
So it makes all the difference what structures are in place when it's time to bring on somebody new, no matter how long the interview process takes. A recent article on ERE.net by Jillyan French-Vitet gives an eyewitness description of what can grow out of a well-cultivated and organized candidate vetting.
"During my recruitment experience, I appreciated the structure and expectations-setting; the process was smooth, I knew what to expect as I am a planner and processor," she writes.
Take a serious approach to recruiting and onboarding your next CEO and it is likely that not only will this person respond to the initiative, but it will be recognized by others. YES Partners is an executive recruitment firm that can help establish a skeleton that your employees can build off of.
Finding people is easy, but finding the RIGHT people is not. YES Partners helps companies FIND the right people – for all company functions, across many industries and globally.
