When bringing a new player on board your executive team, it's important to ensure that not only is he or she well-qualified, but that the candidate will be a good fit for the goals and mission associated with the post. To get an in-depth look below the surface of a candidate's resume, ask what his or her 30-, 60-, and 90-day plans would be to impact your business.
Having this conversation in the final stages of the interview process can give you a sense for what it would be like if the interviewee started working with you the following Monday from a variety of perspectives. Here are a few qualities a candidate's 30-60-90 plan can indicate, and how you can use the response to determine his or her compatibility with your company:
- Executive approach: A 30-60-90 day plan helps to reveal an applicant's execution style and leadership strategy. For example, analytical and strategic hires may plan to work through a series of informational meetings for the first 90 days while they get to know the company and develop a strategy. Conversely, eager disrupters looking to implement change might begin working on operational items much earlier in their plan. While both types of candidates can lead effectively, one might prove to be a better fit for your company.
- Preparation: The best 30-60-90 plans are backed by data. If a candidate's plan includes specific, data-based strategies to increase revenue or build new sales territories, it shows he or she has given serious thought to the role and could indicate the level of commitment he or she will display once given the job.
- Transferrable experience: While reviewing a candidate's resume can give you an indication of his or her previous executive experience, it does not do very much to help you project forward and imagine how his or her skills from past roles could transfer to the new job. If the candidate presents a plan that addresses issues specific to your industry or company, it shows that he or she may be able to put that experience to work quite well in a new field.
Another way to identify compatible candidates is to leverage the expertise of an executive recruiter. Global executive search firms can give businesses the resources to find executives who fit a client's needs and view their credentials as part of a bigger picture.
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