The task of hiring top level executives can be daunting

The task of selecting and hiring of top level executives is one of the most challenging responsibilities that corporate boards ever face. Very often, however, the people making the hiring decisions have little knowledge of executive selection procedures, and they face these daunting tasks with little or no experience in making such decisions.

The hiring process is not only complicated, but it is also fraught with risk. Hiring the wrong person to lead a company can cause serious damage to a company’s external image, not to mention the disruption it can cause to a company’s internal culture, rhythm and performance.

A wrong placement can also have devastating effects on the reputation and career of the person being hired. It is not uncommon to see a professional with an otherwise illustrious career ruined as a result of having been hired or promoted into a leadership positions for which he or she was ill prepared.

The journey up the corporate ladder from entry-level to executive level positions is like an obstacle course with different and more exacting barriers at every stage of the journey.

Typically, at the entry-level of a professional career, a person’s academic qualification is the most important consideration. Once hired, an employee’s ability to follow instructions and deliver on assignments becomes the door opener to promotion.

At this early stage, employees are encouraged to pursue additional professional education and training, as these do help in elevating their eligibility for promotion. As the individual grows into supervisory and mid-level management roles, “soft skills” such as communication, team work and human relation become much more important in assessing his or her readiness for greater responsibility.

While only a small percentage of middle managers ever break through the glass ceiling and enter the so called C-Suite, those who do quickly realise that the demands of executive leadership can be strenuous and relentless. As leaders rise to the executive level, performance requirements change significantly.

Although all leaders in an organisation are responsible for setting the direction and managing the operations of their units, leaders at the top have the additional burden of having to represent the organisation to an external environment that is increasingly complex, global, and dynamic.

Top level executives sit at a crossroads of competing demands and must be able to quickly interpret a vast array of information. The high informational complexity of executive work means that they need to have the cognitive skills to make sense of this complexity and maintain steady focus on the organisation that he leads.

For companies looking to hire top executive leaders, the selection process can be extremely challenging. Attracting, hiring, and retaining executive leadership with the right mix of experience, skills and attributes to drive the company forward requires a well-thought-out and strategic process that can be elusive for many organisations.

To overcome this challenge, companies increasingly turn to professional executive search firms to navigate the selection process. Executive search firms are specialised recruitment services that help organizations find top-level candidates for senior, executive, or other highly specialized positions for clients.

Pete Ondeng, is a leadership and strategy consultant.