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One of the most frequent questions I get from clients when hiring a new CEO is: How do we structure the interview process so that we will really know if they are “the one?” The first part of my answer is always: please do not engage in the process of “death by interview. “
Everyone half smiles when I say this, because the notion seems mildly ridiculous. But I have witnessed numerous clients who want to structure such a lengthy and complex interview process that it creates enormous, undue stress for a candidate in both preparation and presentation. Often times, the process did not allow the candidates to show up as themselves—or has candidates declining the opportunity presented altogether.
I’ll be the first to admit that part of doing the job is, in fact, the ability to get the job—and candidates need to be prepared for interviews with multiple stakeholders, itself an important skill. It’s important to remember, though, that great candidates are also evaluating the search committee’s behaviors during the course of the interview process to determine if they want to work with this group of people in this specific environment. This means that search committees need to remember to restrain themselves from the overwhelming desire to nitpick candidates: in the hunt for unearthing a mistake the candidate made long ago for fear that someone will discover that in fact their “chosen one” definitely has flaws, they overlook the chance for a more strategic and thoughtful process.
To cultivate a more strategic interview process, committees must understand first that they are hiring a PERSON. Search committees often believe they will find someone who has done or will do everything you want them to do perfectly; to that, I say, stop right there—because that person does not exist. There is no one candidate who can fulfill the unending job requirements and responsibilities laid out in Job Descriptions. Stop building an unending process in pursuit of identifying absolute perfection, and instead, build a process in pursuit of the absolute understanding of who this person is: their acquired skills and competencies, their ability to manage themselves with others, and—most importantly—their ability to think and grow.
Here are a few ways to structure an interview process to really get the most out of your conversations:
- Remember to respect everyone’s time. Candidates and committee members are both giving their time freely to attend these interviews. I have too often heard of candidates who have 10-15 different interviews with stakeholders, only to be told no thank you at the end of the process. This is not a great use of anyone’s time and will leave candidates with a terrible impression of the organization.
- Set the candidates up for success: Give them the space and time to come to the interview as their full selves. Do not give them giant tasks to complete that feel like you are asking for free consulting. Talk to them about the structure of the interview and what and/or who they can expect when they walk into the in-person or Zoom.
- Prepare and manage (!) your committee: Do not let search committee members say and do anything they want during a conversation. Search committee members should receive or prepare pre-determined questions and choices for follow-up questions. This will keep you on track to give candidates the opportunity to show you their professional competencies and greatly reduce bias in your process.
- Meet the candidate “outside” the interview. Take a candidate for a cup of coffee or invite them to meet a group of stakeholders more informally for lunch. These are amazing ways to see candidates outside the potentially cold interview or Zoom room: social interactions can show you more clearly how a person relates to others, engages in meaningful conversations, and begins to develop relationships.
- Utilize a diversified approach to getting to know a candidate. Interviews are only one way to get to know a candidate; comprehensive reference checking, leadership assessments, and a review of their online footprint can be amazing sources of data for committees when it is time to evaluate candidates’ competencies alongside what you hoped to find in your next CEO.
- Remember that not every person in your organization can meet every candidate, and you must manage these expectations with your organizational leadership. At the start of your search, make it clear to all stakeholders that not everyone will get the opportunity to participate in the interview process. Find other ways to engage stakeholders by being transparent and sending regular search communications to your board and staff, and remind them that practicing the art of exclusion in a search process is imperative in order to streamline the process and attract great candidates.
- Most importantly, remember that, when you are running a search process, you are serving as both “buyer” and “seller.” Great candidates use the search process as an opportunity to get to know their potential employers in the same way that search committees use the search process to get to know their potential new hire. It is important to represent the true values of your organization during your search process—this will help you to identify a genuinely great leader.
Dara Z. Klarfeld, Chief Executive Officer
