I have recruited managers at every level. From team leaders to CEOs. In companies of ten and companies of a thousand.
If there is a common denominator in the recruitments that have gone wrong — and there is — it is often this: they hired for what they needed yesterday, not what they need tomorrow.
The most common mistake
The job profile mirrors the previous incumbent's CV. That tends to linger. You describe what you had rather than what you need. And then you look for someone who resembles the person who left — just slightly better.
That works poorly when the company is in the same situation as before. It works considerably less well when the company is heading in a new direction.
Vad psychometric assessment ger – och inte ger
Jag är certifierad i flera psykometriska verktyg och använder dem i rekryteringsprocesser. Men jag är noga med att de ger en bild av hur en person tenderar att fungera – inte ett definitivt svar på vem de är eller vad de kommer att göra.
The biggest mistake I see is using such a tool as a definitive answer rather than one of several data points. It must always be interpreted in relation to the role, the organization, and the specific leadership assignment.
What tends to make the difference
When I think back on the recruitments I am most proud of — the ones that actually changed something for the company — they share one quality: the client was willing to challenge their own picture of what they needed.
De bästa rekryteringsuppdragen jag har gjort har framför allt handlat om att hitta rätt kandidat. De har handlat om att hjälpa bolaget att förstå vad rätt faktiskt innebar i just deras situation.
That is an entirely different thing.
If you have thoughts, questions, or simply want to talk something through — feel free to get in touch. I am happy to have an initial conversation with no agenda.
Right person. Right place. Everything changes.