The Board Chair had become familiar with The HRC’s successful work with other nonprofit healthcare organizations with which he was associated. The HRC interviewed with this unique organization’s Board’s Search Committee given his understanding of our highly customized consultation, ‘deep dive’ data gathering, and high value-added support. After interviewing with the Board committee against two national firms, it was reported that The HRC was unanimously selected, largely due to our more thorough processes to ensure consistent and full understanding of what was needed by the organization, its people, and new CEO to thrive going forward.
Their commitment to active partnership with The HRC in this search, our expertise in developing a true understanding of and vetting each unique role, a collaborative effort in defining critical skillsets, intangibles, and collaboratively developing a vision of success were essential to developing a successful partnership in this endeavor. That said, this client, as is true with most of our clients with whom we choose to partner, chose to become vulnerable, taking a hard look at what was truly needed to ensure a highly successful hire and higher performance organization. Our complementary philosophy and practices then deliver individuals who bring the unique, clarified, and validated: vision, values, mindset, approach, style, and competence. As planned, in less than six (6) months an accepted offer was in place.
Data Gathering Phase
Our team first reviewed extensive background information including strategic planning, financials, human resources, operations, etc. With background information and our expertise to gain a firsthand understanding of the organization’s current and desired states, we then customized and conducted individual interviews of Board members and top tiers of leaders, a management level focus group, and another focus group of cross-organizational, highly valued and influential individual contributors by leaders and peers.
Analyzing our trended findings and recommendations for the Board Search Committee, what we learned differed materially from that which we had previously heard. We presented our findings and recommendations to the Board Committee including redesigned and updated job description, desired performance outcomes and target priorities, in addition to search profile, timeline, and selection process. We unanimously received agreement of those elements needed to drive the Board’s successful go-forward strategy.
Candidate Sourcing Phase
We immediately began direct sourcing of on-target candidates across the Northeast who possessed the essential mindset and leadership style, vast array of experience and accomplishments, and complex skillsets with an eye to diversity in the candidate slate. After two months of sourcing, we recommended four (4) candidates who we had qualified, interviewed in depth, completed extensive reference checking, and assessed as best fitting the specific profile to fulfill our client’s needs.
Client Interview Phase
The Board Committee interviewed all four recommended candidates, then selected two candidates for a second round with group interviews by leaders, managers, and non-managers as well as to present to a large audience including Board members on a Board selected topic, and meet again with the Search committee. The HRC coached each group of interviewers to utilize highly customized, standardized interview guides to attain maximum insight in minimum time. Participants then understood the full interview process, their accountability, the questions they would be posing and why, what to look for in the answers against the needed mindset and competencies, and then how to evaluate and submit their time-sensitive evaluation.
Onsite the day of the interviews, The HRC received and compiled the interview feedback data from all interviewers and provided the data to the Search Committee. Their intuitive conclusion and the data from staff at all levels of the organization supported a consistent choice.
Moving Forward
A verbal offer was presented and accepted within days. The new CEO then met, presented to, and dialogued at greater length with the entire Board. Unanimous Board approval ensued. The Board Chair could not be happier stating, ‘the caliber of our new CEO absolutely exceeds our expectations.’ The new CEO is in place, focused on charting a course for the organization that leverages its strengths, developing higher leadership and employee engagement, building new systems and capacity to rapidly expand the enterprise, and collaborating with clients to develop greater mutual wins while continuing the new CEO’s successful trajectory.