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Developing the Right Candidate

By Robert Krottenthaler, Principal Consultant
Region: Germany

Sector focus: Industrial Products & Manufacturing, and Life Sciences

SOMETIMES, THE BEST CANDIDATE FOR A POSITION NEEDS TO HAVE A BIT OF DEVELOPMENT TO GET THEM TO THE POINT WHERE THE CLIENT SEES EXACTLY WHAT I SEE IN THEM: AS THE BEST FIT FOR THE ROLE. THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN EVERY TIME, BUT WHEN IT DOES, IT’S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE.
IN OUR BUSINESS, WE FOCUS ON CUSTOMERS AND THEN DESIRES; IN THE END, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS NO SUCCESSFUL EXECUTIVE SEARCH PROJECT WITHOUT SUITABLE CANDIDATES. YOU NEED TO LOOK AT BOTH PARTS OF THE PROCESS TO UNDERSTAND THE CUSTOMER’S NEEDS AND RECOGNISE WHICH CANDIDATE FULFILS THE REQUIREMENTS. THAT’S THE IMPORTANT THING: GET THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS TO THE FINAL STAGE OR THE FINAL ASSESSMENT.
IN THIS CASE, EVERYTHING (I THOUGHT) WAS FALLING INTO PLACE RELATIVELY EASILY. WE HAD AN EXCELLENT CANDIDATE WITH A PERFECT BACKGROUND AND THE KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO TAKE THE CLIENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL. THE CANDIDATE WAS IDEAL WHEN IT CAME TO QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE. HOWEVER, THAT WAS ONLY HALF OF THE STORY.
THE BIG PROBLEM, HOWEVER? THE ORGANISATION COULD JUST NOT GRASP THE CANDIDATE’S PERSONALITY. HE HAD SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS EXPRESSING HIMSELF AND PRESENTING HIS QUALIFICATIONS TO A BROADER AUDIENCE. I WORKED WITH THE CLIENT FOR MANY YEARS BEFORE THIS POSITION OPENED UP; I KNEW THE COMPANY’S HISTORY, STRUCTURE, SPECIFICS THEY DESIRED, HIGH STANDARDS, AND EXPECTATIONS.
I ALSO KNEW THAT THE PERSONALITY WAS AS IMPORTANT AS THE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE TO THEM. AFTER THE INITIAL MEETING, THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT GET ACROSS THE CANDIDATE’S PERSONALITY. THEY WERE WORRIED THAT HIS SOFT-SPOKEN NATURE COULD NOT CARRY OVER TO THE DESIRED POSITION (WHICH WAS AS A VICE PRESIDENT WITHIN THE ORGANISATION).
BEING INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THE COMPANY, I KNEW THIS PERSON WOULD BE A GOOD FIT. IT WAS MY TASK TO BRING HIM UP TO THE ORGANISATION AGAIN. I WAS VERY OPEN WITH THE CANDIDATE. AFTER THE FIRST MEETING, I TOLD HIM WHAT I EXPERIENCED AND THE FEEDBACK FROM THE ORGANISATION;

I detailed his weak points honestly and openly. In the end, it was very positive criticism. I provided him with various tips and things to be conscious of when in an interview. He reacted very well to my approach and told me no one had previously pointed out these weak spots. In the end, it all worked out very well. The person improved in the following rounds and successfully secured the position. It shows that working with the candidate hand-in-hand is sometimes as critical as working with the client.

Dr. Robert Krottenthaler, Engagement Manager
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