Hiring low-level employees is a taxing job but one that your HR team can probably handle in its sleep. It’s a different story when advertising for more high-level roles, especially something as important as a company executive. Businesses need to be able to send out job descriptions for executive jobs with confidence, knowing the best candidates will apply. They also need that same confidence in their ability to retain that executive long-term.
How To Find The Best Company Executives
Finding top company executives starts by offering an enticing and challenging role. You have to bring something to the table that people will want to switch companies for. If not, they might start where they have job security and comfort. What’s so great about your brand compared to competitors? What are you doing at your organization that makes it such an appealing place to be? How can executives spread their wings and take on something that tests them and brings greater job satisfaction? On top of this enticing role, you also need a great package to seal the deal. We’re talking competitive salary, expense perks, vacation time, flexible working hours, healthcare, and whatever else you’re willing to offer.
Next, you need to create a strong job description. This is the first thing prospective candidates will see before applying for the job. So, it needs to be perfectly written. You can find guides and templates on how to write job descriptions for executives online. These will guide you through the process. Essentially, you want to outline the role, essential experience, job perks, and any other information vital to the position. There should be no confusion over what you’re looking for and what you expect. You can keep it short and sweet with enough details and bullet points. End it with a second on how to apply and then wait for the responses.
The final step for hiring these top executives is the interview process. You have to structure this meeting just right and ask the most effective questions. These questions should go beyond the basics of their past experience. You need to go deeper into behavioral and situational questioning to see how they handle past and hypothetical situations. You can also ask about soft skills like communication and time management.
How To Retain The Best Company Executives
Once you have found the perfect new executive for your company, you can’t get complacent about it. You’ve promised them all these wonderful things to get them to sign up with the company. Now, you have to do all you can to give them the career perks and job satisfaction they expect. If you don’t, they could soon find themselves checking out other descriptions for executive jobs with other companies.
The best place to start is by ensuring you give them enough power and flexibility to handle things their way. You brought them on because you trust in their skills and leadership to take the ball and run with it. There’s a good chance their proactive ideas will lift the business out of a rut or simply bring a fresh approach to an ongoing problem. They need to feel trusted and respected to take the initiative while still willingly sticking to the company’s values.
Executives who take to their new role like a duck to water and get the desired results also deserve recognition. Some companies may feel as though they shouldn’t make too much out of the actions of higher-ups. They’d rather focus on supporting lower-level employees and encouraging them to better themselves. That’s great, and a good employee scheme can help you find the next top managers and executives from within. However, executives still seek gratification and some acknowledgment that their hard work made a difference. It will encourage them to give the same level of effort next time. How you go about recognizing the success and impact of their work is up to you. It could be as simple as a face-to-face meeting with shareholders and company owners, an end-of-year bonus from the profits, or a simple gift.
Another way to make sure you retain these skilled executives is to maintain a strong company culture. This means creating an environment where they feel part of the team and not just someone at the top of a ladder. It can be pretty lonely up there if all they’re doing is sending out ideas and directives through emails and memos. They need plenty of face-to-face time with their teams to get to know them on a personal level. They can connect with departments, find the best people for their tasks, and create something more cohesive and dynamic. This helps the staff too. They can see their executive as someone approachable and easy to work with, not someone who just swings by for occasional meetings.
This level of connection and satisfaction goes even further when companies take advantage of mentorship opportunities. Mentorship is a wonderful coaching opportunity where executives can pass on what they know to others. This is a brilliant way for them to make a lasting impact with those new colleagues and feel even more valued within the organization. These schemes could include regular seminars and meetings with selected participants or more one-on-one work with individuals on select projects. Either way, it’s a win-win situation for the company. Executives have more inclination to stay, and you’re strengthening the foundations beneath them.
Get The Ball Rolling With That Job Description
If you’re still searching for that perfect executive to offer all that career progression and those perks, you need to start with those descriptions for executive jobs. It can be daunting to put everything about a role on one sheet of paper, but the best descriptions are that concise. It might take a group effort and a few drafts until you’re happy, but that’s fine. One extra bullet point about mentorship schemes and one less about basic responsibilities could make all the difference. Once you have your description ready to go, put it on your website, send it out to headhunters, and wait for the phone to ring.