Finding the right mix of crucial skills when recruiting STAR talent for a C-level or executive position is a balancing act. It requires experience in the industry to understand which skills are most crucial to success. This is where an executive recruiting firm can help your company find the best candidate for the position. The following are skills that factor into the recruitment process.
Leadership
Leadership requires experience. A company may have made money, but would employees want to work under the executive again? For example, if you use CPG recruiters to find a Vice President of Operations or a sales and marketing executive, you will need a candidate who has been proven to lead teams effectively. An executive recruiting firm with specialization in the consumer packaged goods industry will have a dedicated team with years of specific sourcing experience. They will know not only what makes a great leader, but what makes a great leader in that particular role and industry. They look beyond the resume and assess a candidate’s ability to manage the strengths, weaknesses, and motivations of the employees under their supervision.
Communication
An executive-level recruit needs to have two different types of communication skills: the ability to communicate with their team interdepartmentally within the company, and the ability to communicate externally, with clients and service providers. Ecommerce recruitment often involves finding candidates for marketing positions, such as a Director of CRM, a Social Media Manager, or a Vice President of Digital Marketing. These positions require an additional level of communication: with targeted audiences, potential customers, and existing customers. These roles, in particular, require communication as a primary skill set.
Technical Skills
C-level executives must have the right skills for their industry. Data science recruiters will look for candidates with an in-depth knowledge of analytics and big data. These skills would translate to candidates for a Director of Marketing Analytics or a Manager of Data Science. Regardless of their industry, they need technical skills and literacy, an understanding of how technology impacts their company, and how to best utilize this knowledge. An understanding of other core business functions, such as sales, marketing, and finance, can inform how a candidate uses their technical skills holistically to grow the company.
Strategic Thinking
Strategic thinking, competitive strategy, and the ability to efficiently execute a plan can be the difference between an adequate C-level candidate and STAR talent. Understanding how details translate to a bigger picture and then mobilizing teams to foster growth using a developed strategy can lead to more customers and profit. These skills are vital for recruiting in the market research and consumer insights industry. Customer Insights Directors, Market Research Directors, or Vice Presidents of Customer Insights & Analytics use these skills every day, and recruiters need to be able to determine who has the skills to create viable strategies. This can only come with experience.
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