Instrument 01
The Executive Hiring Readiness Check
Twelve indicators that a senior search is at risk before the first candidate is engaged.
Select each statement that applies to the search you are planning or conducting. Each indicator materially increases the likelihood of a stalled search or a costly appointment.
- Without defined first-year outcomes, candidates are assessed on impression rather than evidence.
- Unresolved scope and decision rights become the new executive's first political challenge.
- A search launched to fill a vacancy, rather than resolve a defined problem, attracts the wrong profile.
- Operating cadence, autonomy, and escalation expectations shape success more than credentials do.
- Redundant interviews erode candidate goodwill and leave critical capabilities untested.
- Absent defined criteria, the most forceful voice in the debrief tends to prevail.
- Undefined judgments of fit invite bias and often exclude the very change the role requires.
- Late surprises on pay stall finalists and damage credibility with the strongest candidates.
- Pressure to conclude quickly is among the most common causes of compromised standards.
- Structured, independent referencing frequently surfaces the most material evidence.
- Exceptional executives have alternatives; an unstructured close loses them at the final stage.
- Without deliberate integration, even the right appointment can fail to gain traction.
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Questions to resolve before a search is launched
- What must this leader achieve in the first 12 months, and how will we measure it?
- Which decisions will this person own outright, and which will they share?
- What would make us regret this hire in a year?
- Who will make the final decision, and on what evidence?
- What support will the leader have in their first 90 days?
For a complete method, see The Executive Hiring System.
This resource is provided for general educational purposes and is not legal, employment-law, or HR compliance advice.