CHRO Future Leadership Event: Evaluate to Elevate

More Transparency - Fewer Mis-hires at the C-Level

It goes without saying that candidates who make it onto the shortlist for C-Level positions possess the necessary expertise. However, the personality criteria of existing leadership teams are often overlooked or inadequately reflected upon during recruitment, even though they are crucial for a long-term successful collaboration.

In the competition for the best C-Level talents, transparency and equality are essential for both sides to build a foundation of trust and to determine as early as possible in the process whether the candidate and the existing leadership team are a good fit.

How can a scientifically grounded yet practical assessment of management teams become a competitive advantage for companies? And what does this mean for the recruitment process?

At two Future Leadership Events in Glattbrugg, entrepreneurs Simon Boss and Martin Meier talked about their experiences and discussed, under the moderation of Edda Rettinger, with the invited CHROs about the opportunities and risks of "total transparency".

Conclusion

Self-reflection and transparency not only build trust but also provide candidates with crucial insights and information to make informed decisions. Companies that openly disclose their operations and critically question themselves strengthen their employer brand, minimize risks, and gain through authenticity.

Early alignment of candidate and company assessment results becomes a key strategy for long-term success and forms a central aspect for attracting and convincing top candidates.

Edda Rettinger

CHRO | Pini Group / ARX

Transparency as a Competitive Advantage

"Both candidates and companies today have a variety of readily available sources for searching for information about potential employers or potential employees. These are usually secondary or tertiary sources (social media, employer review portals, etc.). Companies willing to take new paths and provide 'first-hand information' create a strategic competitive advantage in the 'Battle for Brains'."

Tips for the Executive Level Search Process

Combine Self-Assessment and Corporate Presentation

Demonstrate how your leadership principles and team dynamics function. Openly present challenges and areas for development. Analyze the existing and missing competencies in corporate leadership and match these with the requirements for candidates.

Establish Early Transparency

Provide insights into strategic goals and the skills required for steering the company into the future.

Enable Mutual Assessments

Create not only a candidate profile but also reflect on your company and management. This allows for a transparent and tangible alignment of values and competencies. Verify whether the values and abilities of the candidates align with the requirements and corporate culture.

Leverage Culture as a Strategic Asset

Clearly communicate how your company operates and what values you represent. Actively involve candidates in the decision-making process. Communicate how future collaboration can sustainably strengthen the organisation.

Martin Rusterholz

Owner | CONVIDIS AG

Sensitively Use Assessments at C-Level

"Use assessments not only for selection but also in reflection with your company and for developing and building trust."

Thomas Muhmenthaler

Managing Partner | Viavanta AG

Early Clarity for All Involved Secures Efficiency

"We place great importance on transparency so that candidates and clients can already recognise early in the recruitment process whether not only the professional but also the personal levels match. If the chemistry isn't right, we stop, saving both sides valuable time and resources."

Management Analysis: Strategic Advantages

Building Trust

Companies that analyse themselves and offer insights into their work processes create an open foundation for dialogues with candidates. Transparency about existing and missing future skills shows that the company is prepared for future challenges.

Efficiency and Focus

Early transparency saves time and resources since candidates can quickly determine whether they align with the company's values and structures. An early alignment between corporate and candidate skills saves time and resources for both sides.

Minimizing Wrong Hires

By disclosing mutual assessments, risks can be better assessed, leading to well-informed decisions.

Competitive Advantage

Companies that clearly define and communicate future skills position themselves as forward-thinking employers.

Quick Wins

This is how to create transparency and equality at the beginning of the recruitment process:

Reverse Interviews
Role Profile with Interviews
SWOT-GL
Partner-Dinner
Openly present the resume and personality profile of the superior
Business Case with Superior in Assessment
Leadership Matrix
Cultural-Fit Check-Up
Pre-Onboarding upon signing the contract

Sandra Keller

CHRO | Stäubli International

Great Platform for Exchange with CHROs

"At the Future Leadership Event, two experienced entrepreneurs provided interesting and very personal insights into their successes and failures in staffing top leadership positions. I particularly appreciated their call for openness and transparency from companies towards candidates, allowing them to make an informed judgment on whether they align not only with the company's values and goals but also with those of their leadership colleagues. The intentionally small scale of the event also provided a great platform to exchange experiences and best practice approaches with other CHROs. I like the interesting idea I took home, which has stayed with me ever since."

AI in HR - Beyond Proof of Concept

The next Future Leadership Events will take place in Spring 2025.