When it comes to recruiting, you must first get the requirements right!

The why, what, and how of finding your perfect candidate during a job search.

As someone who spent many years developing IT applications, I’ve learned that getting the requirements right from the start is a top priority. There are many details to define as you move through the project development life cycle. Many things can change during the life cycle, but when developing and delivering a successful system clearly defining basics at the beginning of the project is critical.

Using this mentality of getting the requirements right at the start helps drive our process to finding the perfect person for your position.

Here is what we do at Dise & Company – we ask why, what, and how before we begin conducting the Executive Search. Our search team and client organization must be on the same page to ensure we deliver the right candidate to fulfill the organizational need.

Why? Why does this role exist?

The mission and purpose of the position must be clear so everyone understands why it must be filled. This should be a clear, concise description of the essence and core of the position. The job description should be a succinct statement that is understandable to the search team and to the client – a simple way to define why this job exists.

What? What are the key deliverables for this position?

The job description will include many responsibilities and activities that the candidate will be expected to be involved with and to perform. The job description is all-inclusive and can cloud what is most critical to the organization. What needs to be defined are the key deliverables the candidate MUST be able to accomplish. This allows the search team to identify candidates who have a track record of delivering exactly what your organization is looking for.

How? How do you expect the candidate to perform on the job?

These requirements, commonly known as “behavioral competencies”, define how you want the candidate to approach their work each and every day. They also define what is important to confirm the candidate is a cultural fit within your organization. Do you want a candidate with:

• high customer service orientation
• collaboration skills
• creative orientation
• strong work ethic
• listening skills
• calm under pressure
• other behavioral competencies important to you

Finding candidates that best suit the organization requires that the search team probe deeply during the interview process to ensure the perfect fit.

Finding the top performing people for your organization is critical to your success.  At Dise & Company, we follow a structured approach to the candidate search process by asking the “why, what, and how” requirements questions to ensure that only the best qualified candidates are presented.

How do you find the perfect candidates to fill open executive positions? Share your strategies in the comments below.