THE SEARCH PROCESS: COSTS AND STRESSES

The cost of securing, training and ramping-up new executives can be staggering. Non-economic costs, including the disruption of organizational dynamics, absence of decision-making and planning, and disruption to the workflow process in general can have a far greater economic affect on an organization than the upfront monetary cost of a search. All of these factors can combine to result in low or poor morale issues with the staff and those involved in the hiring process.

Thus the need for an improved search process that offers a reliable way to ensure a secure and productive introduction for the new executive is essential.

"THE FIT"

The concept of fitting a round peg into a round hole is often used to describe the search for a new executive. The problem with this concept is that it pre-supposes you understand not only the composition of the head of the peg, but also the stem portion or the part of the peg that interacts with the hole. In other words, just because the obvious parts of "the fit" look right, that does not ensure that the daily interaction between the stem, symbolizing the capabilities and temperament of the candidate, will interact well with the hole, which symbolizes the various interactions that lie beneath the obvious. Search for Success works to ensure that both the obvious and beneath the surface "fits" are addressed and met by the candidates we submit.

Search for Success: The Answer

The answer lies in Hand & Associates ADVANTAGE COACHING, a component of our Search For Success Program. The process begins with blueprinting your organization to analyze, evaluate, and detect both the opportunities and stumbling blocks that lie beneath the line of sight. Through interviews and, if feasible and advantageous, surveys and assessments, we will prepare a literal blueprint identifying the elements of the position. These include:

• The structure of operational and political support for the position.

• Identification of elements that can derail the candidate from a rapid assimilation into the organization and from effectively utilizing their talents to provide leadership and address immediate opportunities and concerns.

• Expectations from the candidate’s supervisor, constituency and clients.

• The culture of the organization including identification of its norms and expectations for the candidate to be a change agent.

With the information gained from this blueprinting process our team of coaches and business executives will develop a reference document to be utilized to assure that the best-equipped individuals are presented.

How Search for Success Works

A three-step process is employed which includes:

1. BLUEPRINTING: A process that defines the position, along with the corporation’s culture and environment. The requisite political and substantive skills that the selected candidate will need to ensure a successful launch in their new position will also be catalogued.

2. BLUEPPRINT OVERVIEW: Search professionals will utilize the blueprint to aid them in their research and evaluation efforts. The search team, working in conjunction with our ADVANTAGE COACHING professionals, will design, for your staff, questions and mechanisms to ensure the proper fit, from the most apparent aspects to the hidden dynamics that can begin to sink the new hire from the first day on the job.

The result is the selection of a candidate who can interact with all of the layers of the organization, from its head through the daily interactions and surroundings that affect performance.

3. ADVANTAGE CONSULTING: The selected candidate will be provided with one of our professional coaches, along with specialist coaches when appropriate. Our coach will provide the candidate with intelligence based on our blueprint prior to their first day of work. The blueprint, rather than providing a roadmap to dictate how the candidate operates, will act as a terrain map designed to point out features that can aid or block rapid assimilation and the meeting of initial goals.

The coach will also serve as an advisor to help the candidate succeed in establishing themselves and creating a positive and effective administration of their duties and responsibilities. In addition, the coach will serve the candidate as a resource, sounding board, guide, and mentor with the ability to offer both insight and, when needed, substitutive training in management skills from coaching to delegating, etc.

Providing ongoing consultation, the coach can help the candidate successfully navigate their new ocean. This is crucial for decisions concerning political alliance and corporate diplomacy, which often shape long-term relationships and color the decision process for good or bad.

The End Result

Search for Success and ADVANTAGE COACHING will ease the transition process, speed up the learning curve, and accelerate the growth of position productivity. In essence, the candidate’s success will be most assured through navigational knowledge coupled with maximization of skills and enhancement or introduction of new managerial and interpersonal competences.

Program Duration:

The Search For Success and the ADVANTAGE COACHING programs will provide you with the best candidates for your selection process. We will provide the candidate with 3-months of coaching services. Extended services can also be secured.