When companies are interviewing executive candidates, hiring managers look for many particular skills and qualities before selecting a new hire. Some executive qualities, however, seem to be overlooked and undervalued. Here’s a list of four important qualities that are often overlooked during the process of executive recruitment.
Passion
People tend to be more successful in roles about which they’re passionate. If people like what they do, it will make a job more than just a job, and achievement will follow. We at Lantern Partners are always working with our clients to strive for success, and a candidate that displays a good deal of passion can bring that to a new team and put both themselves and their co-workers on the path toward achievement.
It’s important to pay careful attention to the intensity of candidates’ passions and where they lie because, for the most part, it seems to be an innate quality in people and is not necessarily transferrable from one company or position to another.
Work Ethic
Work ethic isn’t necessarily so much about working hard as it is about working smart. It’s all about how executives use their time, and it’s all about a candidate being a right match for a company. A strong work ethic doesn’t always mean working 70 hours a week. More often, it means having a good work/life balance and being ready to put in the effort when on the clock. A smart work ethic is also about the ability to set goals, prioritize, stay on task, and adjust to any ebbs and flows in work loads throughout the year, as quarterly changes and big deadlines approach and pass.
Intelligence
Lantern Partners’ management assessment tests and in-depth referencing go beyond interview skills and tap into the intelligence of the candidate. It’s important to focus in on intelligence — thinking on feet quickly, decision making, and so forth — rather than just how candidates look on paper.
Drive For Self-Improvement
Strong executive candidates should have a drive to learn new skills and better themselves. This can happen on the job or through other means, such as night school. Because much is revealed through interview responses, asking pertinent questions and talking candidates through each step in their career can help interviewers learn about the candidate’s drive. Assessing candidates’ drives is essential to choosing the right fit for a position, as it can result in a significant amount of added value from a new hire.
