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Tier 1 Candidates and their career planning

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Martin Crapper.

DIRECTOR

30/01/2017

 Tier 1 Candidates and their career planning

For a talented executive candidate (what we here at Redline refer to as a Tier 1) or a business looking to hire one, a common feature is Tier 1 candidates characteristically make things happen.

Tier 1 candidates will either place themselves in environments which will allow them to put their talents to work – and, in turn, acquire the rewards – or will leave to join a new company where their impact will be incorporated into growth and success.

To the Business seeking a Tier 1

You need to articulate how your opportunity is going to accelerate that candidate’s career. This might mean giving the candidate better prominence that leads to collaboration on even more significant initiatives. It may also mean outlining an obvious stepping-stone to three or four future opportunities, each with relative desirability. Or it might render a true pay-for-performance incentive should the new hire exceed previous incumbents’ results.

If your business is going to land the highest-calibre talent in the market, then you’re going to need to validate top-tier thinking. You will need to be better  and more impressive in the way you’re approaching your hiring plans and interviews, the courting process, the all-encompassing communications, the offer letter  and then most importantly the on-boarding, basically, up the whole game.

A Tier 1 will evaluate you and your team and everything about the hiring process at your company – and will ask themselves if they really see a company which provides opportunity and development. None, even the best among us, can achieve greatness alone – which means that Tier 1 candidates will not trust your value proposition if they perceive a lack of strategic thought during the process.

So what do you do? Be certain you can lay out a clear strategy and trajectory for the new hire before you endeavour to recruit. e.g A Regional Sales Director may wish to understand how he gets the Global Sales Director job in the future.  

To the Tier 1 Candidate

It’s prudent to remember that most of the corporate world does not comprise of fellow Tier 1 candidates. This means that you will have to be skillful in working and aligning with many Tier 2 or even Tier 3 players.

As you evaluate potential new employers, you may need to embrace the fact that joining a turnaround or struggling venture could provide an incredible opportunity to paint a masterpiece in what is an artistic wasteland. 

My recommendation is to explore how much freedom you will be given to effect change, and how much you will be able to control risk, as you do not want to find yourself without the buy-in for that change.

Try to get a sense of whether this potential new company has ever hired anyone approaching your capability in the past, and where or how that candidate progressed in the company. One will assume that you have aligned yourself to a trusted Head Hunter (if not then drop me a line!) as they should be able to help you with this information.

It’s less important that the business has never really hired someone of your calibre in the past and more important that its leaders are truly ready for the horsepower that you will provide them. In other words, they better have the desire and willingness to change – and the faith in you to follow your expertise.

If you regard yourself as a Tier 1 Candidate or if you are a company looking to acquire Tier 1 candidates then please call to discuss in greater detail on 01582 450054. Alternatively you can send me an email at info@RedlineExecutive.com.

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