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Finding the Perfect Leader

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James Lenz Photo
Professional Development Manager
CUES

1 minute

The CUES Podcast Episode 32 shownotes

“Recruiting leadership talent is one of the greatest challenges that organizations face,” says Tony Kirschner, partner at CUES strategic partner Davies Park Executive Search, which has offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Toronto, in episode 32 of the CUES Podcast.

“At the C level or V level, these are really important hires,” he says. “It’s all about fit, alignment with the culture and mission of the credit union.”

And it’s time consuming. Anyone who’s ever hired someone knows it takes a lot of time to go through resumes and then interviews.

“At the senior level, everybody tends to be charismatic and confident and be polished and professional … so you’re often coming down to a situation where you’re choosing between several very qualified individuals. But how do you know which one is the right one?” he asks. That’s where an executive search firm comes in. The firm knows, he explains, by spending the time up front getting to the know the credit union and its culture.

Davies Park utilizes a unique process to find the perfect “FIT” for an executive vacancy, where:

  • F represents Front end prep,
  • I represents Identifying excellent candidates, and
  • T represents Thorough screening and assessment.

Some key takeaways from my interview with Tony include…

  1. a distinction between contingent and retained search firms;
  2. the advantages and disadvantages of using an executive search firm;
  3. the advantages and disadvantages of using an internal recruiter and online postings; and
  4. what executive search firms do besides finding candidates.

Listen to my interview with Tony.

The CUES podcast is an audio program hosted by James Lenz, CUES professional development manager. James talks to credit union and cross-industry experts for their perspectives on trends and topics that matter to you.

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