Chief HR Officer (CHRO) Search
Client Needs – A highly respected, long-time CHRO was retiring from an Idaho-based engineering firm with over 45 offices and over 3,000 employees spanning across the U.S. and Canada. The firm was seeking a true visionary to lead the HR function and serve as a key member of the executive team, implementing a strong “People Strategy” to align the business with the future workforce.
The client’s goal was to find a candidate who:
- Has knowledge of their industry, and
- Has experience working for large firms undergoing explosive growth, and
- Could embrace and promote their unique culture.
HR Advisors Group was selected due to its long-standing relationship with the client and as a trusted resource in HR matters for the firm, as well as its extensive experience in the engineering and architecture industry. HR Advisors Group’s relationships with leaders in this industry allowed us to leverage these connections to network and source experienced and relevant talent.
HR Advisors Group’s Solution – Our process was two-fold: 1) assessment of the firm and culture, and; 2) identify and evaluate candidates.
Assessment of Firm and Culture
Our consultants for talent acquisition and senior leadership searches assessed the role of the current CHRO, as well as the firm’s vision for the CHRO position in the future. Our team held one-on-one interviews with key leaders, including the current CHRO and HR management, and focus groups were conducted with other key staff to consider all perspectives of how HR currently functions; how the role should be defined moving forward; the key priorities, challenges, and opportunities for the new CHRO; and the desired candidate competencies, skill sets and attributes.
Our team also considered the internal dynamics of the client’s robust HR team of over 30 employees. The CHRO transition would have a significant impact on them, so a survey was conducted of the entire HR team so they could provide their feedback on the future CHRO as well.
Identification and Evaluation of Candidates
Potential sourcing strategies were discussed with the firm’s leadership, including target firms and geographies, candidate profiles, culture fit, desired compensation and other key areas, as well as external trends and best practices in recruiting and candidate management, so that the client’s practices and interactions were viewed by candidates as timely, respectful, and positive. Our team worked with the client to identify any internal candidates or employee referrals, who received equitable consideration, and partnered with the client’s HR team to advertise and receive resumes and applications through the firm’s applicant tracking system.
Candidates were thoroughly vetted by HR Advisors Group and a slate of candidates was recommended to the client to interview. HR Advisors developed a systematic set of interview questions for each round of interviews in order to objectively evaluate all identified skill sets and competencies. Prior to the candidates’ interviews with the client, our consultants met with the interview leads for each of the firm’s interview teams to share best practices, so they felt prepared and confident in conducting the interviews. Our team also served as the liaison between the client and the candidate, communicating information between both parties as needed.
A final candidate was identified who had all the qualities, competencies, and experience the client desired for this critical strategic position. The candidate was the client’s top candidate within both leadership and HR teams. HR Advisors Group provided guidance on the offer terms and, after some negotiation, the candidate was hired by the firm and has since made great strides in pioneering the firm’s HR strategy.
Key Activities and Learning Objectives for this Initiative included:
- Obtain feedback from key leaders and HR management and staff through one-on-one interviews, focus groups, and a survey; present findings and analysis in a comprehensive report
- Conduct a compensation study utilizing multiple current and industry-specific surveys to provide an accurate salary range for a CHRO in multiple markets
- Develop job description
- Define a thorough process for the search from initial candidate engagement through offer acceptance included:
- Sourcing and engagement of passive and active candidates
- Developing behavioral, competency-based interview questions; conducting multiple rounds of in-depth interviews with candidates
- Creating comprehensive candidate summaries for client review
- Advising all interview teams on interview best practices, time management, and consistent candidate evaluation
- Serving as liaison between candidate and the client
- Maintaining communication with the candidates and client throughout the process to ensure transparency and alignment
The client felt that HR Advisors Group provided a solid approach to find them a new leader and at the same time provided invaluable support to keep the firm’s HR team running smoothly while carrying out a successful search. This experience helped the client to confirm the value that a C-level HR officer added to their organization.