Figuring Out Fit
The term "fit" is one we use a lot because Brick House Partners focuses on fit when doing executive search work. A nice short word with a number of issues connected to figuring it out. We believe that four (4) issues matter most.

Fit with your organization – Organizational fit is not often consciously mapped out. That's why it is the longest discussion here. This fit consideration requires some inventory and articulation of what your company believes and values. Most times, the organization description in a search is "what we do". And this really doesn't help with organizational fit other than assuring you will get someone who has done what your company does. Alternatively, as an example, if your organization understands and articulates that it believes that design is highest value in a product, then a good fit might be someone who has experience in a culture similarly oriented. Candidates from best practices companies may not be found in your category. Or maybe your company culture is a very candid environment where people are comfortable challenging each other and ideas openly and continuously. Someone who has not worked in that type of culture will have significant adjustments to make. Normally, these types of issues are implicitly embedded in varying levels within the interview team. The point is to explicitly understand and agree on what you believe, articulate what you believe with candidates, vet candidates for alignment and then reflect and project them into your company. Use this technique and project candidates into different dimensions of your company. Examples would be projecting a candidate into the group they will supervise, into a peer group they must function in and influence, and into the processes and protocols they will need to be effective with.

Fit with the role – This is where most searches concentrate . . . can someone be effective in a specific job with a set of key responsibilities? The evaluation template is often a job description. Sometimes assessment testing may also play a role in understanding candidate /role fit. Key in determining role fit is understanding candidate past behavior. This is best understood through behavioral interviewing. The premise behind behavioral interviewing is that the most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in similar situations. Here's an interesting article on behavioral interviewing. http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/interviews/a/behavioral.htm

Fit with future circumstances – What's ahead for your company in terms of opportunities and issues can be very important in determining fit. If you are likely to transition to a CRM focused strategy or have to figure out how to rebound from a product recall, these are big issues where candidate circumstantial experience is high value.

Fit with clients – Client-facing roles also require some sense of what would constitute a good fit for partnership. Issues to consider include a clients personal value system, a client's work and pacing style, their view of partnership versus vendorship, what they view as highest value from your company and what areas they would like to see your company perform better in.

Here's a recent article in Ad Age we did that goes a little deeper on the fit issue: http://www.brickhousepartners.net/newsletters/news_134884.pdf

DWYSYD – An Acronym for Better Partnership
Do What You Said You'd Do has become a lost art. Or should I say value. Too bad, because it creates really strong partnerships and great affinity in relationships of all types. I've learned this the hard way in managing client relationships. In business, when someone says "I'll get it done" and they do, people notice, especially if they deliver consistently. Right now, it's tougher to DWYSYD with fewer people doing more – but more important than ever. Why? First, because executing well is essential when resources are low. There is no time or money for do-over's or extended schedules. Secondly, vendor partners are being thinned and this value stands out as the type of person/partner you want to keep on your team. You might be saying, “no duh” at this point, but I bet if you write five (5) important vendor partner names down you will do three (3) things. First, you'll probably consider key people's names when thinking about the companies; two, you'll realize that they ARE the company; three, when you ask yourself about their level of DWYSYD, you'll get a clear picture of how this value influences your view of your important vendor partners. The question for us all is: What do our clients think when our names come to mind? Our companies depend on that answer.

A Win-Win Compensation Model for Executive Search
Before I started Brick House Partners last year, I talked with a number of people about what they liked and disliked in executive search firms. Much of what I heard helped shape the positioning and approach for the business. One topic consistently mentioned was compensation, and conversations around this topic directly shaped our compensation model. What I heard was that people want a consultative, immersive relationship that rarely happens with a contingency compensation model. In this model, all the compensation happens on the back end if a candidate is placed. I also heard that many don't like a pure retained model that provides them a consultative, immersive resource. This approach allows significant or nearly full compensation through a search schedule, not necessarily accountability in delivering and closing with a final candidate. So, we developed a hybrid model we felt was a win-win called “contained”, where the fee is negotiated upfront and 1/3 is billed at the start of the search. The remaining 67% is billed at successful close with a final candidate. Clients like this approach and feel it is fair and it provides the right platform for a thorough, in-depth search focusing on fit.

Well Done
Hat's off to The Martin Agency for being creative and respectful in handling their recent layoff in a high caliber manner. Twenty four (24) employees were given severance packages and the agency is promising to pay prospective employers one half of the first month's salary, up to $4,000, for any laid-off employee hired by May. Here's the article: http://adage.com/talentworks/article?article_id=134970

In April
What's Different about Marketing and Advertising People?
Assessments (guest column)
Treating Candidates Right - The Golden Rules

Ralph A. Cutcher