Category: executive search

Each assignment begins with an initial briefing from the client during which the key parameters of the search are agreed and documented. The consultant then carry out an assignment study which usually involves visiting the client’s offices and meeting with the key executives to discuss the business environment, culture, priorities and any other issue that may affect the position.

We then draft and submit a position and candidate specification for the client to approve. The document describes in detail the company, the role, responsibilities, goals and key challenges of the position. It also summarizes the experience, qualifications and competencies required for success.

These key competencies (a unique combination of proven skills, knowledge, abilities and attitudes) form the basis of our assessment of potential candidates throughout the search process.

Having defined the key selection criteria with the client, we continue our target research into companies and sectors to find those best qualified for the role. Using our proprietary database and personal contacts we speak to sources familiar with those companies and industries to seek informal views and opinions on individuals we believe may be relevant and qualified.

On the basis of our research, we approach potential candidates on an informed basis. Once we determine that the individual is both qualified and interested in the role, we meet in person for further evaluation.

Before presenting the candidate to the client, we conduct a rigorous competency-based interview. Each candidate is assessed and validated against the position specification and a report and recommendation are prepared for the client with our assessment of each candidate’s fit against the specification.

We continue to seek informal external views on each candidate before introducing him/her to the client, in order to confirm and enhance our knowledge of the candidate’s achievements and track record. We also verify each candidate’s academic qualifications.

After the client has elected the preferred candidate, we conduct thorough referencing to further measure and assess competencies, strengths and weaknesses, and to provide our clients with external views of the individual.

When an offer is made to the candidate, we are available to participate in any negotiations. Unsuccessful candidates are promptly and courteously informed.

Each assignment begins with an initial briefing from the client during which the key parameters of the search are agreed and documented. The consultant then carry out an assignment study which usually involves visiting the client’s offices and meeting with the key executives to discuss the business environment, culture, priorities and any other issue that may affect the position.

We then draft and submit a position and candidate specification for the client to approve. The document describes in detail the company, the role, responsibilities, goals and key challenges of the position. It also summarizes the experience, qualifications and competencies required for success.

These key competencies (a unique combination of proven skills, knowledge, abilities and attitudes) form the basis of our assessment of potential candidates throughout the search process.

Having defined the key selection criteria with the client, we continue our target research into companies and sectors to find those best qualified for the role. Using our proprietary database and personal contacts we speak to sources familiar with those companies and industries to seek informal views and opinions on individuals we believe may be relevant and qualified.

On the basis of our research, we approach potential candidates on an informed basis. Once we determine that the individual is both qualified and interested in the role, we meet in person for further evaluation.

Before presenting the candidate to the client, we conduct a rigorous competency-based interview. Each candidate is assessed and validated against the position specification and a report and recommendation are prepared for the client with our assessment of each candidate’s fit against the specification.

We continue to seek informal external views on each candidate before introducing him/her to the client, in order to confirm and enhance our knowledge of the candidate’s achievements and track record. We also verify each candidate’s academic qualifications.

After the client has elected the preferred candidate, we conduct thorough referencing to further measure and assess competencies, strengths and weaknesses, and to provide our clients with external views of the individual.

When an offer is made to the candidate, we are available to participate in any negotiations. Unsuccessful candidates are promptly and courteously informed.

Evaluating a candidate for a senior-level position is a daunting task. Indeed judging different individuals on such a multifaceted and nuanced capability as leadership is, at best, an imperfect process. That said; we have found that the best way to assess a person’s capacity to lead is through a group evaluation that includes the individual’s manager and people senior to him who have worked with him directly. The leader of the discussion probes the candidate’s characteristics and behavior by asking the group a set of questions covering a wide range of criteria. The following represents just a small sample of questions one might ask of a particular candidate.

Describe the candidate’s (he/she) integrity:

While corporate boards and CEOs recognize succession planning as one of their fundamental responsibilities, it is not always given the priority that it deserves. Adopting a clear, comprehensive and objective succession planning process is more than just a mark of good governance – it is critical for the healthy performance and sustainability of any organization, and for investor confidence in the case of public companies.

Before making any decision about leadership succession, a company’s management, together with the board, must articulate a clear strategic vision for the future of the business. It is vital that potential successors – whether for CEO or other senior functional roles – re-equipped to lead the business as it will look in the future, not as it stands as present.

Arthur Nordlie Executive Search has experience advising organizations and helping them prepare for a range of scenarios, from long-term controlled succession to emergency succession.

Our experience with best practices, our market knowledge and widespread access to leadership talent combine to make us valuable partner for boards, chief executives and HR leaders committed to CEO succession planning.

Arthur Nordlie Executive Search works with clients across almost all aspects of the succession planning process including:

The demands on board have never been greater. Arthur Nordlie AS works with boards, board chairs and nominating committees to help them build and sustain boards with the competencies and qualities needed in today’s complex business environment.

Over the last twenty years, the bar for board performance has been continually raised. Two broad factors have been responsible. First and most obvious is a heightened appreciation of the benefits of good governance in terms of oversight, compliance and risk mitigation. Second, the globalization of business and the erosion of traditional industry silos are causing boards to seek a broader range of perspectives and experiences to help them provide the best possible counsel to the CEO. Director recruitment is central to both these requirements.

Maintaining a board as a fully strategic asset, however, is an ongoing matter. A thorough director onboarding process provides the foundation for director performance. A rigorous director evaluation program ensures a common boardroom culture and a set of standards.

To help board achieve their maximum level of performance, Arthur Nordlie AS provides the following: