Why your next CEO doesn’t need CEO experience
I’ve been fortunate enough to be recruiting senior leaders in the not-for-profit and charity sector for over 13 years now and a huge part of why I love my job is the amazing people I meet every day. But, in all the time I’ve worked alongside the sector, the question I’m asked the most is ‘How can I secure my first CEO role?’
I love this question as it allows for great creative thinking and a thorough exploration of transferable experiences and skills that people often don’t realise they have.
In a marketplace where candidates are increasingly specific about their next move, there’s a real opportunity for those seeking their first CEO challenge to shine. The days of Board members assuming their next leader will bring existing CEO experience are gone – and this makes our job all the more interesting!
What is key though is that we support both our clients and our candidates to ensure they can be as successful as possible in the post.
How you can find your next CEO
You’ve just heard that your CEO is moving on to pastures new. You were not expecting this. What you’d really like is a carbon copy of the outgoing CEO, as quickly as possible, who can pick up the reins seamlessly.
But wait! Is that really the case? Now is an opportunity to review where the organisation is currently and what’s right for the future – and what your new leader can bring to get you there. If you’re able to open up the talent pool you will increase access to ambitious and diverse candidates.
1. Review the skills needed and allow for creativity in securing them
So long as you are clear on the top skills and experience you really need (and are clear on why these are needed) you can start to think creatively. Does your CEO lead on all fundraising activity? Someone stepping up from a Development Director role will bring both hands-on and strategic fundraising skills with experience of managing very different teams often working to targets. Do you need someone who will schmooze your senior stakeholders? Those with external affairs remits will be used to building relationships with the great and the good but will also bring a brilliant understanding of programmes and campaigns.
It’s not about proven experience either; it’s about ability. If you need a new strategy next year, Directors often work closely with the CEO on organisational-wide strategy and may bring Trustee experience where they have overseen this too. If candidates don’t tick the CEO box but bring experience of managing managers and leading through complex challenges, they may be better qualified than an existing CEO who hasn’t portrayed any leadership qualities at all. We find following the pandemic that talented individuals have stepped in to manage considerable challenges and have developed their skills outside of a focus on their own department, be that strategic, financial or HR.
It’s also important to think about the bigger picture. You may worry about your current deficit or how your HR policies and procedures need overhauling and assume an existing CEO will be the safest pair of hands. But actually, what you need is someone who understands the challenges and can resource the organisation appropriately to tackle short-term challenges whilst they maintain a strategic view.
2. Making the recruitment a success
So now that you’re open to someone taking on the CEO role for the first time, how do we make sure this is a success? In simple terms, we use our experience and ensure a thoroughly inclusive recruitment process tailored to your organisation.
We target those candidates ready for a step up and explore with them the skills and experience that are transferable and relevant to the role, depending on the needs of your organisation. This is crucial to take time over; many talented leaders, especially women, Black candidates, candidates of colour and other under-represented groups, will undersell themselves but in conversation we learn that they are more than ready to make the transition to the CEO role
At the interview stage we don’t just assess what candidates have done but their ability. It could be that they’ve shown leadership in stepping in to cover another department, that they’ve got a solid governance understanding through working closely with Board members on sub-committees or that they bring strong strategic skills as a Trustee. Exploring not only their experience but their approach and learnings allows us to advise on whether the step up is feasible.
But it has to be a two-way process to ensure true success. We ensure candidates have opportunities to ask us questions as well as asking the organisation questions. Being able to speak with the Chair and senior staff ahead of a final interview allows the candidate to get under the skin of the organisation, assess the relationships they would need to build and present their leadership vision to the panel. We also provide interview preparation and advice. My key rule is: be yourself. If a candidate presents their vision they know that they’ve been selected to carry out that mandate. If not, then it wasn’t ever going to be the right match for them or for your organisation.
3. Support beyond recruitment
It doesn’t end there. We support you and the selected candidate to be successful in the role. We ensure you know and are able to support their development needs and we connect them with peers who have been through the transition and are happy to share their learnings. We can connect you with a number of mentors to support your new CEO. We also provide a valuable free guide to the ‘Chief Executive’s First 100 Days’; a usually paid for joint publication we created in collaboration with ACEVO, the organisation for civil society leaders. We receive great feedback from the guide from first time and experienced CEOs alike.
Most importantly, we stay in touch with you and the candidate because we care. We want the partnership to be as successful as possible and for your organisation to thrive under their leadership.
Are you looking to make the step into your first CEO role? Read our advice for candidates here.
Aspiring Leaders Webinar ‘How to become a CEO in the not-for-profit sector’
Tuesday 29th November, 9.30am
Are you a leader looking to make that step-up to be a first time CEO? Perhaps you’ve tried and haven’t yet successfully secured that CEO job. If so, this webinar is for you.
In our Aspiring Leaders webinar, we will be joined by three fantastic charity sector leaders who are all at different points of their leadership journey speakers will share their experiences, tips and knowledge so you can come away armed with the knowledge and tools you need to help you in your leadership career.
The webinar will be completely anonymous, giving you the chance to explore opportunities in complete confidence and you’ll be able to pose questions to the panel in advance once you have registered, as well as during the event.
Register now on the button below and we look forward to seeing you there!
