5 skills in high demand for executive hires

If 2020 was the year of adapting to remote work, 2021 is the year of a shift in the landscape of global recruitment. 

Naturally, hiring for leadership and executive roles places immense pressure on companies and their owners – as it’s not just about finding someone to plug a gap, but someone to lead the business into a new phase of growth.

So with the effects of the pandemic, it is more crucial time than ever for these executive hires to be leaders – those able to listen and be listened to, collaborate successfully and steer the ship in the right direction.

With all of this in mind, below are some qualities we think all business owners will be looking for when making their next executive marketing hire.

They’re willing to learn

In an ideal world for businesses, all new hires would hit the ground running, so the capacity to learn is critical. For some roles that we work on, for example those in advertising space, the learning doesn’t end at just getting to know the company you are working for – it also extends to the accounts you’ll be working on and the stakeholders you’ll manage.

Past experience with embracing new technologies, and asking intelligent questions in the interview around the capabilities to develop on the job should be a way to identify candidates with these skills.

If a candidate can portray their commitment to career growth and willingness to learn despite the seniority they are at, this should be seen as a big positive for potential new hire.

They’re specialists in something

In a post pandemic world, leaders and executives who deliver on the modern goals of businesses like the improving the customer journey, enhancing the company culture, integrating new technologies and optimising team performance will be in high demand.

The pandemic is a great opportunity for potential candidates to showcase these skills, as leaders with these skills will have led businesses through the ups and downs and should have examples of how their specialisms helped their stay afloat, and in some cases, thrive.

They’re resourceful

The marketing world is fast paced, and it feels like new technologies and platforms are developed on a weekly basis that can help businesses expand their reach, sales and ultimately growth.

With more employees now working more remotely than ever, resourcefulness is an important quality – and leaders will need to figure a lot of things out on their own.

In many cases, there isn’t a set of processes in place for utilising new tools and integrating them into a day-to-day life, so having the capabilities to use initiative and be resourceful with their time is an important quality.

Candidates that possess this skill should be full of examples with how they and their team have adapted to the ever-changing landscape of the marketing or advertising world during the pandemic - and how they’ve integrated new platforms into businesses practices with solid results.

They’re Multigenerational

When reflecting on 2020, one of the lessons we’ve all learnt is the importance and value of clear and concise communication – a lesson which feels more relevant than ever with the newest covid outbreaks in Sydney.

Different people lead teams in different ways, but it’s true to say that many employees felt frustrated by their organisations leadership and how they failed to motivate the team during difficult times for whatever reason over the past 18 months.

A leader that can communicate strongly, as well as embrace technology and understand the value of multigenerational colleagues and customers will continue to be highly sought after in the next few months and beyond for this reason.

These candidates will have a track record of nourishing and utilizing people’s strengths, introducing new tools to make it easier for the team to work and examples of how they led with empathy during the pandemic.

Ultimately, businesses will be seeking out someone who not only demonstrates "teamwork" but also possesses the EQ to have every team member moving in the same direction.

They are driven by data

As well as communication skills being crucial, the ability to utilise data and make analytical decisions is another prized skill in demand for leaders of forward thinking companies. A senior candidate that understands metrics and data, and makes decisions based on facts not instinct is an important asset for businesses that are working towards restoring growth after the pandemic.

These candidates should be able to show examples of how they used data to plan, communicate and execute strategies whether team or consumer based, and show results to back up their decisions.

Just as the pandemic forced businesses to pivot and make decisions for precautionary measures, the aim for businesses now is to structure plans to regain some form of normality and continue to grow.

When making an executive hire, these organisations will be looking for candidates which these skills to hit the ground running and help meet the business objectives – and the rest of 2021 should be seen as a critical time for maximising the potential of a return to business as usual when this is all behind us post-pandemic.

If you or your business is considering it’s next senior hire, feel free to reach out to us for support and guidance on finding a candidate with all of these skills.

This article was inspired by a piece in INC magazine & Forbes.