How do you ensure that your newly hired director is successful in the position?

The contract has been signed, but how do you best prepare your new director for stepping into the position and achieving success? Is there anything happening now while we wait for him/her to enter through the door?

Even though we present candidates to the recruiting company and have a dialogue about expectations for the first period in the position, and the candidate has talked about their motivation for the job, references have been checked, etc., there will still be a need to go deeper into the dialogue.

Already from the period when the contract is signed, there is ample opportunity to ensure a good start. This can be done by involving the new director in daily work and decision-making, so that time is used as efficiently as possible. Give space for the director to ask questions that were not discussed during the search process, and make sure to elaborate on what was discussed during the process regarding strategy, goals, culture, or other aspects.

When the first day of work finally arrives, most people have the basics covered such as a workspace and welcoming with a bouquet of flowers - but what does the process look like after that? Is there a planned internal introduction plan that goes beyond just saying hello, and instead provides the necessary insight for the candidate to get off to a good start?

How else can you ensure that the new leader succeeds in their role?

When we at Unique Human Capital solve tasks for our clients, personality and cognitive tests are always a part of the search process, as they allow us to give the candidate and the client in-depth feedback along the way, which contributes to the decision-making and overall picture of the candidate.

Personality and cognitive tests provide valuable information about how your future dialogue can take place with the new director. What do you need to do in order for the director to thrive in their role and perform as they should? Sit down and talk about the test results, and what the test shows about the candidate. Does he/she have difficulty making decisions without a factual basis? Is he/she more focused on the process than the result? Or does he/she prefer to see the big picture rather than details? And as a follow-up, how can you, as the one hiring the director, support the new director's success?

Since the test results vary from person to person, you can benefit from leading individually. The saying "to treat everyone equally, you must treat them differently" also applies when it comes to the new director's success. Therefore, start with the individual's competencies, experience, and most importantly, their personality. What does your new leader need in order to succeed in their position? What creates the desired progress for the company? What motivates the director? Some are motivated by freedom, others by progress, and others by the responsibility they have been given. How can you pave the way for the new director to perform as desired? What does the test say about where you need to pay attention and help - for example, with decision-making? Many may think, "but I have hired an educated leader because of their experience and competencies," but the close dialogue makes a difference in many respects. This is what we experience when we follow up on the process in the first months after the hiring. The foundation for long-term success lies in the close dialogue.

What is required is presence, time, listening, aligning expectations, flexibility, showing the way, sparring, understanding, open and honest feedback, measurable goals, and continuously following up with further dialogue and sparring, or whatever is deemed necessary.

As the one hiring the director, are you paving the way for them to succeed in their role? Are you supporting them through close dialogue and helping to remove obstacles along the way? Then you are well on your way and have a greater chance of success with the joint project.

Written by Director, Hanne Bjerregaard, Unique Human Capital.

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