Background
The CEO of a technology-driven, market-leading global aerospace and defense solutions provider contacted Dinte to assist in their search for executive talent to support new strategic initiatives across company operations. Previously introduced to Dinte as a candidate during an executive search process at another firm, the CEO quickly partnered with and continued to employ their services across an extensive career in the aerospace industry. His current company maintains a partnership with Dinte that extends over ten years, with Dinte completing more than 50 search assignments for them within the last five years, including numerous C-suite positions. Ever vigilant to uphold their mission of delivering ground-breaking mission-critical solutions that increase operational effectiveness in aerospace operations, the publicly-traded company turned to Dinte to help find the executive talent that would power the next generation of their corporate strategy.
The Problem
The client’s specific desire for an executive search partner arose from the need for candidates that could comprehensively meet the unique expectations of their positions. Successful candidates would need to align with and empower shifting corporate strategic initiatives immediately. Potential executives should not only execute their strategy at the corporate level but integrate it into the day-to-day operations they oversee. Striking a balance between high-level business acumen and a hands-on approach to management would be essential to meet the company’s unique needs at the time of assignment. Furthermore, the client required Dinte’s assistance in identifying gaps in capability within their current leadership to develop parameters for candidate selection on the fly. Successful candidates should have the correct mindset and skillset to fill gaps in capability while also displaying innovative thinking that could meet the company’s future needs as its strategy and operations continue to evolve. In addition to prospective employees’ experience and capabilities-related expectations, the client also identified cultural fit as a determinative factor. Not only should candidates be able to fit with the current company culture, but actively improve it through growth and expansion.
The Approach
To develop parameters for successful client selection, Dinte conducted a gap analysis to create an optimal candidate profile that exemplified the skills, experience, and mindset that would prove critical to the company’s strategic success now and in the future. Three crucial elements of Dinte’s approach supported successful placement: industry expertise, comprehensive candidate assessment, and cultural understanding.
Dinte’s experience in the aerospace and defense industry allowed them to draw critical insights into what qualities a successful candidate should exemplify. During the gap analysis process, Dinte quickly identified mission-critical areas in the company’s operations that new candidates would need to support. Leveraging their aerospace knowledge and company insights, Dinte quickly recognized where to look for talent in the industry, enabling a highly-efficient external search process.
“Dinte sees things that other executive search firms overlook; they understand what a winning formula candidate looks like, and they know where to find the right people.”
– Global Aerospace and Defense Chief Executive Officer
Dinte provided the client with comprehensive reporting about all candidates presented for corporate review during the internal assessment process. From exhaustive personnel reports to emotional intelligence tests catered to the company’s desired qualities, Dinte afforded the client hiring team every opportunity to gain additional insights into how each prospective candidate would perform in the company.
“When you read a profile they put together, you get a real understanding of who that person is.”
At every stage of the search process, Dinte staff emphasized building personal relationships with employees across the client’s organization to better understand the culture they want to cultivate. A long-term perspective and more profound understanding enabled Dinte to produce insights about prospective candidates on a personal level, narrowing their search to people they knew would thrive in their client’s company culture.
Delivered Outcomes
With Dinte at their side, the client was able to practice a truly holistic evaluation process. The assurance that every candidate Dinte put in front of them had the necessary capabilities and experience allowed the hiring team to evaluate focused mission-critical qualities like cultural fit and alignment with future strategic goals. By partnering with Dinte, the client placed an entirely new C-Suite of executives who delivered significant company success support.
“In placing the full C-Suite, we began steps that would expand our global leadership presence in the US, Europe, Australia, and Asia. They were an integral part of our strategy going forward.”
The personal business expertise that several executives held would prove immediately beneficial to company operations.
“The CFO that Dinte placed was incredibly financially savvy. He quickly stepped forward to identify excessive charges in our external auditing, getting money out and saving us millions of dollars on his second day.”
– Global Aerospace and Defense Chief Executive Officer
“Our CHRO immediately took steps to improve our sense of culture and external perception with a series of campaigns to drive a profound sense of belonging among employees.”
In the three years since concluding the search process, the chosen candidates have already had significant positive impacts on the company’s daily operations, global presence, and overarching strategy.