Recruiting the best executive team in the defense sector is a challenge in the best of times. Experienced C-suite candidates with the vision to execute on a successful growth strategy are in high demand. Unfortunately, company leaders often don’t have the best approach for identifying their weaknesses and finding the right team members to take them into the new frontier, where technology and innovation are driving success in the market.
Think of a sports team who needs to make wholesale changes to its lineup if it wants to be competitive in the future. “Moneyball,” the movie—based on a book by author Michael Lewis—about the success that the Oakland Athletics baseball team had after their General Manager employed an innovative and technology-based approach to analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of players, had the right idea.
Rather than looking narrowly at individual players, the team took a holistic approach of talent mapping, identifying the skill sets that were needed across all positions, recognizing where they are the weakest, and recruiting new team players with the right skills to fill those roles.
Like executives in the sports world, corporate leaders need to understand not just their current weaknesses, but also what is going to be needed to meet their future goals. It often may not be a single hire that will make the difference, but a range of talent across the C-suite that builds an organization that can compete in today’s defense industry. To succeed in this ever-evolving market, organizations must be equipped with the right talent – not only to meet the current demands of the business but to help accomplish their long-term objectives as well.
However, all too often, companies are ill-prepared to make the right changes. This is especially apparent when a key executive unexpectedly retires or is lured away by a competitor organization. Instead of hurriedly racing to fill that open position, the leadership team should consider taking the opportunity to evaluate its overall strength and weaknesses, and recruiting to fill those gaps. While typical executive search addresses the more immediate human capital needs of a business, talent assessments allow organizations to take an informed, proactive approach to their human capital and talent acquisition strategies. Only through a comprehensive review of how its executive team matches up to current and future needs can an organization be truly prepared for this new frontier.
And of course, having the right executive search team partner can help an organization to analyze its needs and identify the best candidates for success.