We’re always excited to hear the top minds in tech talk about their hiring processes. The race for talent is incredibly competitive, and the need to locate and secure the best executive leadership is crucial to any firm or company’s process. That’s why we’re excited that the Andreessen Horowitz podcast has been placing its focus on recruiting lately.
They also have some very sound advice for companies looking to engage in an executive search. Unsurprisingly, their process for selecting a top executive leader is longer and much more careful than it would be for a lower-level employee. It also includes what they call “free work”—though that name is more than a bit misleading.
Executive candidates at Andreessen Horowitz are asked to provide 100-day plans—outlines of what they intend to accomplish at the company within the first three months of their tenure̵—and to attend staff meetings to see how well they contribute to the team. This isn’t exactly “free work;” they’re not putting in months at the company without a paycheck, after all. Instead, it’s a screening process that allows existing leadership to see how well the candidate will mesh with the team.
Culture fit is the single most important determining factor in any executive’s success or failure. Evaluating a candidate on réumé alone can lead to hiring the right person for the wrong job—great people can and do fail in positions where they are fundamentally incompatible with the surrounding company. Executive search firms, if they’re committed to helping their clients, will always work to implement and teach strong screening processes to assure culture fit.
Now it seems that top companies, including Andreessen Horowitz, are beginning to understand their value as well. The art of recruiting is taking hold across the world of tech—leaving room for more top executives to find their ideal roles, and building a stronger future.
Image Credit: CC by Alan Cleaver
