Scion Executive Search: Placing Candidates for the Long-Haul

If you have ever found yourself questioning how deeply you need to research the needs of an organization you are recruiting for, the Scion Executive Search team would quickly remind you to think both in the short term and the long term. When an individual is placed who is both ideologically aligned with the mission of an organization and brings needed skill sets, an exciting possibility is opened. Here at SES, we don’t just see how quickly we can get a placement, we strive to quickly get the perfect placement – candidates who will fit both the current and future needs of the organization, meld into its culture, and compassionately help to further its mission.

The Situation

SES was retained by an incredible social services organization that helps vulnerable children and strengthens families in thirteen countries. Using a child-centric model of care, they help children grow and develop into their true potential, and they have become the model for international adoption and child welfare – finding loving homes for children regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or gender. In need of a new CFO, the organization engaged our Executive Search team, which immediately got to work looking for an ideal candidate well aligned with the organization’s specific needs.

Our Approach

Taking the time to truly understand the spoken and unspoken needs of the organization is paramount to leading executive searches. The search team strategically conducted detailed further learning conversations, conducted research, and harnessed the power of our executive network to home in on ideal candidate matches for the client organization. The team thoroughly sought out and vetted highly skilled candidates and provided data-driven status updates to the organization to ensure everyone on the hiring committee remained aligned and informed of market demands as well as search progress throughout the entire process.

Our Search Principal sent a full slate of impressive candidates to the hiring committee, and after thorough interviews, one was selected for the role. When this candidate was placed as the organization’s CFO, the incoming CFO was thrilled. This was his dream job, and he was happy to move across the country to fill the position. An MBA and CPPM, the new CFO was a seasoned executive known for successfully integrating people, processes, and technology for mission and service-driven organizations. As CFO, he was an exceptional match and spent years with the organization, reporting directly to the CEO and Board of Directors.

Over the course of our partnership, the SES team was retained to identify and place the majority of the organization’s executive leadership team.

ROI: The Long-Haul Outcome

After some time, the organization’s CEO moved on to a new stage in their life, and the organization was left with an empty hole where they needed a strong leader. In the immediate aftermath of the CEO’s departure, the CFO willingly stepped up to serve as the Interim CEO. He excelled in this role and was ultimately promoted by the Board of Directors to serve as the President & CEO of the organization.

How did this work so well, you might ask? Because SES took the time to fully know and understand the organization, its mission, and its values, our search team successfully identified a candidate that not only met the organization’s immediate needs for their CFO position but someone who meshed so well with the heart of the organization that several years down the line, they were promoted to run the organization.

The now-President & CEO is loving his new role, successfully leading the organization to achieve its goals and support both its clientele and team members on a global level.

Ready to Work with Our Team?

If your organization is in need of an expert executive search firm partner, we would be honored to help you reach your organizational goals. Reach out here to connect with our nationally-recognized search teams.