A look back at the key findings of the Chief People Officers dinner organized by Sonnar, which brought together HR managers from companies such as Pigment, Alan, Welcome To The Jungle, MyTraffic, SmartBox, Homa Games, Open Classrooms, Vestiaire Collective ...
Recruiting an executive is one of the most strategic decisions a company can make, whether it's in the scale-up phase or already well-established. Yet this process is often complex and time-consuming, requiring coordinated efforts between co-founders, recruiting team and business teams. How long does it take to recruit a manager, how can we assess him or her, particularly in terms of cultural fit, and how can we involve managers and the COMEX more effectively in the process?
Expert speakers :
- Matthieu Birach, Chief People Officer @Doctolib
- Grace McKelvey, Head of People @Dioxycle, ex-Botify & ENGIE
- Stella Walter, VP People @Alven, ex-Luko, Eutopia & Showroomprive
1. Process duration: an unavoidable investment
Recruiting an executive can take anywhere from six months to a year, or even longer, depending on the complexity of the role and the market. While these times may seem long, they are necessary to ensure that the right candidate is selected. Particularly in niche sectors where skills are in short supply, such as deeptech, it is sometimes preferable to leave a position vacant rather than recruit the wrong person.
Longer processes also enable better mutual evaluation. For strategic roles, it's essential to plan several structured stages, including a case and a fit interview, involving a number of stakeholders. This gives the candidate the opportunity to discover the company, to truly project him/herself into it (or not), while enabling the organization to assess the fit on technical, managerial and cultural competencies.
At the other extreme, some companies, like Free, prefer short processes: "We don't share the idea that we can predict a manager's performance through a recruitment process. We put them directly to the test after a short process, but internally, everyone is used to the fact that a manager can be replaced after 2 to 3 months, or even a week, if he or she doesn't perform. And that's OK."
2. Management involvement: an essential prerequisite
One of the major challenges in executive recruitment is to involve managers and COMEX members throughout the process. Many underestimate the importance of the preparation phase, and limit themselves to brief briefs. Spending time on this initial stage helps to clarify requirements and avoid costly mistakes later on.
Offering a visualization of the first few weeks of collaboration also helps to better align the expectations of the different parties.As one recruiter pointed out, "It's especially during the preparation phase that it's hard to get time from managers, because they often say, 'I sent you a Slack with four bullet points, you can go.'"
What's more, the use of scorecards to document each assessment stage guarantees an objective and structured approach. However, it can be difficult for recruiters to get interviewers to fill in these scorecards: "People think that saying 'she was top, good fit' is enough. But no, you have to fill in every aspect of the scorecard." To achieve this, it's essential to have the intentionality of the CEO, or an authority figure such as a specialist firm, able to set the pace with its in-depth market expertise. Other levers may include blocking processes until assessments are completed, or integrating recruitment into managers' individual objectives, or even into their variable remuneration.
3. Assessing cultural fit: a balance between objectivity and subjectivity
Cultural fit is often a determining factor in the success or failure of executive recruitment, sometimes even more so than technical skills. Yet it is frequently misinterpreted.
To objectify this notion, some companies structure the assessment by listing expected behaviors and key values: "You absolutely have to rationalize the cultural fit; you can't just say: 'I wouldn't like to have a beer with that person'."
Total transparency at the end of the process can also reinforce trust, for example through more informal exchanges to test the candidate's sincere reactions. At Doctolib, for example: "At the end of the process, when everything has been validated, we have an honest and open conversation with the candidate. We explain: here are our weaknesses, here are our strengths, and here is what you need to know about us."
Presenting the company as it is, without overselling, the manager's character and future challenges, helps to validate a real compatibility before hiring. This type of "adult discussion" helps to assess whether the candidate is truly aligned with the company's realities and challenges.
4. Balancing structure and flexibility
While structured processes are essential, leaving room for the informal can offer valuable insights. Natural exchanges, such as lunches or walking meetings, allow us to assess a candidate's human qualities in a more relaxed setting. One participant noted, "A recruitment process for a C-level where everyone is aligned and there are no challenges or doubts, that scares me."
These informal moments are particularly useful for understanding how the candidate spontaneously interacts with teams and stakeholders. They complement the more formal stages of recruitment by offering a more nuanced perspective.
As Cyrille Lafont de Sonnar adds: "It also depends on the maturity of the company. Young entrepreneurs often seek to reassure themselves with structured methods and don't leave much room for informality. Fit is sometimes misunderstood - they think it has to be entirely objective. But more experienced entrepreneurs spend more time on fit, because they've learned from their mistakes.
5. Clarify needs
Recruiters play a key role in distinguishing between what the manager thinks he wants and what he really needs. As one participant explained: "There's what the manager thinks they want and what they really want. Often there's a slight mismatch, and it's the recruiter's role to understand their working style and preferences."
This ability is honed with experience and mutual trust, enabling us to eliminate grey areas, particularly the "objectifiable" aspects of the fit for each candidate. In-depth knowledge of the CEO is also essential: "As recruiters, our knowledge of the CEO is key for C-level hires."
However, beware, because as one participant points out, "The more you want to finalize a recruitment, the more likely you are to make mistakes."
6. The importance of onboarding
Onboarding is as crucial as the recruitment process itself. Even after a long and rigorous process, it is often during this period that a manager's compatibility with the company is really put to the test. As one participant put it, "The best assessment is onboarding: will the executive be able to integrate on his own, especially in a company with a strong culture?"
In some environments, onboarding is even seen as a probationary period, with the flexibility to adjust if necessary.
In conclusion
Recruiting an executive takes time, patience and close collaboration. The companies that succeed in these strategic hires are those that balance structure and flexibility, formal and informal moments, while ensuring cultural alignment - a key factor in recruiting at this level. As one participant summed up: "An interview is just one point of view, one data point among many. Recruitment is about co-construction."