The Advocate Group’s Post

I have been splitting my time between applying for jobs (No...you don't need my social or blood type...), networking and exploring conversations with business owners as I look for my next step in this crazy market. During discussions with business owners, one of the things I am reminded by is why I love leadership and recruiting. Very few other roles would have given me the knowledge, growth and exposure - not just within industries; but also... Global COE Development Leadership Language / Mindset Workforce Planning + Talent Management Shared Services Technology integration Analytics Organizational Change and Program Management Branding and Marketing Scaled Systems + Process Development Conflict Resolution Negotiation + Sales The list goes on. There is VERY little recruiting does not impact or touch these days. Recruiting gives us a chance to work cross function, embed with teams and work with some of the best leaders in the best companies on the planet. Despite all the challenges, struggles and changes right now - I have NEVER been more energized by my time as a Leader and Talent Acquisition professional, and continue to seek out the best opportunity to align my passion; creating success for organizations, teams and communities. All of this is to say - Talent Acquisition peeps - you have WAY more skills than you may realize! #talentacquisition #leadership #business

🚀 𝗠𝘆 𝟱 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟱 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 When my most recent hire walked in to sign their contract this week, I experienced a mix of emotions—relief and anxiety. Relief because, as a Manager, navigating the hiring process can be taxing. The rigorous evaluation and decision-making involved make it a challenging journey. But also anxiety because bringing someone onto your team comes with a substantial load of responsibility towards both the candidate and the company: 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦? 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴? 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵? 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵? ... To make the hiring process as bulletproof as it can be, here are my top 5 tips: 1️⃣ 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲: Begin by shaping the role based on a clear understanding of your business challenges, maturity, and the complementary skills required to augment your existing team. 2️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 regarding the ideal candidate. I've found the Genius Sheet, introduced to me by Thomas Barta and Syl Saller CBE in their The Marketing Leadership Masterclass, invaluable for this. It emphasizes that the ideal candidate doesn't need to tick ALL the boxes but the RIGHT ones. 3️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: when you hit a crossroads, external perspectives from mentors can help you gain a fresh outlook. 4️⃣ 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗛𝗥 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲: Stay in constant exchange with the people team to be responsive and decisive. Their expertise can be instrumental in streamlining processes and ensuring a smooth hiring experience. 5️⃣ 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝟯𝟲𝟬° 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: Gain comprehensive insights about the candidates. This 5-step approach has proven effective for us: i. 𝘏𝘙 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 ii. 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘚𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘵 iii. 𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘵-𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 iv. 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘍𝘪𝘵 v. 𝘛𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 Noone can tell what the future holds. For now, I am both relieved and anxious, but more than anything thrilled about this new milestone towards building an A-team and bringing Aware to the next level 🚀 🔫 What's your silver bullet for a successful hire? Feel free to ping me for more details. #Marketing #Leadership #TeamBuilding #Hiring

Some of the hiring managers I am speaking to right now are in desperate need of new top-performing talent.. They needed them yesterday.. Their team is struggling to meet #targets and they can see things going from bad to worse. But they’re waiting for the “right time” to start #hiring again. We all know things have changed in the last few months and many businesses won’t make it through. But the ones that do are the ones who stop procrastinating. There I said it! Waiting for the “right time” is just a form of procrastination. Because there ARE companies out there hiring top talent right now. Filling their team with top performers, taking control of the situation, and taking action. The talent is out there. But some hiring managers would rather procrastinate than find them. And you know what they say about procrastination... Action today can prevent a crisis tomorrow. If you're #CEO, #ManagingDirector or #HRDirector looking for top-performing Marketing professionals, send me a DM or email me at Leopold@weareconcentric.com

CEOs often ask me, “What can a COO do for me?” My answer is pretty simple: they can do anything YOU want them to. But CEOs need to know what that is before they select their second-in-command. CEOs: Don't hire to fill a role. Define what the role is. Then hire based on exactly what you need. Reverse engineer the end result by asking yourself: "How do we double our growth in the next 12-18 months, and what type of person will get us there?"

I’ve been hiring VPs, CXOs, and executives for the last 20 years. After so long in the hiring business, there’s one thing that’s absolutely key for me to make decisions. Intuition. I trust my gut. But intuition isn’t magic. It's the result of 20 years of listening to clients' needs and goals.  Getting to know how they manage directors and VPs. Observing their leadership skills. It’s the result of 20 years of sitting in front of candidates, listening to them telling their stories. Figuring out if they are people-oriented or result-oriented. Evaluating their level of experience. Interviewing people they managed. Intuition is dynamic. It grows as you grow. It gets better over the years. If something doesn't feel right with an executive-role candidate, even though they check all the boxes, it’s not just a hunch - it’s experience. Trust your gut. #career #hiring

CEOs often ask me, “What can a COO do for me?” My answer is pretty simple: they can do anything YOU want them to. But CEOs need to know what that is before they select their second-in-command. CEOs: Don't hire to fill a role. Define what the role is. Then hire based on exactly what you need. Reverse engineer the end result by asking yourself: "How do we double our growth in the next 12-18 months, and what type of person will get us there?"

Does Your Hiring Process Start in the Right Place? Many think hiring begins with the job posting, but the truth is, it starts with management. 🧑💼👥 Great managers don’t just fill vacancies—they build teams that drive success. They know that finding the right talent goes beyond qualifications; it’s about creating an environment where employees can thrive and contribute to the company’s vision. When leadership sets the tone, they attract and retain top talent, ensuring every new hire is a perfect fit for both the role and the team. Strong management is the foundation of a successful hiring process. What steps are you taking to strengthen your management approach? #Leadership #Hiring #Management #WorkCulture

What was hard for you this year? When leaders reflect on the biggest 'mistakes' they've made, it's usually about... 1) working with people, 2) hiring people, or 3) firing people, It's not about strategy, hard skills, or execution. #management #hiring #termination #teamwork

Feeling overwhelmed with hiring decisions? Join us for an insightful webinar where we'll discuss strategies to overcome hiring challenges and make the right choices for your team. Learn from industry experts and gain valuable insights to streamline your hiring process. Don't miss this opportunity to take your hiring game to the next level! See you there! 🚀 #HiringStrategies #Webinar