The Challenge
The board with whom we were working were keen to engage someone from the private sector for the role of CEO. The compensation package on offer was about 40% less than what a typical senior executive in the private sector would expect to earn, which presented a real challenge.
Ardlinn’s Approach
We decided that on this occasion, press advertising might assist us to position and sell the CEO role more effectively alongside the search process. The messaging we created was about rethinking your career: leaving the private sector and joining an organisation where you could espouse real and meaningful social change, tackling difficult global issues around inequality and justice. This campaign attracted a number of strong candidates, in addition to those who had been identified and engaged through our research strategy.
The Result
We interviewed 18 candidates in total, 5 of whom were short-listed for the board to consider. All 5 candidates were interviewed by the board, who were deeply impressed by the calibre of the talent presented. They offered the position to their first choice, who accepted immediately. The whole process took 8 weeks from inception to completion.