Culture Fit in C-Level Hires: How To Get It Right

The most important decision that a construction company makes is in the selection of a leader. The key to making a smart, C-level hire is making sure you get the "culture fit" right.

Over the past two decades, a makeover has been underway in the world of C-level and executive-level hires. Pre-Great Recession, construction company bosses were looking for specific qualifications. But, fast forward to today, and a whole new ball game is underway. Now, it's not just about ticking boxes, but a proactive approach to ensure the best fit for the company culture. From wining and dining in social situations, to psychometric testing and cultural onboarding, hiring authorities and owners are going above and beyond to ensure that C-level candidates are given all the tools to succeed.

What Makes a Top Notch CEO?

  • A leader who has a strong ego but can check it at the door and possesses “survival skills” required to meet deadlines, grow profitably, and maintain a healthy backlog provides opportunities for employees and ROI to the owners.

  • Skilled in leading BD, Preconstruction, and Operations teams to work in a collaborative fashion.

  • A creative strategist who generates results, highly skilled at selling the mission of the company to employees, trade partners, and owners. The CEO needs to be the best salesperson in the company!

  • Prior experience growing and scaling a contractor or business unit.

  • Mentoring senior managers to help managers develop goals for their group. As one business unit manager said, “The person who plans the battle rarely battles the plan.”

  • A finalist who graduated from a top construction or engineering school; the pedigree.

Having the necessary qualifications and skills for the job is important for any candidate, but there's more to it when it comes to hiring a leader. Business owners are seeking to determine if the candidate will fit into their existing culture or be able to help steer the company towards a better one.

As a result, more time and resources are dedicated to assessing cultural compatibility when making hiring decisions.

The Importance of Social Situations

One of the most effective ways to evaluate a candidate's cultural fit is by observing their behavior in social settings.

  • How does the candidate treat the server at a restaurant?

  • How do they treat their partner?

  • How do they manage poor service or an incorrect order?  Do they: 
    A) Say nothing
    B) Become frustrated or irate
    C) Move calmly to a solution

    Whether it’s A, B, or C, each one gives insight into how the finalist deals with problems and treats people.

Psychometric Assessments: The Game-Changer

If you want to know if your new hire is a perfect match for your team, try psychometric tests on for size.

Ellen L. Moran, Ph.D., owner of Leadership Dialogues, LLC, states, “Targeted psychometric instruments can provide valuable insights into a candidate’s performance potential, ability to work productively in teams and to model the desired values of your company’s culture.  When there is a wish to improve culture, assessments help the hiring managers be clear and intentional about recruiting and selecting for those applicants who can help lead the way.”

The assessments we see repeatedly in the AEC industry are as follows:

  • The Predictive Index

  • Culture Index (CI)

  • Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI)

  • Hogan Development Survey (HDS)

  • Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (MVPI) 

  • Basadur Innovation Profile

  • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

  • Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal

  • DISC

  • Saville Professional Style Assessment

Psychometric assessments can be a game-changer in your search for the ideal candidate by providing a thorough evaluation of a candidate's skills and compatibility with company culture. These assessments are highly accurate, often effectively verifying the intuition you may have had during an in-person interview. Research suggests that candidates can be quite persuasive during interviews, potentially masking areas of concern. With psychometric assessments, you can be confident that you are selecting a leader who is an optimal fit for your organization's culture.

Incorporating Culture in Employee Onboarding

Welcoming a new team member is no small feat. A great start to their journey begins with giving them the inside scoop on your company's vibe and guiding them through how the bigwigs make decisions.

Why do some leaders fall flat? Often, it's because they're not a good match for your company's culture. So, let's make sure we're getting it right the first time! We can use social events, clever psychometric tests, and executive coaching to make sure our newbies fit like a glove. Trust us, the cost of a bad hire is just not worth it!

Written by: Alan MacNair, Founder, MacNair Retained Search

Alan MacNair is the founder and president of MacNair Retained Search-MRS, exclusively focused on C-level and executive-level hires. He began his search practice 27 years ago. Prior to starting MRS he was an EVP at one of the largest construction search firms in the nation where he received numerous awards including #1 in the Southeast and #2 of all time.  He has come to know that the single greatest decision a company makes is the selection of a leader.  To paraphrase Mark Twain, “The difference between the right candidate and almost right candidate is indeed huge… it is the difference between a lightning bug and a bolt of lightning.” He can be contacted at [email protected].

Construction, Hiring, Construction CultureAlan MacNairconstruction, c-level, executive-level, construction hiring, c-level hires, executive hires