1. SUCCESS REQUIREMENTS
As experts in retained executive search, Top Gun Ventures knows how to identify, evaluate and recruit only those senior leaders who are proven and experienced at the jobs they perform. We have a relentless focus on presenting the best and most accomplished leaders to every one of our clients.
We start by developing a unique profile of the GameChanger our client requires.
To determine business objectives, we will begin by soliciting input from stakeholders including the CEO, COO, Board, CFO, CIO, CMO, CISO, legal, HR, sales and marketing leaders. We proactively assist these stakeholders in developing a customized profile of the position and candidate for eligibility, suitability and likability. Details will include the company, the role, the task, responsibilities and accountability, goals for first 100 days, year 1, year 2 and endgame, current top performer profile(s), cultural fit and key challenges of the position and marketplace as well as the experience, qualifications and competencies required for a candidate to succeed.
Our distinctive GameChanger profile offers four dimensions to capture the unique dynamics of the leadership role to be filled. In most cases, this profile is a unique, one-of-a-kind composite of our four GameChanger archetypes: Entrepreneur, Launcher, Accelerator and Transformer. For example, your company’s GameChanger profile may look like the following:
- Entrepreneur 10%
- Launcher 80%
- Accelerator 5%
- Transformer 5%
We will compare your ideal candidate to notable industry executives in an effort to determine benchmark expectations, as well as evaluate compensation as compared to executive expectations.
After this first step in the search process is complete, we will know what kind of GameChanger we need.
2. SEARCH EXECUTION
We are in the business of search, not fetch.
Top Gun Ventures is in the business of what we all refer to as “search, not fetch,” as is usually the case with most executive search firms. The biggest misnomer that investors, boards, CEOs and even want-to-be candidates believe is that all executive search firms have a large database of candidates they draw from at the start of each and every search. Rather, the Big 5 rely almost solely on a database of stale candidates that they continue to parallel process on multiple searches.
The biggest issue – and where most search firms are doing their clients a disservice when relying on a database of candidates – is that you never truly search for new people and new companies that have outstanding talent to draw from. Top Gun Ventures has as good – if not better – database information as most other search firms with access to thousands of proven executives to assist in locating the most qualified candidate for your business; however, we always conduct raw, original research on every new search project. We identify relevant markets and industry verticals, then map the experience and competency criteria to the proven leaders in these verticals and target companies.
We then validate with industry experts and approach potential candidates to test their interest in the role, drawing on our insight about the GameChanger profile to evaluate compatibility. At times, we may use our knowledge of candidate interests and aspirations to persuade compelling prospects to consider new opportunities. These contacts are later honed into a short list of candidates with excellent qualifications, proven ability and interest in the position.
On average, we make 200 – 300 new contacts per search.
Therefore, we rarely recruit an executive from our database because we end up identifying GameChangers – the passive candidates and successful leaders in any given industry. This is true executive search, and the Top Gun Ventures model continues to work extremely well for all of our new, repeat and referral clients. It takes tremendous time, effort and care, and for us the reward lies in presenting exceptional candidates to each and every client.
Smart work, keeping the bar high and determination are the standards by which we operate. It is never easy to separate out the real GameChangers from the herd of top performing executives but we have found that where there is a will there is a way.
3. GAMECHANGERS SELECTION
To be a winner in today’s turbulent markets, you need to get the best talent on your team.
There is often a very small difference between “best” and “good” talent. However, good is not good enough in tougher markets, and it is the ability to recognize these small but critically important differences that can separate the success of your business from failure. Top Gun Ventures will help you make the right decision to ensure you get the best talent on your team.
The selection part of our process leverages three components, customized to your GameChanger profile.
First, Top Gun Ventures conducts rigorous GameChanger behavior interviews that are quite different from the standard corporate process. Our proprietary methodology leads us to ask questions customized to your GameChanger profile, and to differentiate between real GameChangers and pretenders.
Second, we utilize the Harrison Assessments™ system; a state-of-the-art assessment tool that assists in predicting the job success, suitability fit and onboarding needs of the candidates.
Finally, we vigilantly screen final candidates with our proprietary reference-checking process to validate a candidate’s job fit, cultural fit, and character.
The collective results from our behavior interviews, the Harrison Aassessment, and reference checks, provides us with three strong datapoints to assess consistency and the candidate’s suitability for their unique GameChanging role.
We will identify, evaluate and present a slate of final candidates that meet or exceed the position specifications within 30-45 days from the start of the search.
Final candidates will possess all qualities and skills on our GameChangers Checklist™.
- CAPABILITY. They bring a proven track record of success for the role and task during both good and disruptive business environments.
- HEART. They have a passion and determination for what they do and what the client wants them to achieve. They drive the organization to achieve and exceed the goals.
- ENDGAME. They will achieve the long-term objectives and know how to get the client to the endgame (or new game).
- CULTURE. They are best fit for the role and task, and will get the job done in the client’s culture.
- KEEPER. They are as good as or better than the client’s top performers and with potential for more responsibility. The client’s leaders/board will be willing and able to support them to excel in their role and retain them.
Top Gun Ventures specializes in the selection of proven GameChanging executive and entrepreneurial talent that can lead our clients to the endgame, making their financial goals and business vision a reality.
Our unique selection process is optimized around one thing – finding GameChangers who deliver results.
4. CANDIDATE RESULTS
Traditional search firms declare success when the candidate is selected. We declare success when the candidate delivers the results he/she was hired to achieve.
A typical Top Gun Ventures search presents candidates in 30 to 45 days and our search is generally completed, with the final candidate starting, in two to three months’ time. At this stage, our executive onboarding process begins. We provide a 100% guarantee that our placements will achieve the strategic goals they have been hired to deliver against, and this is made possible by ensuring the client and the GameChangers are supported through the onboarding transition and post hire bi-annual support meetings up until the candidate has achieved the long term goals he/she was hired for. The executive’s first day is the beginning of our commitment to you.
Our customized onboarding process is tailored to the client, the candidate and the GameChanger profile.
Supported by our team, the new executive is guided through a “First 100 Day Action Plan” that helps him or her focus on activities that will set them up for success from the get go and begin building a foundation that will lead to significant progress toward achieving the long term goals he/she was hired to achieve. Post hire, we establish bi-annual review sessions with candidate and client to track progress towards the long-term goals and how well the candidate is being supported to excel in their role.
The bottom line is that we want to know that the candidate is delivering the GameChanging results he/she was hired for because we don’t regard our job as complete until we can check that box.
At Top Gun Ventures, we go further than any other search firm in our industry by continuing to support every executive we recruit – and the companies into which we recruit them.
Our GameChanger candidates will deliver the results they were hired for. GUARANTEED.
