Comments on: Recruitment – a VC perspective http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/05/15/recruitment-a-vc-perspective/ Nic Brisbourne's view from London on venture capital and exploiting change in technology and media Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:08:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: nic http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/05/15/recruitment-a-vc-perspective/#comment-873 nic Wed, 16 May 2007 10:57:54 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/05/15/recruitment-a-vc-perspective/#comment-873 Thanks guys. Joao - the answer to your question depends in part on how mature the business is, but in general for the top couple of key hires the CEO usually asks for our thoughts and I think most of us like to be involved. Thanks guys.

Joao – the answer to your question depends in part on how mature the business is, but in general for the top couple of key hires the CEO usually asks for our thoughts and I think most of us like to be involved.

]]> By: nic http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/05/15/recruitment-a-vc-perspective/#comment-10738 nic Wed, 16 May 2007 10:57:00 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/05/15/recruitment-a-vc-perspective/#comment-10738 Thanks guys. Joao - the answer to your question depends in part on how mature the business is, but in general for the top couple of key hires the CEO usually asks for our thoughts and I think most of us like to be involved. Thanks guys.

Joao – the answer to your question depends in part on how mature the business is, but in general for the top couple of key hires the CEO usually asks for our thoughts and I think most of us like to be involved.

]]> By: Joao http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/05/15/recruitment-a-vc-perspective/#comment-872 Joao Tue, 15 May 2007 20:05:56 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/05/15/recruitment-a-vc-perspective/#comment-872 I found your post somewhat intriguing. I suggest people I trust and have worked with previously in other portfolio companies, but in general I do not proactively interview them myself, unless the CEO explicitly asks me to share my thoughts (or if I am actually hiring the CEO). I guess I implicitly assume that one of the CEO's key skills should be precisely hiring his team. Is VC involvement that usual in Europe at the senior level? I found your post somewhat intriguing. I suggest people I trust and have worked with previously in other portfolio companies, but in general I do not proactively interview them myself, unless the CEO explicitly asks me to share my thoughts (or if I am actually hiring the CEO). I guess I implicitly assume that one of the CEO’s key skills should be precisely hiring his team. Is VC involvement that usual in Europe at the senior level?

]]> By: Joao http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/05/15/recruitment-a-vc-perspective/#comment-10737 Joao Tue, 15 May 2007 20:05:00 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/05/15/recruitment-a-vc-perspective/#comment-10737 I found your post somewhat intriguing. I suggest people I trust and have worked with previously in other portfolio companies, but in general I do not proactively interview them myself, unless the CEO explicitly asks me to share my thoughts (or if I am actually hiring the CEO). I guess I implicitly assume that one of the CEO's key skills should be precisely hiring his team. Is VC involvement that usual in Europe at the senior level? I found your post somewhat intriguing. I suggest people I trust and have worked with previously in other portfolio companies, but in general I do not proactively interview them myself, unless the CEO explicitly asks me to share my thoughts (or if I am actually hiring the CEO). I guess I implicitly assume that one of the CEO’s key skills should be precisely hiring his team. Is VC involvement that usual in Europe at the senior level?

]]> By: Pete Gillingwater http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/05/15/recruitment-a-vc-perspective/#comment-871 Pete Gillingwater Tue, 15 May 2007 17:31:57 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/05/15/recruitment-a-vc-perspective/#comment-871 Nic, As a headhunter in this space and with dozens of searches under my belt (expanding given the number of lunches we have to suffer), there's no prescriptive method to campaigns. Even with CEO searches, most campaigns need at least 6 or more shortlisted candidates to give the various stakeholders the confidence to make a united decision. When you have various decision makers (who should be aligned if there's a managed process), it is normally possible to push towards a united decision and successful campaign without too much pain. However, the role of the headhunter should be very hands on to keep this collective thinking going in the right direction - and managing the candidates expectations too of course. I concur with the view that aside from CEO/Chairman appointments, the executive team should be in control. Investors always have a say (in key appointments)of course but only if their views are tangible and informed. On the odd rare occasion (VP Product/CTO/CEO type hires), I would recommend an early decision on a 90% candidate rather than wait for that perfect 100% - invariably they either don't exist or are going to be offered elsewhere soon! Keep up the good blogging! Nic, As a headhunter in this space and with dozens of searches under my belt (expanding given the number of lunches we have to suffer), there’s no prescriptive method to campaigns.

Even with CEO searches, most campaigns need at least 6 or more shortlisted candidates to give the various stakeholders the confidence to make a united decision. When you have various decision makers (who should be aligned if there’s a managed process), it is normally possible to push towards a united decision and successful campaign without too much pain. However, the role of the headhunter should be very hands on to keep this collective thinking going in the right direction – and managing the candidates expectations too of course.

I concur with the view that aside from CEO/Chairman appointments, the executive team should be in control. Investors always have a say (in key appointments)of course but only if their views are tangible and informed.

On the odd rare occasion (VP Product/CTO/CEO type hires), I would recommend an early decision on a 90% candidate rather than wait for that perfect 100% – invariably they either don’t exist or are going to be offered elsewhere soon!

Keep up the good blogging!

]]> By: Pete Gillingwater http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/05/15/recruitment-a-vc-perspective/#comment-10736 Pete Gillingwater Tue, 15 May 2007 17:31:00 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/05/15/recruitment-a-vc-perspective/#comment-10736 Nic, As a headhunter in this space and with dozens of searches under my belt (expanding given the number of lunches we have to suffer), there's no prescriptive method to campaigns. Even with CEO searches, most campaigns need at least 6 or more shortlisted candidates to give the various stakeholders the confidence to make a united decision. When you have various decision makers (who should be aligned if there's a managed process), it is normally possible to push towards a united decision and successful campaign without too much pain. However, the role of the headhunter should be very hands on to keep this collective thinking going in the right direction - and managing the candidates expectations too of course. I concur with the view that aside from CEO/Chairman appointments, the executive team should be in control. Investors always have a say (in key appointments)of course but only if their views are tangible and informed. On the odd rare occasion (VP Product/CTO/CEO type hires), I would recommend an early decision on a 90% candidate rather than wait for that perfect 100% - invariably they either don't exist or are going to be offered elsewhere soon! Keep up the good blogging! Nic, As a headhunter in this space and with dozens of searches under my belt (expanding given the number of lunches we have to suffer), there’s no prescriptive method to campaigns.

Even with CEO searches, most campaigns need at least 6 or more shortlisted candidates to give the various stakeholders the confidence to make a united decision. When you have various decision makers (who should be aligned if there’s a managed process), it is normally possible to push towards a united decision and successful campaign without too much pain. However, the role of the headhunter should be very hands on to keep this collective thinking going in the right direction – and managing the candidates expectations too of course.

I concur with the view that aside from CEO/Chairman appointments, the executive team should be in control. Investors always have a say (in key appointments)of course but only if their views are tangible and informed.

On the odd rare occasion (VP Product/CTO/CEO type hires), I would recommend an early decision on a 90% candidate rather than wait for that perfect 100% – invariably they either don’t exist or are going to be offered elsewhere soon!

Keep up the good blogging!

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