This remark, shared by a seasoned CHRO after a failed C-suite hire, resonates even more powerfully today than when it was first spoken. Back then, it was about succession planning discipline. Today, it is about systemic resilience.
We have all seen the pattern: Impressive credentials. A stellar track record. Glowing references. The hire is made, the onboarding begins.
And yet, six months later, after misguided restructurings and key talent departures, the organisation is already different.
This brings us back to the fundamentals of hiring. The real strategic question is not: “Can this person do the job?” It is: “Will this person strengthen the system, introduce future fractures?”
Our senior expert, Marco Mancesti, shares his framework for hiring beyond competence. Drawing on decades of experience advising top leadership teams, the PIKES© model highlights what distinguishes hiring to fill a role from hiring to strengthen a system and build lasting resilience.
The PIKES© framework is the model we use at headtohead in our strategic executive searches.