CEO Search Checklist - Human Edge Executive Search

CEO Search for Board Members

Checklist and Whitepaper

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This checklist and insights from HumanEdge will provide you with easy-to-follow steps to find and keep your next CEO.

CEO Search Checklist

Conducting a CEO search is one of the most consequential and challenging duties for any Board of Directors. This paper, prepared by HumanEdge Executive Search, will provide you with a series of easy-to-follow steps that will help ensure your search goes smoothly and results in the best possible CEO candidate for your organization.

Within the checklist you will gain valuable insight from a trusted executive search firm, an article explaining each step of the process and best practices with lessons learned from HumanEdge.

Steps to execute a successful CEO search:

Plan for success
Find the right executive search partner
Confirm key selection criteria
Select the best candidate
Build an onboarding plan
Foster an effective working relationship

What you will get

Downloading our CEO Search Checklist will give you a comprehensive and free 6 step checklist for board members searching for their next CEO. You will also receive a free comprehensive article filled with insights from our executive search firm on how to perform a successful CEO search.

Amii engaged HumanEdge to add several board members with deep experience across multiple industries, venture capital, government relations, academia and startups - a not inconsequential task. We found HumanEdge to be highly responsive and critical thinkers. They very quickly put together an amazing list of prospects who they had vetted before even passing them on to us for interviews.

I have to say that I was extremely pleased with the candidates and have never found a recruiting process that delivered so many high quality candidates so quickly. We didn't have to spend endless hours sifting through poor or mediocre candidates to hopefully find some reasonable ones who might merit further consideration.

I have absolutely no qualms about recommending HumanEdge for any talent recruitment project a company might need. On a net-promoter scale of 0-10, I would give HumanEdge a 10!

Bruce Johnson

Chair of the Board of Directors, Amii (Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute)

HumanEdge’s approach to search is highly consultative and interactive…. They consistently provided high level input and guidance on important strategic issues to our firm, often well beyond what was required to fill a defined role. As a result, they have become ‘trusted advisors’ to me and our firm …. HumanEdge has successfully conducted several senior level executive searches for our firm … they have worked out spectacularly well and the individuals have added significant value to our company.

Dave Dominy

CEO, FIRMA Exchange Corporation

I worked very closely with HumanEdge in our CEO search. When I reflect back on the entire process, it's the professionalism, personalization, and end-to-end continuity that stand out

Blaine Penny

Former President & CEO, MitoCanada Foundation

HumanEdge's CEO Search Checklist

Below are excerpts of the article you will receive once you download the CEO Search Checklist. Remember to fill out the form above for the full version.

Learn more about these easy to follow steps to ensure your CEO Search goes smoothly and results in the best possible CEO candidate for your organization. Download the checklist for more information and a comprehensive checklist of easy-to-follow steps.

Plan for success

Boards rarely have as much time as they would like to prepare for a CEO departure, however it is essential to develop a clear plan before proceeding. The time you invest in clarifying the process, structure, and resources will lay the foundation for an efficient and successful search.

Find the right executive search partner

Boards that oversee organizations with more than 100 employees will generally engage an executive search firm to provide the specialized expertise and independent perspective required for high-impact recruitments. Utilizing the resources of a search partner will reduce the time and effort required by the board, provide access to a wider field of potential candidates, and ensure a thorough and unbiased vetting of finalists before they are presented to the Search Committee.

Confirm key selection criteria

The selection of a new CEO provides a rare and valuable opportunity to reassess the needs of the organization and make a change that will have a major impact. Regardless of how effective your current leadership has been, it is important to develop a comprehensive picture of what you are looking for in your next CEO by gathering input from board directors, the current CEO and, if appropriate, key senior staff members and external stakeholders.

Select the best candidate

Now that you have defined exactly what you are looking for, you are ready to brief your search partner and begin identifying and attracting your next CEO. Honest, open, and frequent communication throughout the process will keep you informed and ensure the search remains on track for success.

Build an onboarding plan

The CEO’s first few months provide an invaluable opportunity to build the foundation for a long and successful tenure with the organization. During this time, it is important for the Board of Directors to support the CEO in establishing positive, productive relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.

Foster an effective working relationship

Once you have successfully onboarded the new CEO it is important to keep the momentum going by continuing to nurture a productive and collaborative relationship between the Board and the CEO. Providing clear expectations and timely feedback will put you on track for long term success.