CTOs are a crucial part of many companies nowadays. As they are helping guide the company’s technological area of expertise, a CTO needs to fulfill a large remit, and help your company with its technological growth. Therefore, the search for your CTO should be a thorough process.
The first step is to decide who should lead the search for a CTO, it’s crucial that whoever is selected to take on this role is in a position where their decision making is respected and trusted throughout the company.
Once the searcher/s have been selected, then the next step is to produce a list of criteria your company believes will be relevant to the position of CTO, both in a general sense and a criteria more specific to your company. For example, the size of your company should partially dictate a suitable candidate, as they will need previous experience managing similar sized businesses.
In many cases, insider candidates may be the best option for the role. However, it is equally valid to look further afield and to at least give serious consideration to hiring outside of your company. Specialised companies can seriously help with the process if an outside candidate is being considered.
CTO recruitment works alongside directors and others who are part of the search to optimise the candidate pool. Helping broadening the amount of candidates that are possible, while still making sure all the relevant criteria are being met. It is important to stress that honest communication with these specialised recruitment firms is of the utmost importance to assure you end up with the best fitting CTO possible.
Remember to not expect absolute perfection either. Everyone’s human and a recruitment process is all about finding the right individual for the role, the company, and the general ethos of the company.
If needed, it is completely plausible to have multiple interviews. Often final interviews will take place without an offer being made. Interviews should take place until every board member is satisfied with the final candidate. CTO recruitment will take time and effort: don’t be afraid to keep looking for new candidates until you’re able to find someone who isn’t just good on paper, but really works for the specific issues your company is facing. By returning constantly to the key criteria and using resources such as CTO recruitment firms, the search should result with a CTO that is a perfect fit for your company.
