I see this most commonly when smaller to mid-sized companies recruit Managers or Directors who need to be leaders (strategic development, team leadership, budget management or perhaps full P&L) . . . yet they need to roll-up their sleeves and execute as well . . . because that’s what people do in smaller and mid-sized environments.

It’s not that today’s leaders can’t be tactical and execute in the trenches. It’s that actually recruiting them – trying to facilitate an actual job move for something that’s as tactical as it is strategic – is taking it to a new level for them. In their mind, they’re thinking, “Sure, I’ll spend 20 or 25% of my time being tactical – it comes with the job. Now, 40 to 50% of my time? Yikes!”

Recruiting burden #1: The front-end of recruiting. Just finding these talent people can be difficult. You don’t see the volume of applicants as a Fortune 100 would. Chances are that you’re attracted to candidates from big, recognizable Fortune 100-500 brands. But guess what? Those places usually segment the tactical from strategic employees. Pull someone from there and they will likely fall too far one way or the other, and they’ll need a long adjustment period. And how do you find out if they’d fit your awesome ‘roll-up their sleeves culture?’ You need to spend time with each prospect, interviewing them and assessing their communication and interactions with you.

Recruiting burden #2: Time! You finally find a candidate who might be a fit, and start their interview process. Yet, along the way, you and your interview team find yourself asking each other: “Now, do you all really think they’ll okay being so tactical? I mean, they said they’re okay with it, but how do we really know?” Or, “Let’s move forward to final rounds, and then we’ll check references and ask their colleagues. But what if big concerns arise at that point, at the very end? That’d really throw a wrench in things.” Then, you’ve spent weeks interviewing a candidate, and the interview hasn’t been as much about assessing their actual marketing chops as simply trying to read them and assessing if they’d fit the environment and culture.

Our advice for the burden #1: Sell the living daylights out of your environment, and use the ‘roll-up-your-sleeves’ element as an attribute: “Yes, [candidate], we have a ‘roll-up-your-sleeves’ environment here. And guess what that means? Variety! Cross-training and smoother coverage when people are out! No egos and no divas: a true team-oriented feel! Our CEO is walking down the hallways high-fiving our interns and posting YouTube videos! How does that sound?” And from our experience, candidates who agree and see the value in this do exist, and become great hires!

Our advice for burden #2: (1) Go for three solid candidates. One, even two good candidates in process won’t cut it, as you might disposition them at some point due to concerns on your end, or they may choose another opportunity over yours. Three solid candidates is the magic number. (2) Know the lay of the land and the employer marketplace. Know what companies have similar environments to yours, where you can source candidates who’d have an easy transition. Also, know the companies who aren’t like you (perhaps they’re larger) but who hire employees from companies similar to yours. There may be some employees who are open to returning back to a company like yours at this point in their career. You just need to find them.

Of course, don’t hesitate to call 4Sight. This is one of our most common scenarios for which we successfully assist. We know where to find these candidates, and our job is to spend time on the front end assessing the candidates. When you meet them, they’re pre-assessed, clearly informed about your culture and opportunity, and excited to speak with you!

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