Hiring with Intention: An Executive Search Case Study (EP.93)

About this episode

This episode explores a proactive approach to reimagining hiring processes through a case study of an executive search at YBCA.

Most hiring processes were built in a different era, carried forward by inertia without much consideration, and optimized for the organization’s convenience rather than a candidate’s experience. This episode is about what happens when a team decides to proactively reimagine that dynamic. WSS host Tim Cynova is joined by Katrina Donald (Ever-so-curious), Julie Mae Lopez (People Power Solutions), and guest host for the episode, Jodi Cobalt (Yerba Buena Center for the Arts). The four of them collaborated on a search at YBCA in 2022-23 for an executive-level Head of External Relations role. This episode is a detailed reflection of what they and the organization tried, what surprised them, and what they’d do again. It’s a behind-the-scenes account of what intentional hiring looks like in practice, with enough specifics that you can take ideas directly into your next search. In this conversation: Why the typical playbook fails → information flows one way, candidates are kept in the dark for weeks, and “culture fit” bias goes completely unchecked. “Dot connector” screening calls built around one prompt: Connect the dots between where you’ve been and this role. Those calls can reshuffle…

People in this episode

Host: Tim Cynova

Guest: Jodi Cobalt

Topics covered

• hiring processes
• candidate experience
• executive search
• organizational culture
• intentional hiring

Keywords

• hiring
• candidate experience
• executive search
• organizational culture
• intentional hiring
• job posting
• screening calls

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, People Power Solutions, Ever-so-curious

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