The seven-day hire

When a company needs a new IT director, someone is usually covering that job while doing their own. Decisions pile up, projects wait, and the team feels it.

The person making the hire is busy, too. Finding time to review resumes, interview candidates, and collect feedback can turn a search into a much longer process than anyone intended.

That's where I come in. Finding candidates is part of my job. So is following through on everything that needs to happen before someone can accept an offer.

1. Get the real answers in the first meeting

I work with HR, but I also want to speak directly with the executive making the hire. What does this person need to accomplish? What experience is essential, and where can we be flexible?

Before I start reaching out to candidates, we agree on the budget, timeline, and who needs to approve the hire. Those conversations can be uncomfortable, especially if expectations don't match the budget. Having them early saves everyone time.

2. Bring a shortlist, not a stack

A hiring manager shouldn't have to sort through thirty resumes after bringing me in to help.

I send a small group of candidates I've already spoken with about their experience, compensation expectations, and interest in the role. I want the client to understand why I'm recommending each person and what we still need to learn in the interview.

A few days waiting on feedback, another week finding time to meet. That's where I see searches get stuck, and it's my job to keep them moving.

3. Agree on the week up front

If we want to hire in a week, we need to make room for interviews before candidates are ready to meet.

We agree on who's interviewing, when they're available, and how quickly we can get feedback. I stay in touch with both sides throughout the week, follow up on questions, and make sure everyone knows what happens next. That includes keeping candidates informed while the client is deciding.

4. Pull in approvals early

I don't want to find the right person and then discover we need another week to get an offer approved.

While interviews are happening, I work with leadership, HR, and procurement on the agreements and approvals we'll need. By the time the team makes a decision, we should already know what it will take to get the offer out.

Since moving to Dallas in August, I've worked on director-level searches for a law firm, an oil and gas company, and Mouser Electronics. Each ended in an accepted offer.

A week won't be realistic for every role. It depends on the search and the availability of everyone involved. But when the requirements are clear, interviews are scheduled, and approvals are underway, there's a lot less waiting between finding the right person and hiring them.

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