At Acara, we understand this challenge, which is why we’re proud to partner with TalentRise to offer premium executive and leadership coaching services designed to elevate your leadership team’s capabilities.

Bridging the Leadership Performance Gap 

Do you have leaders who show promise but aren’t quite meeting expectations? Perhaps they excel technically but struggle with some of the soft skills like team management, emotional intelligence, or delegation. These leaders are valuable assets to your organization—individuals who understand your company culture and possess institutional knowledge that would be costly to replace. 

Many clients find that targeted executive coaching can transform these good leaders into exceptional ones. Too often we find executives are eager to replace rather than invest in building the skills needed to level up their talent. In these cases, we find investing in high-quality executive coaching far outperforms any training or formal development program in both impact and results.  

The Power of Certified Executive Coaching 

As our partners at TalentRise explain in their article on “The Importance of Certified Executive Coaches”, the key to success is engaging a highly trained and certified coach. Professional certification ensures your leaders receive guidance from coaches who adhere to the highest standards of practice and ethics. Certified coaches bring: 

• Proven methodologies backed by research and professional standards 
• Ethical frameworks that ensure confidentiality and trust 
• Diverse tools and techniques tailored to specific leadership challenges 
• Accountability structures that drive measurable results 

This professional approach creates the foundation for meaningful leadership transformation. 

Transformative Benefits of Executive Coaching 

Executive coaching isn’t merely a nice-to-have perk—it’s a strategic investment with substantial returns. According to TalentRise’s exploration of “Benefits of Executive Leadership Coaching,” organizations that invest in coaching for their leaders experience: 

• Enhanced self-awareness in leaders, leading to more thoughtful decision-making 
• Improved communication skills that foster stronger team dynamics 
• Greater emotional intelligence for navigating complex interpersonal situations 
• Increased adaptability in the face of change and uncertainty 
• Stronger strategic thinking capabilities that drive innovation 

Perhaps most importantly, executive coaching provides leaders with a confidential space to explore challenges, receive honest feedback, and develop personalized strategies for growth—opportunities rarely available within the typical corporate structure. 

When to Consider Executive Leadership Coaching 

If you’re wondering whether coaching might be right for your leadership team, consider these indicators: 

• Promising leaders who aren’t quite meeting performance expectations 
• Recently promoted leaders navigating new responsibilities 
• Technical experts transitioning to management roles 
• Leaders facing significant organizational change or new challenges 
• High-potential employees being groomed for future leadership positions 

The right time to invest in coaching is before leadership gaps create significant organizational problems. Proactive coaching can prevent costly mistakes, team dysfunction, and unwanted turnover. 

Utilize our Coaching Readiness Assessment to learn if your leaders are prepared to embrace change and commit to their personal development. 

The Acara and TalentRise Partnership 

Through our partnership with TalentRise as a fellow Aleron Group company, Acara is proud to offer access to a network of certified executive coaches who specialize in addressing the specific challenges faced by leaders across industries. Our collaborative approach ensures: 

1. Thorough assessment of your leadership needs and challenges 
2. Thoughtful matching with coaches who have relevant expertise 
3. Structured coaching programs with clear objectives and metrics 
4. Regular progress reviews to ensure ROI 

Our goal is simple: to help you retain and develop your valuable leadership talent, saving you the time, expense, and disruption of unnecessary turnover while building a stronger, more capable executive team. 

Ready to Elevate Your Leadership? 

Don’t lose valuable leaders because they’re not yet performing at their peak. Invest in their development through professional coaching and watch them—and your organization—transform. 

Contact your Acara representative today to learn more about our executive coaching services through TalentRise, or visit TalentRise’s website to explore their comprehensive executive coaching offerings. 

Co-authored by Ryan Stenvick, Vice President of Business Development and Delivery, North America at Acara and Kristen Fox, MBA, PCC, CPCC, CPQC, Practice Leader, Coaching and Leadership Development at TalentRise.  

The post Elevating Leadership Performance: The Value of Executive Coaching appeared first on Acara Solutions.

If your organization is looking to hire its next senior-level manager, the following tips can help ensure your recruiting process is successful.

1. Get your organization on the same page.

One of the most essential steps in the executive recruitment process is to align your company’s decision-makers and discuss your vision of your ideal candidate. Be aligned on your collective vision for the role and the impact you need your new hire to have. What do you want them to achieve in the first 30, 60, 90 days and beyond? Explain the types of experience you seek in this new hire, along with the desired skill set and personality traits for the role. This will be crucial to the efficacy of your initial sourcing and recruiting efforts.

With any executive search, selectivity is essential. Only 28 percent of executives understand their company’s culture even though they believe it’s important. These senior-level candidates will significantly influence your organization’s culture, so it is imperative to find a candidate that embodies your organization’s values. When a leader’s values and behaviors misalign with those of the corporate culture, it can create tension, conflict, and resistance that can impede progress and hinder the manager’s ability to achieve their goals. Not only must the individual be qualified for the job, but they must also be a strong cultural fit for your company. Organizations have recently found success by leveraging tools like personality and behavioral-based assessments to forecast how a candidate will perform in their new role. Failing to vet and evaluate your candidate fully may lead to future confusion or chaos.

2. Know the market.

When identifying a leadership role that needs to be filled within your organization, you should generate an intimate understanding of the job market for that type of position. Research your competitors to see what candidate experiences and personal growth opportunities they offer their senior-level candidates. Know the ins and outs of your competition and how your brand stacks up against it. Enhancing your employer brand will ultimately help your company attract qualified prospective talent. And organizations with a strong brand save 43 percent of the cost of hiring.

Related: The Importance of a Strong Employee Value Proposition With Examples

The actions and decisions of senior leaders determine your company’s strategic direction and impact the business’s overall success. Therefore, when recruiting these employees, your organization should have more to offer than just a lucrative compensation and benefits package. Learn what kinds of opportunities these individuals seek in a new position to more effectively woo them to consider joining your organization. Think outside the box and generate creative yet personal ways to engage your potential candidate.

3. Be proactive, not reactive.

If you want to find the best candidate during your search efforts, you probably will not find them on the job market. Instead, your ideal hire is most likely employed and succeeding in their current role. And more often than not, your potential superstar hire is currently working for your competition.

This is where passive candidate recruiting strategies come into play. If your organization is trying to appeal to these passive candidates, it is pivotal to formulate an exceptional sales pitch that conveys the strength of your employment brand. In some cases, the individual you are trying to attract may have a limited understanding of your company’s background, so perfectly scripting this initial conversation is critical to your recruitment success. But don’t expect to woo your ideal candidate overnight—instead, take the time to develop a meaningful relationship with this individual to boost the effectiveness of your recruiting efforts.

4. Use behavioral interview tactics.

Employers use behavioral interviewing to evaluate a candidate’s experiences and behaviors. Studies show that this approach is 55 percent predictive of future on-the-job behavior, compared to only 10 percent predictivity in traditional interviews. Behavioral interview strategies pose open-ended questions and statements to the candidate designed to elicit detailed responses about their past experiences. Eighty-six percent of recruiters and hiring managers feel that behavioral interviewing is somewhat or very effective.

Beyond this interview approach, try to generate an understanding of how your candidate is going to elevate your company to the next level. By bouncing ideas off each other in an organic way, you will get a better feel for how the individual reacts to compelling and thought-provoking questions.

Related blog from Aleron Group partner Broadleaf Results: Assessing Leadership Skills in an Interview

5. Clearly define process expectations.

Upon initiating your search with a list of qualified candidates, your organization needs to have a plan of attack. When these interviewees ask questions about the recruiting timeline or the next stage in the interview process, you need to have the answers readily available.

Ultimately, your company sets the tone during the recruitment process. If your decision-makers collaborate quickly and make swift decisions after the interviews, you will leave a positive impression on the candidate you hope to hire. But if you let the process linger on for several weeks—or even months—your odds of success will dwindle.

Summary

In today’s job market, executing a successful leadership search requires more sourcing expertise and recruitment skill than a traditional job search. While the process may be challenging and time-consuming, the ultimate reward will come upon discovering the right-fit leader that your team needs.

Looking to outsource your talent search to a dedicated recruitment partner? Acara can help you find top talent to round out your leadership team. Check out the benefits of our executive search services.

The post 5 Tips for Success When Recruiting for a Leadership Position appeared first on Acara Solutions.

Our industry thrives on relationships built between our associates, suppliers, and customers. We are proud that our agile programs are being recognized, as they are anchored by the expertise and collaborative teamwork of many incredible people. We gratefully acknowledge that our success and reputation is due to the hard work and dedication of these associates who have helped build Acara’s reputation over several decades.

Read the Buffalo Business First article, here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/subscriber-only/2018/08/03/largest-buffalo-executive-staffing.html

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