Preparing For & Recruiting Your First Executive Hires

Why This Step Is Critical 

Hiring your first executive team is a major turning point. These leaders will shape your company’s culture, drive performance, and influence how your business scales. Executive hiring isn’t just a more expensive version of regular recruitment. The dynamics are different. The market is tighter. And the people you’re hiring may not show the same outward passion or founder-style energy. That’s okay. What matters is that they bring clarity, operational depth, and leadership maturity. 

Active Directions has observed with private and family businesses that having a plan in place that the new executive can then execute on is a good idea. Why? You want someone who is ready to get stuck in. Yes, challenge plans, but not take six months to be assessing before any delivery. If we know our clients well enough, action is an important capability! 

Laying the Groundwork for Executive Leadership 

You’ve built a business that’s ready to grow beyond you. Now it’s time to bring in senior leaders who can take ownership of key functions. Sales, marketing, finance, HR, and the CEO role each require a different mindset and skill set. These hires won’t just fill gaps. They will define how your business operates at scale. The challenge is knowing how to prepare, how to choose well, and how to support them once they’re in the seat. 

Three Tips for Making Your First Executive Hires

1. Prepare the Organisation Before You Recruit: Executives don’t build from scratch. They optimise, lead, and scale. Before you hire, make sure your business is ready for them. 

Action: 

• Clarify what success looks like for each role 

• Document existing processes, even if they’re messy 

• Define decision rights and reporting lines 

• Align internally on what kind of leadership style you need

2. Recognise That Executive Hiring Is a Different Game: Senior candidates are evaluating you as much as you’re evaluating them. They’re looking for clarity, purpose, and a role that fits their strengths. 

Action: 

• Build a compelling executive-level pitch for your business 

• Use specialist recruiters or networks with access to senior talent 

• Interview for alignment, not just capability 

• Be ready to negotiate differently. Compensation, autonomy, and influence matter more than perks
  
  

Action: 

• Set clear expectations for the first 3, 6, and 12 months 

• Schedule regular strategic check-ins, not just performance reviews 

• Give them access to internal knowledge and key relationships 

• Be available, but don’t hover 

 
Three Questions to Get the Conversation Started 

1. What does success look like for each executive role in the first year? 

2. Agree what 30, 60, 90 days look like so you are aligned? 

3. What support systems do we need to put in place to help them succeed? 

Let’s Build Your Executive Team Together 

At Active Directions, we help founders make confident, strategic executive hires. From defining the role to onboarding the right person, we guide you through every step. Whether you’re hiring your first CEO or building out your leadership bench, we’ll help you do it with clarity and control. 

Get in touch today to schedule a confidential strategy session. Let’s build the leadership team that takes your business to the next level.