First Steps

At the outset of each search, we talk with human resources and senior leaders of the hiring organization, members of the Search Committee, and other “stakeholders”, in order to develop a full picture of the client’s background, mission, and future goals. This initial phase of our work plan provides us an opportunity to understand broad organizational goals and the goals for the candidate so as to ensure that all parties have the same understanding of the position when we begin to identify prospective candidates. We will also seek to understand the client’s culture — the beliefs (“what is held to be true”), the values (“what is important”), and the behaviors (“how leaders act when no one is looking”) – and the alignment, or lack of it, between an organization’s culture and its stated mission and goals.

Candidate Development

We work our extensive networks to identify candidates whose prior experience and leadership ability qualify them for serious consideration. Our network is considerable, built over many years in this niche field of medicine. We value and respect the relationships built over the years with physicians, surgeons, and leaders of transplant centers and organ procurement organizations. Every TLI search is a national search. For every search, we solicit candidate nominations from hundreds of leaders in the US transplant community. Our emails are read and often circulated. We also cull our database of thousands of people in the transplant community to determine if any are appropriate candidates. Recommendations from the Search Committee and the client’s senior leaders and board members may supplement and complement the candidate list. Advertisements may also be placed on a select number of targeted websites or journals in the transplant world. Many of the candidates brought into a search are not seeking a new position. We engage their interest through a series of conversations and explore with them the potential personal and career benefits, as well as challenges, associated with this position. Their interest develops through meetings with our staff, the Search Committee, and other key leaders, and in this process they start to balance the allure of a new challenge with the risks of changing organizations, assuming new responsibilities, and, many times, moving with their families to a new locale. Some candidates require significant “courting.” Our objective is to present the client with highly-motivated candidates of experience who can serve the organization for many years.

Candidate Screening

Personal interviews are scheduled for a select number of candidates; these interviews will be used to develop an understanding of what is exceptional about each candidate and to evaluate the compatibility of the candidate and the organization. In the interviews, we develop information on the candidate’s leadership ability, their experience in building collaborations at the most senior levels of complex organizations, their proven ability to achieve goals and their potential for personal compatibility with the current staff and leaders. Our assessments are informed by a keen understanding of the leadership ability, administrative skill, clinical skill, and temperament that constitute strong leadership potential. A great deal of emphasis is placed upon the candidate’s knowledge and experience in leading a contemporary organ transplant or procurement enterprise. We recognize that institutions entrust millions of dollars in program investment to organ transplant and a significant fiduciary responsibility rests on this selection decision. An external contractor conducts reference checks on all candidates. These are thorough reviews of past performance, style, and behavior.

Meeting Candidates

For most searches, we recommend introductory telephone or webcam meetings with candidates and the Client, followed by more extensive visits to the organization and local community if the initial meeting with a candidate leads to mutual interest. This allows the client to evaluate a potential candidate’s appeal and possible fit over several meetings and allows candidates to thoughtfully assess the opportunity. We assist the Committee in arranging visits.

Timeline

We would plan to provide candidates for client review within 30-60 days of the agreement’s signing.