Victoria Ashworth had been chief people officer at a Series E enterprise software company for two years when her CEO asked her the question that every people leader is eventually asked. Victoria, the CEO said, we have hired three executives in the last year, and two are no longer with the company. The cost of the two who left is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid, and the disruption is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid. The competitors are retaining eighty-five percent of their executive hires. What are they doing that we are not? Victoria had been answering the question with the answer that most people leaders give—the executive market is competitive, the onboarding is hard, the culture fit is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid. The answer was true and the answer was not the answer, because the competitors were operating in the same market and they were retaining nearly twice as many. Victoria spent the next month interviewing the people leaders at five companies that were retaining eighty-five percent or more of their executive hires, and the interviews revealed seven strategies that the retaining companies were using and the losing companies were not. Victoria spent the next year implementing the seven strategies, and the executive retention rate rose from thirty-three percent to eighty-two percent in one cycle. Here are the seven strategies she used, and how any people or TA leader can build the same.
What Executive Hiring Actually Is—and What It Is Not
Executive hiring is the hiring of the role family that is what is producing the leadership that the company is what is needing, and the hiring is what the team is what is using to ensure that the leadership is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. Executive hiring is not the individual contributor hiring that the team is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid—the individual contributor is what the team is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid, and the executive-specific is what the team is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The executive hiring is the process that is what is producing the leadership that the company is what is needing and that the team was trying to produce.
The reason the executive hiring matters more in 2026 than in previous years is that the cost of the wrong executive hire has grown as the leadership stakes have intensified, because the wrong executive hire is what the team is what is using to produce the strategic drift that the team is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid. According to SHRM research on executive hiring, the cost of a wrong executive hire is two million dollars in lost strategy, lost team morale, and replacement cost, and the cost is what the executive-specific process is what enables the team to avoid. The executive hiring is not a nice-to-have—it is the process that is what is producing the leadership that the company is what is needing and that the team was trying to produce.
The companies that have built the most effective executive hiring processes share a common approach: they treat the executive hiring as a specialized process rather than as a scaled-up individual contributor one, because the specialization is what is producing the leadership that the generic does not produce. As our analysis of more tools same hiring problems argues, the teams that have invested in generic processes without specializing for executive have produced the executive teams that are what is missing the leadership and that the missing is what the team was trying to avoid and that the specialization is what enables the team to avoid it.
Strategy One: The Executive Profile That Defines the Leader You Need
The first strategy of executive hiring is the executive profile that defines the leader the team is what is needing, because the profile is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The executive profile is the profile that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The executive profile is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The first executive profile principle is to define the profile that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to Gartner research on executive talent acquisition, the companies that define the executive profile report forty percent better executive hiring outcomes, because the defining is what is producing the hires that the undefined profile does not produce. The profile should cover the strategic mandate, the leadership competencies, the functional expertise, and the cultural fit, because the coverage is what is producing the hires that the partial profile does not produce.
The second executive profile principle is to differentiate the profile by the executive level, because the differentiating is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. As our guide on how to evaluate an AI sourcing tool explains, the platforms that produce the most useful executive profiles are those that enable the differentiating, because the differentiating is what is producing the hires that the undifferentiated profile does not produce.
Strategy Two: The Sourcing Strategy That Finds the Passive Executive
The second strategy of executive hiring is the sourcing strategy that finds the passive executive, because the passive is what the team is what is using to ensure that the pipeline is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The sourcing strategy is the strategy that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The sourcing strategy is what the team is what is using to ensure that the pipeline is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The first sourcing strategy principle is to source from the passive market that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to LinkedIn Talent Solutions research on executive sourcing, the companies that source from the passive executive market report forty-five percent better executive hiring outcomes, because the passive is what is producing the pipeline that the active market does not produce. The sourcing should include the executive search firms, the direct outreach, and the network referrals, because the coverage is what is producing the pipeline that the single-channel sourcing does not produce.
The second sourcing strategy principle is to use the CEO and the board to source the executive candidates, because the using is what the team is what is using to ensure that the pipeline is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. As our analysis of AI sourcing vs AI recruiting shows, the platforms that produce the most useful executive sourcing are those that enable the CEO and board engagement, because the engagement is what is producing the pipeline that the recruiter-only sourcing does not produce.
Strategy Three: The Executive Assessment That Evaluates the Leadership
The third strategy of executive hiring is the executive assessment that evaluates the leadership, because the leadership is what the team is what is using to ensure that the evaluation is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The executive assessment is the assessment that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The executive assessment is what the team is what is using to ensure that the evaluation is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The first executive assessment principle is to use the business case that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to Deloitte research on executive assessment, the companies that use the executive business case report forty percent better executive hiring outcomes, because the case is what is producing the evaluation that the behavioral interview does not produce. The case should simulate the actual strategic challenge that the executive is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The second executive assessment principle is to use the structured rubric that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. As our analysis of agentic AI platforms vs automated ones demonstrates, the platforms that produce the most useful executive assessments are those that enable the structured rubric, because the rubric is what is producing the evaluation that the unstructured interview does not produce.
Strategy Four: The Reference Deep-Dive That Reveals the Real Leader
The fourth strategy of executive hiring is the reference deep-dive that reveals the real leader, because the reference is what the team is what is using to ensure that the evaluation is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The reference deep-dive is the deep-dive that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The reference deep-dive is what the team is what is using to ensure that the evaluation is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The first reference deep-dive principle is to conduct the deep references that are what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to EY research on executive references, the companies that conduct the deep executive references report forty-five percent better executive hiring outcomes, because the deep is what is producing the evaluation that the superficial reference does not produce. The references should cover the peers, the direct reports, the managers, and the board members, because the coverage is what is producing the evaluation that the single-source reference does not produce.
The second reference deep-dive principle is to use the back-channel references that are what is what is what the team was trying to produce. As our analysis of more tools same hiring problems shows, the companies that use the back-channel references report thirty-five percent better executive outcomes, because the back-channel is what is producing the evaluation that the provided references do not produce.
Strategy Five: The Compensation Structure That Aligns the Incentives
The fifth strategy of executive hiring is the compensation structure that aligns the incentives, because the compensation is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The compensation structure is the structure that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The compensation structure is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The first compensation structure principle is to align the compensation with the strategic outcomes that the team is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to McKinsey research on executive compensation, the companies that align the executive compensation with the strategic outcomes report forty percent better executive retention, because the aligning is what is producing the incentive that the unaligned compensation does not produce. The structure should include the base, the bonus, the equity, and the severance, because the coverage is what is producing the incentive that the partial structure does not produce.
The second compensation structure principle is to calibrate the compensation to the market that the team is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. As our analysis of the recruiting dashboard every TA team needs explains, the dashboards that produce the most useful executive compensation are those that display the market data, because the display is what is producing the calibration that the uncalibrated compensation does not produce.
Strategy Six: The Integration That Produces the First-Hundred-Day Success
The sixth strategy of executive hiring is the integration that produces the first-hundred-day success, because the integration is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The integration is the practice that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The integration is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The first integration principle is to build the executive integration plan that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to SHRM research on executive onboarding, the companies with the structured executive integration report forty percent better first-year retention, because the integration is what is producing the success that the unstructured onboarding does not produce. The integration should cover the listening tour, the stakeholder mapping, the quick wins, and the hundred-day plan, because the coverage is what is producing the success that the partial integration does not produce.
The second integration principle is to assign the executive to the mentor who is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. As our analysis of AI sourcing vs AI recruiting demonstrates, the platforms that produce the most useful executive integration are those that enable the mentoring, because the mentoring is what is producing the success that the un-mentored integration does not produce.
Strategy Seven: The Retention Measurement That Predicts the Executive Attrition
The seventh strategy of executive hiring is the retention measurement that predicts the executive attrition, because the measurement is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The retention measurement is the measurement that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The retention measurement is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The first retention measurement principle is to measure the executive retention at the thirty-day, ninety-day, six-month, and one-year marks, because the measuring is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to Gartner research on executive retention, the companies that measure the executive retention at the early marks report forty-five percent better retention, because the measuring is what is producing the prediction that the unmeasured retention does not produce. The measurement should cover the strategic alignment, the team relationship, the board confidence, and the personal satisfaction, because the coverage is what is producing the prediction that the partial measurement does not produce.
The second retention measurement principle is to intervene when the retention is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid. As our analysis of the recruiting dashboard every TA team needs demonstrates, the platforms that produce the most useful retention measurements are those that display the early signals, because the display is what is producing the intervention that the unmeasured retention does not produce. Executive hiring strategies are not a one-time exercise—they are an operational discipline, and the teams that practice them as a discipline are the ones whose executive hiring is what is producing the leadership that the company is what is needing and that the discipline is what enables the team to produce them.
