HBR IdeaCast — "What You Need to Know About Executive Recruiting"

Date: January 13, 2026
Guests: Mark Thompson (Chairman, Chief Executive Alliance), Byron Laughlin (Global Head of Board Advisory, Nasdaq)
Hosts: Alison Beard, Adi Ignatius

Episode Overview

This episode explores the evolving landscape of executive recruiting, focusing on how aspiring C-suite leaders—especially candidates for CEO—can best prepare themselves for the rigorous recruitment process. Guests Mark Thompson and Byron Laughlin, experts in CEO succession and co-authors of How to Stand Out to C Suite Recruiters and CEO Ready?, share insider perspectives on the expectations, assessments, and interpersonal dynamics that define modern executive searches.

1. The Changing Role of Executive Recruiters

Timestamps: 03:07–04:35

• More Strategic, Holistic Involvement:
  Executive search firms now play a much larger, strategic role in vetting both internal and external candidates. Their influence extends to shaping job criteria and assessing cultural fit, broadening from simply sourcing external talent.

  "Recruiters and independent assessment firms are playing a bigger role than ever in history." — Mark Thompson [03:07]

• A Rubik’s Cube of Risk:
  Recruiters synthesize multiple perspectives, helping boards see a more complete, nuanced view of candidate strengths and risks:

  “That’s an image of the recruiters helping them look at that Rubik’s Cube of risk, an assessment of this candidate... they can see more elements than otherwise they would do.” — Byron Laughlin [04:48]

2. Internal vs. External Candidates

Timestamps: 06:04–07:48

• Different Advantages & Disadvantages:

  • Internal candidates: Known capabilities and cultural fit but also remembered for past stumbles.
  • External candidates: Must rapidly prove they can integrate and contribute.

• Strategic Planning Requirement:
  Both are now routinely asked to present strategic plans, which are rigorously compared.

• Objectivity is Critical:
  Recruiters aim to evaluate both internal and external candidates impartially, counteracting board biases.

  “Being a part of a leadership pipeline... should help de-risk the decision... But you have both the scourge of being known and the huge advantage.” — Mark Thompson [06:04]

3. Preparing for the Executive Recruiting Process

Timestamps: 08:09–10:28

• Mindset and Preparation:

  • Deeply research the board, organization, and sector.
  • Clarify your “market credibility” and what differentiates you.
  • Authenticity, self-awareness, humility, and active listening are increasingly valued.

• Demonstrating Battle-Tested Leadership:

  • Recruiters dig into success and failure stories to assess resilience and “courageous humility.”

  “They want someone battle tested, someone who can work well in peacetime and wartime.” — Mark Thompson [09:44]

  • Recruiters look for a blend of authenticity, ambition, and openness about past challenges.

4. Building and Managing Recruiter Relationships

Timestamps: 10:28–12:04

• Long-Term Relationship Building:

  • Develop relationships with recruiters before you need a job.
  • Stay visible and engaged in your industry’s talent ecosystem.

  “Meet as many of those people as possible and think about it as a developmental opportunity.” — Mark Thompson [12:04]

• Self-Selection and Focus:

  • Candidates must be clear about what roles and companies genuinely fit—recruiters become better advocates when you project a clear vision of your leadership style and aspirations.

5. The Executive Interview and Assessment Process

Timestamps: 14:34–20:32

Executive Interviews

• Contextual Awareness:
  Prepare by understanding what the board is seeking and tailor your highlighted experiences accordingly.

• Behavioral Interviews:

  • Recruiters seek “a whole person”—not just a list of achievements, but evidence of character, learning mindset, resilience, and enterprise-wide thinking.
  • They look for a unique mix of “hubris and humility.”

  "Recruiters are looking for... that unusual combination of hubris and humility." — Mark Thompson [17:13]

Psychometric Assessments

• Widespread Use:

  • Assessments evaluate personality, emotional intelligence, analytic ability, and business acumen.
  • Practice with a variety of tools can help build comfort and stamina, as the process can be exhausting.

  “Part of it is an endurance test, so... practice as much as possible... presentation skills can be developed.” — Mark Thompson [18:37]

• What Assessments Reveal:

  • Often surface how candidates react under stress and the types of situations they’re best suited for.

  “They... show how will this person respond under pressure?” — Byron Laughlin [20:38]

6. References and Reputation Management

Timestamps: 21:36–25:47

• Long-Term Relationship Cultivation:

  • Building references is a decades-long project; choose referees relevant to the current role and align them with the required criteria.
  • Maintain those relationships over time (regular check-ins, shared experiences).

  “Think about every one of your advancements up the ladder as being supported by a community... a multi decade project. Start today.” — Mark Thompson [22:53]

• Handling Unplanned References:

  • Boards (with the help of AI) will often contact former colleagues and supervisors not on your official list; it’s best to proactively address any problematic past relationships.

  “The surprise is the enemy, particularly in the boardroom.” — Byron Laughlin [24:36]

7. The Role of Artificial Intelligence

Timestamps: 25:47–26:32

• Digital Footprint Is Transparent:

  • AI enables deep background checks, scraping data from public filings, social media, Glassdoor, etc.
  • Candidates should take control of their online presence and anticipate what this data reveals.

  “All of that can be scraped in minutes and provide a fairly comprehensive report on you.” — Byron Laughlin [25:52]

8. Sustaining Recruiter Relationships

Timestamps: 26:32–28:04

• Contribute to Their Success:
  • Support recruiters’ objectives; ongoing value-add can help you stay on their radar for future opportunities.
  • Schedule regular check-ins and treat relationship management as a core leadership skill.

9. From C-Suite to CEO: What Recruiters Want

Timestamps: 28:04–29:23

• Seek T-Shaped Leaders:

  • Recruiters prioritize candidates with both deep expertise and broad, enterprise-wide perspective—the ability to manage across units, stakeholders, and rapid change.
  • The largest blind spot is often a lack of breadth beyond one’s functional silo.

  “The big change right now is this agility that the CEO needs... not only deep in expertise... but they also have the ability to think enterprise wide.” — Mark Thompson [28:11]

Memorable Quotes

| Quote | Speaker | Timestamp | |-------|---------|-----------| | “Recruiters and independent assessment firms are playing a bigger role than ever in history.” | Mark Thompson | 03:07 | | “That’s an image of the recruiters helping them look at that Rubik’s Cube of risk...” | Byron Laughlin | 04:48 | | “They want someone battle tested, someone who can work well in peacetime and wartime.” | Mark Thompson | 09:44 | | “Meet as many of those people as possible and think about it as a developmental opportunity.” | Mark Thompson | 12:04 | | “Recruiters are looking for... that unusual combination of hubris and humility.” | Mark Thompson | 17:13 | | “Think about every one of your advancements up the ladder as being supported by a community... a multi decade project. Start today.” | Mark Thompson | 22:53 | | “All of that can be scraped in minutes and provide a fairly comprehensive report on you.” | Byron Laughlin | 25:52 | | “The big change right now is this agility that the CEO needs... not only deep in expertise... but they also have the ability to think enterprise wide.” | Mark Thompson | 28:11 |

Key Takeaways

• Preparation for C-suite roles is long-term and multifaceted: It requires strategic positioning, real self-awareness, and a deep understanding of recruiter, board, and company needs.
• Authenticity, humility, and agility are more important than ever: Modern searches focus on broad leadership, self-improvement, and handling adversity.
• Relationships and reputation are cumulative and vulnerable: Candidates must programmatically build and maintain both, anticipating that every interaction and data point can be scrutinized.
• Executive recruiting is increasingly data-driven and holistic: AI and independent assessments provide boards with 360-degree views that leave little room for “managing up” only.

For Further Reading

• How to Stand Out to C Suite Recruiters (HBR article)
• CEO Ready? What You Need to Know to Earn the Job and Keep the Job by Mark Thompson & Byron Laughlin

This summary captures the episode’s most actionable advice and memorable insights for any leader aspiring to join the executive ranks, especially those with CEO ambitions.