Leaders and Legends

Experienced recruiters discuss finding talent with both government, technology strengths

Sue Ribot and Rob McHale discuss finding talent with both government and technology strengths in today's competitive market.

Aileen Black

November 19, 2019 2:40 pm

1 min read

This week on Leaders and Legends, host Aileen Black interviews Sue Ribot and Rob McHale, client partners, Korn Ferry International. Ribot and McHale have decades of experience recruiting for some of the most influential c-suite positions in government and the technology industry.

Discussion highlights:

Government and technology recruiting is trending up. This is a candidate’s market. Executives with a broad background but with specific skill sets around technology are desirable. Ribot said companies are looking for executives with international experience. “To be a successful leader today, executives have to think globally and have leadership experience that extends beyond borders,” Ribot said. “There is a war on talent in the technology sector.”
Key strategies critical to ace the interview. Accomplishments are key to highlight on your resume. Ribot stressed the need to showcase them in the first paragraph. “Be genuine. Share what you uniquely can bring to the table .” McHale said answers to interviewer’s questions must be concise.
Technology industry side of the hiring process; from role and candidate identification to closing in on the hire. Many companies are pushing to see a more diverse candidate field and are willing to wait for and/or invest in the right hire. McHale said hiring the wrong candidate could be very costly.
Advice to the candidate new to the job market. “Leverage networking and find a mentor,” Ribot said. If you don’t get the job, Ribot said, “don’t be too hard on yourself, keep pushing, learn from it and move on to the next opportunity.” McHale reinforced the importance of finding your passion. He said he found his passion in recruitment – an aspect that he said has fueled his success.