On this week’s episode of What the FTE?, Certn’s Head of People & Culture, Melissa Marcelissen, sat down with Marianne Bulger, Partner at True Search, an executive search firm, for an unfiltered look at what really makes executive hiring work… or fall apart.
From misalignment to the myth of “culture fit,” they unpacked the common traps that even seasoned hiring teams fall into, and what it actually takes to build a leadership team that performs under pressure.
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Hiring the right executive isn’t just a strategic decision, it’s a defining one. Whether you’re building your first leadership team or scaling a global org, the cost of a mis-hire is steep: wasted time, lost momentum, and fractured teams.
Yet, many companies still walk into executive hiring with blind spots wide open.
Hiring Misalignment is an Expensive Habit
Marianne is a seasoned executive search partner, so I was curious to hear what she had to say about what the best hiring teams do differently.
Misalignment Will Cost You Every Time
The #1 mistake? Not getting aligned early. Not just on role requirements, but on why you’re hiring in the first place.
“If you don’t agree upfront on who you need, why you need them, and what they’ll actually do, you’re setting the process up to fail,” says Marianne. “It costs you time, money, and often—your top candidate.”
The Purple Squirrel Problem
Unrealistic expectations are another classic pitfall. Marianne explains that if your ideal candidate only exists in LinkedIn job descriptions—fluent in five industries, has scaled 10x ARR, and loves spreadsheets and story arcs—you’re hunting a unicorn.
Culture Add Beats Culture Fit
Still screening for “culture fit”? You might be chasing sameness over strength. Diverse executive teams outperform homogeneous ones in innovation, retention, and long-term performance.
“Culture fit too often becomes code for ‘someone just like us,’” Marianne warns. “The best teams aren’t homogenous—they’re complementary.”
Your Hiring Process Is Your Employer Brand
According to a 2025 report by CareerPlug, negative interactions during interviews cause 36% of candidates to decline offers. And yet, many hiring processes are clunky, inconsistent, or eerily quiet after the first interview.
“Great candidates are evaluating you just as much. If your process is slow or disorganized, they’ll bounce,” Marianne says.
If you’re scaling? Bring in your CEO. Founder involvement closes candidates faster, as we discussed with Matthew Heiydt in Scaling Smart: How to Drive High-Growth Hiring Without Sacrificing Quality.
Hire for Today’s Role and Tomorrow’s Reality
Want someone who’ll stay? Don’t just hire for what they’ve already done.
“If they’ve done the job top to bottom, and there’s no room to grow, they won’t be around in three years,” says Marianne. “You want someone ready to stretch, just one seat away from where they’re going.”
✅ Pro Tip: Look for number-twos from high-performing teams. A VP under a world-class CMO. A director who ran point in a scaled product org. Coachable ambition matters.
No Surprises, No Regrets
Hiring is a high-stakes trust exercise, for both sides. Over-selling your company or skipping the hard conversations leads to mismatched expectations and premature exits. Encourage exec teams to speak candidly about what it’s like to work at your company. Growth starts with transparency.
“Put on the rose-coloured glasses. Then take them off,” Marianne advises. “What’s messy? What’s real? Be honest with your candidates so they can be honest with you.”
P.S. – This is not unlike Alice Burks’ advice to “sell the nightmare” where she discussed How Deel Built a World Class Remote Culture with Zero Office Space.
TL;DR: Hiring High-Impact Execs Starts Here
Here’s your checklist:
✅ Get internal alignment early and ruthlessly
✅ Map must-haves vs stretch traits
✅ Prioritize culture add, not fit
✅ Keep candidates engaged with clear, fast comms
✅ Hire people who’ve done 80% and are hungry for the rest
✅ Build trust from the first conversation
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P.S. Building a high-performance, remote-first team? Certn’s background checks won’t slow you down. 👉 Start screening in minutes—not weeks.
