Bob Calvert

Effective Community Bank Senior Officer Recruiting
Executive Recruiting by Calvert Consulting

The Right Senior Officer – In the Right Position – At the Right Time

Your decision to bring a senior officer into your community bank may be the most significant decision you will make. This officer may be the catalyst that plays the key role in enhancing your return on equity or bringing in those key prospects that will give you a competitive edge. Or this new senior officer may be a disappointment, to you and to the bank. Perhaps even worse, this officer may be just good enough to hold the job for years…..impeding subordinate officers…..frustrating other senior officers and directors.

Many community banks invest considerable time and money in recruiting, too frequently creating a high-risk situation by hiring a candidate prematurely or without careful and professional screening and evaluation.

More and more community banks of all sizes are finding that a well-planned retained search conducted through an experienced executive recruiter is the most effective and professional means of filling key senior officer positions!

Important requirements faced by our client banks that have utilized our services have been:

The need for one key officer to provide a change in direction.
The need for confidentiality in handling a sensitive organizational assessment and recruitment of talent in a timely manner.
The need for a senior officer to serve as a coach and team leader for a high performing staff.
The need to identify and attract the best possible talent, rather than relying on traditional recruiting methods.

The effectively directed and managed community bank depends upon outside professionals such as CPAs and Attorneys for specialized services. No other outside professional can contribute more to helping you structure a strong, competitive, profitable bank than a qualified retained Executive Search Consultant.

How is Calvert Consulting Different From Other Executive Recruiters?

Calvert Consulting started as a community bank senior officer executive recruiting business in 1982 representing client banks exclusively in the search process.
We work strictly on a retainer basis. Most recruiting firms work on a contingency basis and keep numerous files of all applicants that send them resumes when the applicants are disgruntled or have been dismissed. Calvert Consulting’s retained search is able to focus on the specific officer need and investigate in detail the qualifications, background, and behavioral profile of each candidate. This saves our client bank much time and therefore, money!
Calvert Consulting’s recruiter, Bob Calvert, is a Certified Management Consultant, which means he has subscribed to and lives by a high standard of written professional ethics.
Bob was a banker for 25 years and served as President, CEO, and Director of a community bank for five years. He has worked in and managed all areas of community banks.
Because Calvert Consulting is a small, focused, community bank consulting firm, we can assure our bank clients of strict confidentiality throughout all of our engagements.
Calvert Consulting has extensive bank management contacts on a nationwide basis, having worked in 47 states.
We understand the need for strategic and competitive leaders that can inspire and motivate employees, officers, and directors in light of the financial services reform environment.
Calvert Consulting’s mission is to identify, evaluate, and attract outstanding senior officer candidates from whom you can select the individual who best fills your requirements. We guarantee our results!

Calvert Consulting’s Proven 7-Step Recruiting Search Procedure

1.Position Analysis:

We confer with you in a pre-search conference to learn about your bank’s needs, structure, and corporate objectives, and to define the position and qualities desired in the candidate. We develop a full understanding of your bank, the working environment, your specific candidate requirements, and the role the individual will play in your bank. We want to understand the type of candidate who will fit the personality and style of your bank.

2. Research:

Having established criteria for candidate selection, we research the many sources we have developed in more than 36 years of experience in banks. This begins with a careful analysis of the key target banks in your market area, then comparable banks in your region, and finally throughout the country. We identify banks most likely to employ the type of individual you need. We follow-up leads through our network of personal contacts throughout the country.

3. Sourcing:

Now we begin a comprehensive program to contact sources and identify prospective candidates. Many candidates may be screened, with only a few surviving the process. We then talk with bank peers and former employers of these prime prospects. Contacts are handled with extreme confidentiality to protect both your bank and the candidates.

4. Candidate Evaluation:

Thorough, intensive interviews are conducted (mostly at night to insure confidentiality and a more open, relaxed interview) with the most promising candidates. Our professional training in the techniques of in-depth appraisal interviews and our knowledge of your requirements enable us to objectively assess each candidate. We consider vital issues relating to work experience, such as background, education, personality, values, professional development and achievement, ability to handle the job under consideration, community involvement, and compensation history and growth. In turn, we candidly interpret your bank values, work environment, and career opportunities to leading candidates.

5. Profiling and Reference Checking:

We use a proven, time-tested profiling instrument designed to assess a candidate’s individual strengths and possible limitations as well as productivity and overall organizational effectiveness. We develop (and share with you) a 26 page behavioral profile report on each selected candidate that measures how the candidate:

Responds to Problems and Challenges

Influences Others to His Point of View

Responds to the Pace of the Environment

Responds to Rules and Procedures Set by Others

This report measures how a person will do a job by detailing the behavior he brings to the job (natural behavior) and the behavior he thinks is necessary to succeed at the job (adapted behavior). We compare this to the behavior you desire. We have used this instrument for more than 25 years and continue to be amazed at its accuracy and detail. Also, we include in the report a graphic display of the candidate’s behavioral skills in 12 specific factors. Each factor was carefully selected to give a broad based management style analysis.

All backgrounds and references are carefully and extensively investigated. Our basic background check includes: full credit check, unlawful detainers, public filings, professional license verification, verification of previous employment/salary history, verification of educational institutions, and verification of social security number. These are fully documented in writing. We verbally check references from prior managers and peers that verify position functions, accomplishments, performance strengths, and weaknesses. We also check with the appropriate regulators. The candidate must sign a background verification permission release.

6. Recruiting:

Open communications with you and the candidates during all phases of the search process are maintained in such a manner as to respect both the confidentiality and sensitivity of the search assignment. We coordinate the presentation of each prospect to you for preliminary evaluation. We then arrange telephone and fact to face interviews for finalist candidates, providing both you and each candidate with two-way feedback when the search reaches this critical stage. When you have chosen the candidate your bank wants to employ, we will participate and assist in the offer and negotiation process.

7. On-Going Follow Up:

After the candidate is employed, we follow up with both client bank and candidate to insure a smooth transition and satisfactory completion of the assignment. You are assured of continuity, responsiveness, and a comprehensive search program from start to finish.

Calvert Consulting, P.O. Box 8, 2619 Pilgrim Rest Church Road, Alford, FL 32420
(850) 579-2400 Fax (850) 579-2442
bob@bobcalvert.com

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