Seeking Insights: Should a CEO Be Involved in Every Recruitment and Selection Process?

Dear Seniors, I am working on a project in Recruitment and Selection for a company with 60+ employees and planning for expansion. I would be really grateful if you could provide me with insights on this topic: "Does the CEO involve in all recruitment and selection processes for all job positions?" Please let me know if there is any confusion or if more information is needed. Looking forward to your helpful support. Thank you and have a great time.

Regards,
Nigha

As far as the CEO will be involved in hiring higher management (for example, managers), later managers will hire supervisors and employees. Optionally, if there are any relatives of the CEO, then he can place them in any department.

Thanks,

Sayeed has given you a sound answer given the limited information you have provided. Therefore, I will raise some questions, the answers to which will clarify the situation. In what capacity are you working on the project? What experience have you gained after completing your "education," and what qualifications do you possess? Can you tell us whether it is an owner-managed organization and how long it has been in operation? Why has the confusion arisen? Is it because the CEO wants to be involved in all appointments?

Thank you.

As rightly said by Simhan, there are other aspects that one would want to know to answer a yes or a no to your question.

Factors Influencing CEO Involvement in Recruitment

It would depend on the hierarchy and the organizational chart of your firm. It would also depend on the type of industry or work you perform.

In my internship, I found that the Head of HR was the one responsible for most hiring. The CEO might have information on the number of vacant positions or new requisitions made and progress on them, but does not get involved in the actual hiring process.

However, in the firm where I currently work, it is a very small organization with a staff of only about 40 people. Here, the final round of interviews is conducted with the CEO.

Not just this, I had been to a hospital for an interview for the position of HR where my first round was by the HR Executive, the second by the Head of HR, and the third by the CEO of the hospital.

Conclusion

It would all depend on the policy your firm follows. There is no hard and fast rule regarding it, and there is neither a purely black nor white area for it.

Hope it helped.

CEO and Board Involvement in Recruitment

1. Not only the CEO, but sometimes board approval is also required for certain positions.

2. The CEO may get involved in creating job descriptions and finalizing the budget. My suggestion is to plan properly and make formal approval notes before starting the actual hiring process.

Your query about the CEO taking interviews is purely academic. Consider that the CEO is the Chief Executive Officer of the company, overseeing all operations. It is up to the CEO to decide how many responsibilities to delegate to other officials and in which areas they feel knowledgeable, experienced, and have time to manage. It is important to understand that the CEO holds all authority, with every department and employee ultimately accountable to them. Even if the company has a COO and CFO, they still fall under the CEO's command.

In my 34 years of experience in India and abroad, I have observed that the primary role of the HR department is crucial both before and after candidate selection. Their responsibilities include shortlisting candidates, scheduling interviews, handling paperwork, and onboarding procedures. It is essential to recognize that while HR professionals excel in managing people, they may not be experts in the operational, financial, marketing, commercial, or technical aspects of the company's functions.

In cases where HR is authorized to hire junior and mid-level management staff across various fields, they usually involve department heads in the interview process to assess candidate capabilities. For middle and senior management positions, it is typically a VP/GM or the CEO who conducts interviews and makes selections. Ultimately, only the CEO knows the type of individuals they want to bring into the company, making their personal involvement in recruitment processes highly valuable.

In many small and medium-sized companies, CEOs are often owners, directors, or deeply committed employees. Their direct participation in interviews allows them to establish personal connections with new hires, fostering motivation and openness within the organization.

A significant reason supporting my viewpoint is the rising employee turnover rates in many companies. Often, a VP/GM may recruit their former team based on personal relationships, leading to mass departures if the VP/GM decides to leave. Conversely, if the CEO actively participates in recruitment, employees are more likely to feel loyal to both the CEO and the company, reducing turnover rates.

In conclusion, there is no harm in CEOs conducting interviews; in fact, it can enhance productivity, continuity, and alleviate HR workload.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

The CEO is normally not involved in the process of selection. He is, of course, the authority to sanction the vacancies and accord approval to the panel of selection suggested by the selection committee. He is usually involved in the selection of senior executives.

Regards,
S.K. Johi

Delegation and Chart of Authority in Recruitment

It all depends on the delegation and chart of authority. In some companies where the size is small, the CEO is involved in all recruitment and selection of job positions. However, in medium and large-sized companies, it is delegated to the managers for their employees, supervisors, and general managers for hiring department managers, etc.