Executive Search is Broken — Here’s What Executive Candidates Really Need to Know with Neil Frye, Dotmatics (ex-Google & Dropbox CPO)
Episode description
This episode of HR Heretics explores executive search from both sides: being recruited and managing recruitment. Neil Frye, former CPO at Google and Dropbox, and current Chief People Officer at Dotmatics, sits down with Nolan Church and discuss withdrawal strategies, internal versus external search criteria, conscious leadership frameworks, style compatibility, and treating job searches like mutual acquisitions rather than one-sided selections.
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KEEP UP WITH NEIL, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDIN
Neil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-frye-he-him-54755319/
Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/
Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/
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LINKS:
Dotmatics:
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(01:18) Neil's Executive Search Journey
(02:46) The Candidate Perspective: Why Neil Withdraws from Searches
(04:18) Using AI to Level Up Interview Confidence
(05:18) The Danger of Always Having Answers
(06:30) Executive Search as Matchmaking
(08:25) Defining Non-Negotiables Before You Start
(10:50) Don't Mistake Polish for Fit
(13:25) Pushing Back on Development Stories
(13:35) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview
(17:00) Building Executive Search from the CPO Side
(18:56) Internal vs External Search: The 90% Rule
(20:38) The Network Test for External Firms
(22:00) Conscious Leadership Framework
(25:25) Style Compatibility in Executive Hiring
(29:32) The Tactile Learning CEO Pattern
(33:18) Candidate Due Diligence Strategies
(34:21) Requesting More Interview Panel Members
(36:12) Real-World Work Examples
(37:14) Time and Relationships Trump Speed
(39:26) Building Budgets Before Accepting Offers
(40:48) Final Advice: Stop Waiting to Be Picked
(41:22) Wrap
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