- with readers working within the Business & Consumer Services industries
Does your 2026 success depend on Key Senior/C-Suite hires?
My 2025 headhunting work in the Malta market showed me exactly what delayed action costs.
I'm sharing three painful, yet common mistakes, that will compromise your hires, so you can stop the stress and plan the right way.
Mistake No.1: "We'll start the search in the new year."
It's a common belief that there's plenty of time to start recruiting for a Q1 position in January.
The reality is that Senior and C-suite professionals typically have a three-month notice period.
If you begin your search in January, you have already closed the window to secure a key strategic hire for the first quarter. Unless you buy out the notice, or you are lucky enough to get someone with a 4-week notice period.
This procrastination can lead to:
Potential lost revenue and productivity.
Overloading the existing team, risking burnout and turnover.
Compromising regulatory requirements for key positions.
Handing competitors a six-month competitive lead.
Seriously, what are we waiting for?
Proactive planning for senior roles isn't just an advantage; it's a strategic necessity to avoid these preventable pitfalls.
But even with perfect timing, the most common next mistake is often just as flawed.
Mistake No. 2: "A job ad will attract great candidates."
Relying solely on posting a job ad to attract senior talent is a high-risk, low-reward strategy—a true Hail Mary pass.
Why?
Because high-performing professionals are rarely browsing job feeds, they are busy generating results.
You're relying entirely on chance and timing.
How many times have you won the lottery again?
Even if they see the ad, they might say, "I'll apply after I finish this," and now, we have discovered the Mariana Trench of recruitment.
This approach not only forces you to filter a high volume of unsuitable applications but also ignores a critical business need: confidentiality.
If your search must be confidential, then headhunting / networking is your only option.
Ads are in addition to headhunting/networking, not a replacement, if the search is not confidential.
Fun Fact: A significant number of successful C-Suite and Senior Level hires I completed never made it on a job ad.
You don't need luck to find the right leader; you need a strategy that gives you direct access to the right people.
Mistake No. 3: "A competitive salary is all that matters."
While compensation is important, the belief that a high salary is the ultimate lure for top-tier executives is a fundamental misunderstanding of their core motivations.
For most Senior and C-suite professionals, the primary driver for changing roles is to achieve greater influence, strategic impact, and the chance to build a legacy.
To win top talent, you must shift your focus from a simple transaction to a strategic proposition.
Here's the often-missed part: Your interview process is one of the most important, yet ignored, strategic attraction tools you can have.
A generic, uninspired process sends a clear message that this is a transaction, not a career move.
In contrast, an interview process designed to blend your company's mission with the candidate's purpose acts as a powerful attraction tool, making every interaction a strategic part of the invitation to build something great together. Long term.
From Transaction to Purpose.
Successful senior hiring requires a fundamental shift in mindset—from reactive, transactional methods to a proactive, strategic approach, driven by purpose.
Attracting top-tier leaders is about understanding their true motivations, respecting their time, and articulating a vision they can help you build.
What is your hiring process silently communicating to the leaders you want to attract?
You are not alone.
If you are planning to hire at Senior / C Suite Level in 2026, I am offering a free, no-strings-attached consultation to help you start your search the right way.
Together we will:
Define the Core Problem: Pinpoint the specific problem your hire must solve or the results they must achieve, and frame it as a compelling career advantage.
Uncover Your Unique Value: Identify the non-monetary assets that will compel a top performer to move to your company.
Design Your Attraction Process: Outline how to approach the interview process as a strategic tool, not just an assessment.
At best, you solve a painful problem early on. At worst, you walk away confident that you have it all figured out.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
