Candidate to Executive: A Leadership Recruitment Story

Could a simple email change the trajectory of your career?

This question introduces our latest success story featuring a Hueman pioneer in people-centered executive search. Our partner shares valuable insights into what makes a recruitment process truly exceptional, highlighting the significance of organizational fit, continuous feedback, and thorough preparation.

When planning your tropical vacation, the last thing you expect to see amidst your hotel confirmation emails is a job opportunity. That’s how Keisha Mullings-Smith's career journey took an unexpected but opportunistic twist. The outreach was, as the then UChicago Medicine (UCM) candidate put it, "the start of a beautiful relationship."  

And at Hueman, we take our relationships seriously.   

Whether client or candidate, you're not just another box to check off or a number in a hiring goal. We get to know you, layer by layer, taking the time and dedication to understand your goals, motivations, and what makes you, you. In today’s complex corporate landscape, hiring senior leadership is no small feat; the impact of placing the right leader—or the wrong one—reaches across the entire organization.

For many organizations, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) has emerged as a strategic solution to navigate these high-stakes hiring challenges.  

The Leadership Hiring Process Reimagined 

In a time when many recruitment firms operate transactionally, Hueman RPO's story with the UChicago Medicine (UCM) shows a distinctively human-centered approach, exemplified by our successful placement of Mullings-Smith as Chief Consumer Experience Officer (CCEO). Her journey to UCM and Hueman's role in her transition is a testament to how specialized recruitment firms can not only place hard-to-fill roles but also help organizations thrive. 

At the onset, the challenge for UCM was clear: they needed the right candidate to unify and enhance the patient experience across their growing health system. This was no ordinary hire. The person selected for this role had to balance the complexities of academic medicine, improve patient satisfaction scores, and integrate with a leadership team facing the post-pandemic realities of healthcare — a leader who would bring a Ritz Carlton level of hospitality to hospital patients.

 "It's not just about finding someone qualified. It's about understanding the core values of the organization and ensuring that the candidate sees that too"

Kim Kent, a leadership recruiter with Hueman, led the search. What set our approach apart was how we meticulously positioned UCM's mission and vision to candidates. "It's not just about finding someone qualified. It's about understanding the core values of the organization and ensuring that the candidate sees that too," Kent explained. "At UCM, the patient experience is more than a metric—it's at the heart of their mission." 

Step 1: Research & Discovery 

At Hueman, care and attention to detail don’t stop at the candidate level. Prior to sourcing, Kent and her team spent weeks conducting discovery calls with key stakeholders at UCM to gain a nuanced understanding of what the organization truly needed from a Chief Patient Experience Officer (CXO). This commitment ensured that when candidates were introduced, they were not only technically qualified but also offered a diverse perspective and aligned with UCM's mission and values.

We don't recruit for UCM; we recruit as a part of the UCM team.  

In contrast to many search firms that prioritize speed and quantity, the Hueman model integrates seamlessly into the business processes of our client organizations. In other words, we don't recruit for UCM; we recruit as a part of the UCM team. This approach was fundamental to UCM, a complex academic medical center with multiple layers of decision-making. 

"By embedding ourselves into the business, we can speak the language of the organization, which is critical in matching the right talent to the right roles."

Kent highlighted how Hueman's integration into UCM's processes allowed her to identify candidates who would not just fit but flourish. "By embedding ourselves into the business, we can speak the language of the organization, which is critical in matching the right talent to the right roles," she said. "We identified other large hospital systems who are direct competitors, conducted boolean searches, and looked through accreditations and other reputable associations."  

Research Tools 

• Competitor Research
• Job Boards
• Executive Networking & Connections 
• Press Ganey 
• Conferences 
• LinkedIn 
• BeenVerified  

Discovery Questions 

These candidate resources are vetted through discovery calls (anywhere from 5 to 20) with the hiring managers and other top executives, giving us a more streamlined idea of who we should target and how. 

• What organizations are doing well in the field you want to improve? 
• Who do you know that could lead us in the right direction? 
• What associations should we target? 
• What skills are important to this position? 
• Who are the thought leaders in this industry? 
• What other organizations are hiring for this role? 

Step 2: Candidate Outreach 

By the end of the research stage, the team combs through hundreds of candidates screened through hours of internet sleuthing, which we meticulously narrow down to discover the cream of the crop. Kent elaborates on this. "The outreach piece takes a lot of time, a lot of investigation, and a lot of conversations that sometimes don't go anywhere, but you never know where that lead is going to come from." 

Hueman RPO's successful placement of Mullings-Smith resulted from dozens of conversations (upwards of 50), plenty of patience, and a bit of sales and marketing. She was already a leader in patient experience and wasn't actively looking for a new position. Kent first connected on LinkedIn in what Mullings-Smith initially thought would be a routine conversation.

"The conversation felt natural and personal. It wasn't a hard sell—more like an invitation to learn and explore."  

Her outreach was so compelling that Mullings-Smith, even in the midst of her vacation, not only replied to learn more but also went through the painstaking process of resetting her LinkedIn password to do so. "I saw a note in my email box from Kent, and... the lines I could see in the preview of my email mentioned the UChicago Medicine," she recalled. "It was an email that came in through LinkedIn, and I thought, darn, what's my LinkedIn password?' I hadn't been really active on LinkedIn, so I reset my password because I was intrigued by Kent's message, and we were able to connect quickly while I was on vacation." 

What followed was a series of messages and Zoom calls that Mullings-Smith described as "genuinely warm" despite never having met Kent in person. "Kim took the time to get to know me and understand my current role," said Mullings-Smith. "The conversation felt natural and personal. It wasn't a hard sell—more like an invitation to learn and explore." 

"She wasn't just reading a job description—she truly understood the role, the culture, and the potential impact it could have on both sides." 

Kent's preparation and ability to articulate UCM's vision in a way that made it relatable inspired Mullings-Smith. "I felt as though Kim had been sitting in the boardroom at UCM," she revealed.  

Step 3: Narrowing Down to Top Candidates 

Recruiting top-level executives can be a lengthy and multi-faceted process involving several stages of assessments, feedback, and coordination. This step is typically spread over 90 to 120 days, depending on the role and the number of candidates.  

The process starts with discovery calls, where the recruiter works closely with the hiring team to establish what qualities they're looking for in a candidate. Each applicant is presented with a comprehensive profile highlighting their experience, education, and qualifications. After evaluating the initial pool of applicants, the recruiter narrows it down to 10 to 12 top candidates.  

"Sometimes [that number] is more because the executives like too many people, which is a good problem to have," Kent expanded. "We really try to keep that number smaller just to have a more positive experience for the candidates. So, they're not having to constantly be on Zoom interviews." Next, the search committee reviews the top candidates. At this stage, the committee aims to whittle down the pool, typically to five or six candidates. Then it's time to interview. 

Step 4: Initial Interviews & Selection 

The shortlisted candidates take part in the first round of interviews, which are typically conducted over Zoom. The goal here is to narrow down the pool further to a smaller subset. Although five or six candidates are ideal, sometimes more candidates move forward if multiple people impress the committee. 

One of the most time-consuming aspects of this phase is coordinating schedules. With multiple candidates and interviewers involved, scheduling can become complex, often involving numerous Zoom meetings. Kent is all too familiar with this step. "If we have seven candidates and ten interviewers, that's 70 Zoom interviews that have to be coordinated and scheduled. So, it usually takes a few weeks." 

Finalists and Onsite Interviews 

After narrowing the pool down to the final two or three candidates (though occasionally as many as four), the next step is onsite interviews. This stage is often a chance to provide candidates with a more immersive experience, showcasing the organization's culture and community. 

During onsite interviews, candidates are treated to a "white glove" experience, which might include transportation services, welcome gift baskets, and catered meals during their visit. The aim is to leave a positive, lasting impression on the finalists. 

"There were no gaps where I was left wondering what was happening next."

Kent's communication with Mullings-Smith exemplifies this philosophy. After every interview, Kent provided immediate feedback and maintained transparency throughout the process. Mullings-Smith, reflecting on her experience, added, "There were no gaps where I was left wondering what was happening next. Kim always followed up and ensured I was fully prepared for each stage of the interview. It felt more like a partnership than a typical recruitment process."

"It felt more like a partnership than a typical recruitment process."

The focus on consistent communication allowed Mullings-Smith to move through the stages of the hiring process without the uncertainty and frustration often associated with leadership recruitment. 

"Working in academic medicine means navigating not only the medical center but also the university, and that involves understanding distinct cultures and priorities," Mullings-Smith pointed out.  

"Hueman RPO didn't just prepare me for the role. They ensured I was ready for the distinctions of UCM's culture."

Whether it be the Zoom interviews or the final onsite interviews, the search committee engages in thorough discussions and evaluations. The feedback process involves detailed rubrics and an intricate scoring system to assess candidates across various criteria. Kent created a massive spreadsheet that broke down everyone's comments and the scores that they provided for the candidates.  

These insights help identify top candidates, although different interviewers often have varying opinions on which candidates stand out.  

It's almost never a universal decision.  

"You're a little surprised at who ends up winning the most people over or who really fills the gap of the organization," Kent emphasized. While the team processes data from the evaluation process, the final choice often reflects the hiring leader's vision for the role and the organization. 

A key aspect of this process is balancing each candidate's strengths and potential gaps: 

• Identifying Key Strengths: The recruiter and hiring team look for candidates who can fill specific organizational gaps, whether it's innovation, leadership, or other vital skills. 

• Training for Gaps: In cases where a candidate might be missing certain skills or experience, the team assesses whether those gaps can be addressed through training or are less critical to the role. 

• Cultural Add: Given that some candidates may be more risk-averse or inclined toward maintaining the status quo, it's essential to find someone who aligns with the organization's broader goals, which may include innovation and pushing boundaries. 

Step 5: Continued Communication 

Hueman's focus on cultural alignment has yielded tangible results. Improvements in patient experience scores have underscored Mullings-Smith's success in her role at UCM across the system, an area that had been an organizational priority for years but had struggled to gain traction. Kent highlights her colleague's journey. "We [UCM] brought her in to be the VP, Chief Patient Experience Officer. Now she's head of corporate experience, and that includes all the employees in HR. She's essentially the equivalent of a CHRO." 

Mullings-Smith's transformation from a passive candidate to an innovative leader at UCM embodies the power of a relationship-driven approach. As organizations face increasingly complex hiring needs, the lesson from UCM's experience is clear: finding the right partner in recruitment can be a game-changer. 

Our work doesn't end at candidate placement.

What truly differentiates Hueman RPO from other firms is its commitment to the long-term success of both the candidate and the organization. Our work doesn't end at candidate placement. In Mullings-Smith's case, Hueman has continued to support UCM by helping her make leadership hires. 

This ongoing partnership has proven invaluable as UCM continues to grow. As Mullings-Smith now oversees both patient and employee experience at UCM, she relies on Hueman's recruiting expertise to ensure that new hires, particularly in leadership roles, meet the same high standards.  

"Hueman has become more than just a recruitment partner for us," "Their deep understanding of our culture and values has been critical in making additional leadership hires that align with our vision for the future." - Mullings-Smith 

Let Hueman RPO Find Your Next Leaders 

For organizations that value the impact of strong leadership, partnering with Hueman is a strategic advantage. Our commitment to excellence is evident in our partnership with UCM and organizations across several industries nationwide.

If you're looking to attract top talent and drive meaningful change within your organization, Hueman is here to assist you in finding exceptional leadership candidates. Let's work together to elevate your team! Contact us today!