This fictional short case sets up a hiring scenario that can be analyzed through the lens of the best practices found in "Note on Best Practices in Hiring" (GSB Case E-416). A CEO wants to hire a VP of Strategy and Business Development. How will he know what he is looking for and when he has found the right person?

All hiring managers want to hire the "right" person for each position. Only half succeed. The other half end in failure, impeding direct projects as well as indirectly eroding revenue, EBITDA, and company valuation. Given such high stakes, managers should be clear on what it will take for a candidate to succeed in a given job, and be disciplined in hiring a person who fits the bill. This note outlines the process of finding and vetting candidates for success.