”Hiring our COO through Acumen was the best hiring decision I have ever made!” stated the President, one and a half years after we placed their COO.
A family-owned manufacturing business, in its second generation, faced challenges due to inadequate succession planning and a lack of operational expertise. The company experienced inefficiencies and inaccurate estimates/costing, resulting in a decline in profitability over the past three years.
Upon completing the intake process, the Acumen team identified key requirements for the new leader and the issues they would need to address:
Establish trust with stakeholders
Address siloed departments and cultivate collaboration
Manage the business collaboratively with ownership while maintaining a sense of ownership
Promote intentional growth, increase capacity, and expand the scope of work
Navigate a small-town culture with long-term employees resistant to change
Balance decision-making between the founder’s directive approach and the second generation’s collaborative approach
Acumen leveraged their network to identify three candidates who matched the company’s background and culture. We designed interview questions to help the client explore their pain points and assess which candidate would not only fit currently but also meet future needs.
Within months of hiring the new COO, positive impacts were observed. The CEO acknowledged the successful hire by stating, “You have effectively selected our new COO – he continues to take on responsibilities and has alleviated much of my burden, especially as we grow and evolve.”