The Candidate you Almost Overlooked Might be your Best Hire

By Tracy McMillan, Managing Partner

What if the best candidate in your executive search is the one your hiring committee almost eliminated?

It happens more often than you might think.

A highly qualified executive doesn't shine in an interview. A confident leader is perceived as arrogant. A promising first-time CEO gets passed over for someone with a more traditional résumé.

After years of leading executive searches, I've seen how quickly first impressions can overshadow leadership potential — and how costly those assumptions can be.

Whether you're hiring for a publicly traded company, a privately held business, a private equity-backed organization or a nonprofit, the challenge is the same: finding the leader who can take your organization from where it is today to where it needs to be next.

And sometimes, that leader isn't who you expected.

Here are four candidates hiring committees should think twice before passing over.

1. The Candidate Who Doesn't Command the Room

Traditional interviews tend to reward charisma, quick thinking and executive presence. Candidates who speak confidently and generate immediate enthusiasm often make strong first impressions.

But those qualities don't necessarily translate into effective leadership.

Sometimes the candidate who appears more reserved or less energetic is simply more deliberate. They may pause before answering questions, carefully consider their responses or communicate in a measured style.

That doesn't mean they lack vision, decisiveness or the ability to inspire others.

Hiring committees should distinguish between a candidate's communication style and their leadership capabilities. A thoughtful, measured response may reveal more about someone's judgment than an immediate, polished answer.

Don't confuse the ability to command an interview with the ability to lead an organization.

2. The Candidate whose Confidence is Mistaken for Arrogance

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the candidate whose confidence makes a hiring committee uncomfortable.

Strong leaders often have strong opinions. They understand their capabilities and aren't afraid to articulate their vision.

But confidence can sometimes be misinterpreted as arrogance, particularly when a candidate's background, communication style or appearance challenges expectations.

During one recent CEO search, a highly qualified candidate was initially passed over despite extensive leadership experience and impressive credentials.

Part of the concern stemmed from how committee members interpreted his responses. They believed he had failed to take responsibility for a past organizational challenge.

We revisited the interview recording and discovered something important: He had explicitly acknowledged his responsibility. The committee's perception didn't match what he'd actually said.

After further conversations and reconsideration, the candidate returned to the process and ultimately secured the CEO position.

Perception isn't always reality. Before eliminating a candidate based on subjective impressions, revisit the evidence. Was there a genuine concern about leadership judgment, or simply a reaction to the candidate's style?

3. The Strong Candidate who has a Bad Interview

Even accomplished executives can have an off day.

Perhaps they misunderstand a question, struggle to connect with an interviewer or simply don't perform at their best in a virtual setting.

That shouldn't automatically disqualify them.

During another recent search, a candidate with exceptional credentials and a strong professional reputation struggled during a virtual interview and was eliminated from consideration.

Yet her experience suggested she deserved another look.

Working with organizational leadership and members of the hiring committee, we encouraged reconsideration. When she returned for an in-person interview, the difference was remarkable. She demonstrated the leadership capabilities that hadn't come through on Zoom and ultimately secured the position.

The experience reinforced the importance of looking beyond a single interview.

When a candidate has demonstrated the ability to lead organizations, manage complexity and deliver results, that track record deserves serious consideration.

Reference checks, previous performance, stakeholder feedback and additional conversations can provide a more complete picture.

The goal isn't to hire the best interviewer. It's to hire the best leader.

5. The First-Time C-Suite Executive Who is Ready for the Next Step

Of course, experience isn't everything.

Some of the strongest candidates may never have held the exact title you're hiring for. They may be senior executives who have spent years preparing for the opportunity to take on broader responsibilities.

A hiring committee focused exclusively on candidates who have already occupied a particular role risks overlooking exceptional talent.

The better question is whether the candidate has demonstrated the judgment, strategic thinking, relationship-building skills and leadership maturity necessary to succeed.

Can they move from leading a function to leading an enterprise? Can they navigate competing priorities, build high-performing teams and deliver results? Do they have the capacity to grow alongside the organization?

Your next great executive may be someone who hasn't yet had the opportunity to prove themselves in that exact role.

Hire for the Next Chapter, Not the Last One

Many organizations are now navigating leadership transitions after executives who have served for decades. But the next generation of leaders may not follow the same path — or stay nearly as long.

That's why hiring committees need to shift their perspective.

Rather than looking for someone who can replicate a predecessor's success, ask what the organization needs to accomplish in its next phase of growth. For some, that may mean executing a three-year value-creation strategy. For others, it may mean building sustainable leadership and organizational strength over the next five to seven years.

Does the organization need to stabilize operations? Accelerate growth? Navigate a merger or acquisition? Expand into new markets? Build a stronger leadership team?

The right candidate should have the capabilities to meet those challenges while leaving the organization stronger, including developing internal talent and preparing for future leadership transitions.

Executive search requires rigor, but it also demands an open mind. The strongest candidate may be reserved, exceptionally confident, highly experienced or stepping into a C-suite role for the first time.

You can't always predict who you'll find when you begin a search.

The question isn't whether a candidate fits your picture of the perfect leader. It's whether they can lead your organization where it needs to go next.