backchannel Ep. 2: Building alignment and quantifying success with Steven Berman, Accel-KKR

By Nick Green

The current job market has forced companies to rethink their hiring processes. Velocity is the name of the game, but how do you make sure you’re still running a comprehensive search and hiring the best person for the job?

In this episode, Steven Berman, Accel-KKR’s Director of Executive Search, talks about how he approaches the issue, how he actionizes his firm’s network, and why he’s not concerned about getting candidates to say yes to a job.

Here are some highlights from the conversation:

  • Steven’s role at Accel-KKR (00:31)
  • How Steven prepares for a search (02:25)
  • Defining what success looks like (03:39)
  • How to actionize your firm’s existing network (05:06)
  • How to balance speed with running a comprehensive search process (07:26)
  • Steven’s top challenge right now (08:29)
  • How he’s addressing the challenge (9:46)
  • Becoming a steward for executives and their career (10:22)
  • Why he doesn’t worry about getting candidates to say yes (11:52)
  • Competencies vs experience (12:47)
  • Rethinking the unwritten rules of building a career (14:06)
  • Thrive’s roundtables (15:43)

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