When MeyerHaugen invites people to a professional discussion about recruitment, the room is all but full. With his blend of experience, humour and clear messages, Petter Meyer takes participants on a journey from Norges Bank to today's work with executive recruitment – and draws unexpected parallels to both dating and polar expeditions.
From conservative to candidate-friendly recruitment
Meyer began by explaining why his company was founded: a desire to modernise a often conservative industry. «Previously, it was a bit like: don't call us, we'll call you,» he reflects, with a clear perspective that this is no longer how to recruit. MeyerHaugen wanted to meet candidates with more warmth, closeness, and technology – and always with a clear focus on the candidate experience.
He stressed the importance of talking about the effect of what is done, not just the input factors. «We don't move people – we help companies reach goals, create growth and realise strategies,» said Meyer.
Don't hunt for “the best” – reduce the risk
A key point of the lecture was that recruitment isn't about finding “the best candidate” in an absolute sense. «The best doesn't really exist – it's about reducing the risk of making wrong hires,» Meyer explained. He presented a simple model of four scenarios, where the aim is to avoid “false positives”: candidates who seem good but don't work out in practice.
During the lecture, he drew several parallels to dating: «It's about avoiding ending up in a relationship that isn't good for you – whether that's in your personal or professional life.»
Honesty as a competitive advantage
Meyer advocated for what he called a «realistic job preview» – as honest a description of the job as possible. He referred to the legendary advertisement from the polar explorer Ernest Shackleton: brief, brutally honest, and appealing to those who were truly motivated.
«Be honest, many are choosing to leave you,» Meyer said. «Those who remain are motivated for exactly the challenges you have.»
Values and culture are more important than to-do lists
To attract the best candidates, one must understand what they are actually looking for. Meyer pointed to five key factors: Values, culture, ambitions, leadership, and vision. «A list of 20 tasks sparks no enthusiasm,» he said. «Skilled people will know where they are going, who is in charge, and what sort of culture they will be part of.»
Podcasts as a recruitment tool
MeyerHaugen has introduced position podcasts where the recruiting manager is interviewed about culture, visions, and leadership. The podcasts give candidates an honest picture of the position – and mean that many self-select out early. «It saves time and reduces the risk of incorrect hires,» said Meyer. «By the time we meet for the first time, the candidate knows more about us than we know about them.»
What characterizes top executives?
From working on MeyerHaugen's Topplederpodcast, Meyer and the team have mapped out common traits among top leaders. High stress tolerance, energy, confidence, influence, decisiveness, and consideration are among the recurring skills. «The most important task a leader has is to attract, develop, and retain talented people. If you can't do that, you fail as a leader,» said Meyer.
The call to end
Meyers' closing message was clear: recruitment must be about building a genuine social contract between employer and employee – based on honesty, mutual understanding, and clear expectation management.
«Fewer candidates might apply, but those who do will know what they are getting themselves into – and this leads to both better hires and better relationships.»
