Backchannel References for Interim CEO
Backchannel references decide half of interim placements. Done wrong, they burn the candidate and the sponsor. Done right, they are the fastest de-risking tool a recruiter has. The rules.
The four rules
- Never call inside the candidate's current company
- Never call someone the candidate has not implicitly acknowledged you might call (their peers, their sponsors, their board)
- Ask about specific decisions, not about the person in the abstract
- Never repeat what a backchannel said, only what you concluded
Who to call
- A former chair or PE sponsor two mandates back
- A CFO who reported into them
- A search partner who placed them into a prior role
- An operator who was replaced by them (yes, this one)
What to ask
Not 'is she good'. Ask 'what was the specific call she took in month two that you would not have taken', and 'what did she miss'. Two questions decide most references.
https://niklaslindahl.com/guides/backchannel-references-for-interim-ceo