This was one of series of “How to…” mini white papers for this specialist recruitment company. A valuable resource, it also acted as a subtle sales tool for the client.
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Some questions to ask and characteristics to look for
Does their personality and approach match the role? They should come across as principled, diligent and fair. Qualities such as these are important, not just in themselves, but in providing an example to those they work with.
How proactive are they? An ideal candidate should always be looking to be on top of new regulations and to develop the best ways of meeting changing requirements. Today’s compliance regime has evolved greatly from what it was even five years ago. Fast-forward another five years and the chances are it will again be far removed from what is expected today.
How strong is their international outlook and worldwide regulatory knowledge? Both are important and, depending on the nature of your operations and your global presence, they may be of critical importance to your organisation.
Are they capable of effectively communicating with both partners (at a strategic level) and staff (at an operational level)? For larger organisations, can they represent compliance effectively on relevant committees or other internal bodies?
Can they produce internal policy documents for identifying and following current requirements? What about strategic documents for the future?
Can they cultivate good working relationships with the regulators? How would they handle investigations if breaches occur or are suspected?
Will they be able to develop good relationships with their peers in similar firms to ensure your organisation is at the forefront of best practice? (Is there any indication already of how some of their peers might view them?)
If you’re not convinced by the answers to questions like these, chances are that the regulators won’t be either.