The Readiness Gap in Executive Hiring
The most common hiring failure pattern is not that companies hire incompetent executives. It is that they hire executives who are qualified but not ready — ready for a role that is slightly different, slightly earlier-stage, or slightly less demanding than the one being filled. A VP of Sales who has carried a $30M quota is not automatically ready to build a sales function from scratch. A CFO who has managed finance at a mature company is not automatically ready to take a company through a Series B. The Executive Readiness Index assesses actual readiness, not proxy qualifications.
The Five Readiness Dimensions
The Executive Readiness Index evaluates five dimensions: scope readiness (is the role materially larger or more complex than their prior experience?), stage readiness (have they operated in a company at this stage?), challenge readiness (does the specific challenge match challenges they have successfully navigated?), team readiness (can they build or lead the team this role requires?), and personal readiness (are they at a life stage where this commitment is achievable?). Each dimension is assessed through structured conversation and reference validation.
Why Readiness Differs from Competence
Competence is the ability to perform a function. Readiness is the ability to perform it in this specific context, at this specific scale, with this specific team. A highly competent executive who is not stage-ready will underperform. A highly competent executive who is personally not ready will disengage. The distinction matters enormously for the outcomes that follow placement.
How the Index Is Applied in Search
In a Majhi Group retained search, the Executive Readiness Index is applied before any candidate is presented to the client. Candidates who are technically qualified but not genuinely ready are screened out at the assessment stage rather than at the interview stage — which reduces the time clients spend evaluating candidates who will ultimately not succeed in the role.