Diversity and Inclusion is one of the hottest topics in the workplace right now, but for Lisa Ong, founder of Wishing Out Loud, a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy Consulting business, this has been her career focus for nearly 20 years.

In my 11 years of experience in executive search, where a considerable number of my clients have been private equity clients, I naturally have had this question come up time after time:

“How do I get into private equity?”

It was a long process. Numerous candidates were reviewed, screened, and interviewed, but you found the right hire, the best hire, the “it” candidate! The kicker – the candidate unfortunately has an extended start date. In my 15+ years in executive search and human resources, I have countless examples of clients that have lost their new hire to another company while waiting for that extended start date or during the two months of employment.

Virtual interviewing has become a way of life during the pandemic, and something that is probably here to stay. Time savings and ease of scheduling are just some of the benefits to online interviews, but they require special attention as well. There are some things you can’t pick up on if you aren’t in person, so you need to be extra attentive to facial expressions and audible nuances.

Whilst interviews primarily focus on finding the more appropriately qualified candidate for the job, the importance of enthusiasm should not be underestimated. In my 11+ years as an executive recruiter I have numerous examples of when, torn between two candidates, the client ultimately chooses the person they think is more interested in the role.