The Unicorn ‘Hunter’ — Tammy Jersey
Unicorns are often associated with hopes and dreams. “A unicorn is often described as something that is highly desirable, but difficult to obtain.”
Tammy Jersey — executive search expert and well-known ‘unicorn hunter’ — shares with us how she finds ‘corporate unicorns’. They are highly sought after for their unique superpowers, and hence, they are difficult to obtain! Tammy and her team know how to reel these marvels in.
Tammy uses her skills as a leadership consultant to uncover the interests and motivations of these special leaders. She then identifies how their needs could be met by the position and environment she is searching for. Tammy delights in surprising her clients and candidates with possibilities they never previously considered — she helps them see situations from a new perspective.
Tammy, what is this with you and finding Unicorns for your clients? How did this all get started?
“Have you ever met a unicorn?” she asks, with a somewhat mysterious smile.
“I have”, she continues.
“They are not immediately obvious — it takes some peeling back the layers to recognize one.
“We’ve become unicorn hunters because our clients have come to require that.
Over the course of my 25 years of conducting executive searches, we’ve increasingly had clients ask us to find leaders with way too many skills and capabilities than you can typically find in one person.
“My answer to them is often “you know that type of person doesn’t exist, right?”
“My team and I then put our minds together and devise a plan for finding the unicorn. We are usually looking for someone who is highly adaptable, which means they can fit into any environment. They can work in any environment with a range of operating styles, and they bring calm in the face of chaos.
“The best unicorns are completely selfless. It is not all about them — they care more about their teams, how they motivate them, and about delivering for their stakeholders. They have strong emotional intelligence and self-awareness. They know their ‘superpower’, i.e., their ideal swim lane, and who best complements them. Most importantly, they are clear on how to deliver results.
“Unicorn hunting is the most fun thing that we do. These are the most inspiring leaders — we learn things from them that we wouldn’t have expected.
“Since these unicorn hires are so special…I decided to share some stories of unicorns we have encountered so we can share their inspiration.
“Stay tuned for more!”
