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Recruiting at Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co. - Case Solution

John J. Gabarro; Andrew Burtis; Herminia Ibarra; John P. Kotter | Harvard Business Review ( 494071-PDF-ENG ) | December 16, 1993 (Revision: 2023-09-13)
Abstract:

This case study analysis looks into the process of recruitment at Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co. (BHC). The company deals with investment banking, especially for middle-market companies. This case study discusses the process of how the firm recruits its employees and what they look into before hiring. It presents the recommendations on who to hire and the reasons why they should be hired.

Case Questions Answered

  • As Katterhagen (Vice President at Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co.), who would you recommend to the Harvard Business School recruiting team and why?

The two key attributes that Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co (BHC) look for in the pool of potential candidates for the role of Associate is whether they have the potential to perform the role and possess skills like analytical, conceptual, and interpersonal.

The other key attribute that BHC looks for from the pool is candidates who have leadership potential and can climb up the ladder to be a Managing Director in the future.

The selection criteria that will be used to identify the potential list of candidates from the pool to move forward will aid in fulfilling one of the Bowles Hollowell Conner mission strategies: hire the best people.

The key factors that will be used to identify how well they can perform in the role are seeing the relevant experience related to the associate role and the results produced in these roles. This will help the candidates easily integrate into the associate role, and this will reduce the training costs and time for BHC.

The other point that will be assessed in this criteria point is how much diverse, relevant experience they have, such as working in different industries, etc., as this may bring creativity and new ideas to Bowles Hollowell Conner.

Secondly, how much time the candidate has worked in those roles to assess how much they have been committed to the organization to predict whether they will continue to stay long to be a managing director.

Thirdly, training and relevant certifications to see how much, apart from the formal education knowledge, the candidate can bring to Bowles Hollowell Conner.

Finally, extracurricular or volunteer experience to understand what causes they support and their community involvement to have an idea of how much…

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