# Inside the Search (EP.91)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/work-shouldnt-suck-717180/inside-the-search-ep-91
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/work-shouldnt-suck-717180/inside-the-search-ep-91.md
Podcast: [Work. Shouldnt. Suck.](https://stenobird.com/podcast/work-shouldnt-suck-717180)
Published: 2026-04-28T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/podcast2/ep91
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/abbecd49-ee18-4880-a231-66d6407b3864.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/work-shouldnt-suck-717180/episodes/inside-the-search-ep-91
Duration seconds: 2766

## Resource

What does an executive search actually look like from the inside? This episode brings together two people who know the process from different vantage points: Pamela Bol Riess, CEO of PBR Executive Search, and Deeksha Gaur, Executive Director of Theater Development Fund, who was a candidate in a search Pamela led in 2023. Together, we discuss how executive hiring really works right now — what search committees are actually evaluating, why the boldest candidates tend to win, and how to show up in a competitive market without losing yourself in the process. In this conversation: Why you usually can't get everything in one hire, and how smart organizations identify their true must-haves before the search begins. How candidates are being evaluated from the first email they send, not just in the interview room. Why "the answers are in the position description" and what it looks like when candidates use them. Deeksha's approach to her own search: researching every search committee member, preparing a strategic deck, and giving herself the freedom to show up authentically. Why the boldest candidates tend to win and what "leading in the room" actually looks like. How post-pandemic uncertainty has shifted what organizations are really hiring for: pattern recognition, comfort with failure, and judgment over credentials alone. How to stay resilient as a finalist who doesn't get the offer. Whether you're navigating a search, hiring into complexity, or doing search work yourself, this one's full of practical insight and rare candor from both sides of the table. Highlights: 01:40 Meet Pamela and Deeksha 02:34 Career Origins and Paths 03:50 What Hiring Gets Wrong 06:11 Judgment and Fit at Exec Level 07:42 Defining the Right Leader 10:04 Showing Up as a Candidate 12:28 Bold Interviews…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/work-shouldnt-suck-717180/episodes/inside-the-search-ep-91/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/work-shouldnt-suck-717180/inside-the-search-ep-91.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.