Each month, we sit down with leaders who shape hiring decisions at the highest levels to uncover what today’s top employers value most in talent. In this edition, we speak with a Vice President–level hiring manager who shares candid insights on what makes candidates stand out—whether they’re just starting out, building mid‑career momentum, or stepping into senior leadership roles. Their perspective offers practical, real‑world guidance to help you show up with confidence and clarity at every stage of your career.

Before we dive into the insights, let us introduce the industry leader behind them.

Kevin Hardy: Leadership Perspective from One of Canada’s Most Experienced CRE Executives

As the Vice President and Head of Eastern Canada’s Office portfolio at Oxford Properties Group, Kevin Hardy oversees one of the country’s most significant commercial office platforms, leading large teams and driving value across millions of square feet in major markets. With more than 20 years of experience spanning office, retail, and industrial real estate, he has held senior executive roles within some of Canada’s most established real estate and investment management firms—including Oxford Properties and Dream Office REIT—shaping strategy, leasing, property management, and portfolio performance across the region. Kevin is widely respected for his ability to blend financial discipline with collaborative, relationship‑driven leadership, consistently elevating asset performance, strengthening team culture, and championing a customer‑centric approach across the properties under his guidance.

In our discussion, he shares candid, experience-backed insights on what makes talent stand out at different stages of their career, the signals that show someone is truly ready for more responsibility, the interview pitfalls that hold candidates back, and the mindset professionals need to build a lasting career in a relationship‑driven industry.

1. What qualities make a candidate stand out at the entry, mid, and senior levels?

ENTRY LEVEL — “Potential & Curiosity Over Resumé”

The best entry‑level candidates stand out by showing genuine curiosity through thoughtful questions that go beyond the job description, demonstrating real‑time coachability during the interview, and bringing the kind of energy, humility, and attitude that can’t be taught. They also display meaningful self‑awareness by clearly acknowledging what they don’t yet know and showing a strong eagerness to learn and grow.

MID‑CAREER — “Owners, Not Participants”

Mid‑career candidates differentiate themselves by acting and thinking like owners. They speak in concrete terms about the problems they have personally solved, the decisions they made, and the outcomes they achieved. They show an ability to connect dots across teams and functions, not just operate in their lane, and they’ve proven they can make sound decisions in ambiguity without waiting for a perfect playbook.

SENIOR LEVEL — “Leaders Who Elevate People and Strategy”

Senior‑level standouts bring strategic clarity and the disciplined ability to simplify complexity. They intentionally build, protect, and scale a strong team culture. They operate as talent multipliers (leaders who make everyone around them better) and they demonstrate rare intellectual honesty by owning mistakes and translating them into better leadership and better outcomes.

2. What signals beyond the résumé tell you someone is ready to grow and take on bigger responsibilities?

Candidates who are truly ready for more responsibility demonstrate leadership long before they hold the title. I look for people who proactively step into responsibility through industry associations, volunteering, community involvement, or team sports, environments where they willingly choose to lead, influence, and be accountable.

I pay close attention to whether they’re comfortable making recommendations rather than waiting for direction. People ready for bigger roles don’t shy away from hard conversations with teammates or customers; they’ve built the muscle of delivering difficult messages with clarity and respect.

Preparation is another major indicator. Candidates who invest deeply in researching the team, organization, business model, and recent news are demonstrating how they will operate once hired. Effort before the interview is effort on the job.

The questions they ask are equally telling. Those prepared for bigger responsibilities ask about impact, team dynamics, long‑term goals, and upcoming challenges, not just compensation or title.

I also watch how they respond to unexpected scenarios. When you push back or introduce a curveball, strong candidates lean in, stay curious, and reason through it. Weak candidates get defensive or rattled.

Emotional regulation is another strong predictor. Composure under mild interview pressure usually mirrors how they’ll perform under real operational pressure.

And finally, I pay close attention to how they treat every person in the interview process. The way someone interacts with coordinators, receptionists, and junior team members tells you more about their maturity and readiness than any rehearsed interview answer.

3. What is one mistake you commonly see candidates make during interviews, and how can they avoid it?

One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is answering the question they wish they were asked instead of the one actually in front of them. It shows a lack of listening and a reliance on a pre‑scripted narrative rather than adaptability. Another common mistake is giving vague, generalized responses instead of specific examples that highlight their actual actions and results.

Many candidates unintentionally downplay their contributions out of humility, but the interview is not the place to disappear behind the team. Strong candidates balance “I” and “we,” clearly explaining their personal contributions while still acknowledging collaboration. The solution is simple: listen closely, answer directly, and support every claim with concrete examples of what you did and why it mattered.

4. What advice would you give professionals looking to break into your field or advance within it?

My biggest piece of advice is to intentionally build your personal brand early, because the CRE industry is tight‑knit and relationship‑driven, and your reputation becomes your currency. Trust, credibility, and reliability compound over time, but only if you invest in them before you need them.

Equally important: raise your hand, especially for the unglamorous work. Volunteering for the tough, messy, or thankless projects is one of the fastest ways to prove (and continually re-prove) your value. Reliability and eagerness earn outsized credibility both within your current organization and across this industry. People remember who showed up, who delivered, and who made the team better. Build that identity, and opportunities will find you.

 What It All Comes Down To

Across every stage of a career, Kevin Hardy’s message is unmistakable: the traits that truly distinguish high-calibre professionals aren’t credentials alone—they’re behavioural fundamentals practiced consistently. Entry‑level candidates stand out when they show curiosity, humility, and a hunger to learn. Mid‑career professionals shine when they think like owners, solve real problems, and operate beyond their lane. And at the senior level, the leaders who rise are those who simplify complexity, elevate their teams, and model the honesty and accountability that build long‑term trust.

He also underscores that readiness for greater responsibility shows up well before a promotion. It’s revealed in preparation, in thoughtful questions, in the willingness to lead in any environment, and in the ability to stay composed when conversations or scenarios get hard. Strong candidates listen closely, answer clearly, and bring specific stories that demonstrate real impact. And in commercial real estate—an industry powered by relationships—your reputation becomes one of the most valuable assets you will ever build.

In Kevin’s view, the path forward in commercial real estate isn’t defined by who you know or where you start—it’s defined by how you show up, every single day.