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 You know that executive search is often the most efficient, the most
discreet, and the most cost-effective way to identify and recruit the superior
performers that your business requires in senior positions.
You know this because...
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you have enough experience to know that the
task of recruiting top-class people is getting harder and harder
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you are keenly aware that you and your
management team need to focus all your energies on fighting your competitors
and building your business
But which search firm is best for you?
You have a vast choice of executive search
firms from which to choose, and it is important that you select the right one
for your assignment. Here are some issues that we at Propeo Executive
Search think you could
usefully consider to assist you in making the right decision.
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Does
the firm understand the needs of your organisation, its culture and its
environment?
This is vital. You want
short-listed candidates to be a good fit with the role, and to be
well-briefed on the opportunity. Can the consultant articulate your
requirements clearly and completely? And will the consultant
quickly recognise the candidates who meet the brief? And those who,
for whatever specific reason, will not?
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Who
in the firm will actually do the work?
Will important work be passed to less
experienced people behind the scenes? In particular, who will
undertake the task of candidate contact, which may be the candidate's first
contact with your company, upon which a first impression is formed? If
you have confidence in the lead consultant on the assignment, establish the
level of personal involvement you can expect.
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Will
the consultant be a credible ambassador for your company?
One might say that the consultant is
effectively representing you and your company to the outside world (or at
least an important part of it). Can the consultant making the contact
describe your company and communicate the opportunity to candidates as well
as you could? Especially to executive-level candidates? Do not
underestimate this point, as it's a seller's market, and top-class
candidates will always have other choices!
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Will
your assignment get top priority in the firm?
Will momentum be maintained right through
to completion? Or, will the search firm lose interest if the search
takes longer than expected? And what happens if you have paid over the
full fees, but still have not filled the position?
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From
which companies is the search firm blocked?
This has always been an issue in the search
business, especially with the worldwide trend towards consolidation. Larger search firms with extensive client lists are highly
restricted in the places they can look to fill your vacancy! Bigger
does not mean better in the executive search field!
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Large
or small?
There are advantages and disadvantages with
each. Larger firms may have more resources to devote to the
assignment, but may also be easily distracted away from your assignment by
demands of larger clients. Smaller firms may not have the same resources or wide
client list, but they may be very highly-motivated and focused on
quality. Remember that technology is levelling the playing field
everywhere, and small firms in a whole range of industries are now
successfully challenging the larger players. And nowhere is this more
the case than in executive search. The average number of employees per
search firm is about six. A small, hungry, innovative search firm,
with a good handle on technology, can do much more than was possible just a
few years ago.
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Specialist
or Generalist?
Again, there are advantages and
disadvantages with each. In a single-industry firm, you will find a
ready understanding of your sector, and probably a view of what your
competitors are doing. Generalists will not have deep industry knowledge, but may bring you fresh
perspectives, or thinking that is 'outside the box'. Remember that as
industry boundaries blur, and as traditional business
models are challenged, innovation and fresh ideas are seen as a source of
competitive advantage!
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