Senior Mangement Recruitment: How to Choose an Executive Search Agency
By using an executive search company, you could see a number of benefits to your executive recruitment process. For instance, you could be saving the time and money it takes to place an advertisement and the further staff resources needed to sift through potential applicants.
In fact, in terms of frontline recruitment practices such as selection processes and communicating with unsuccessful applicants, an executive search company will be able to take care of a great deal of that on your behalf.
If you have decided to utilise the services of an executive search company, you may find yourself faced with a vast array of specialist companies. So which do you choose?
Every executive recruitment company offers different services on different timescales and rates of pay. Some can be used on a monthly retainer and others are pay-per-service, similar to a consultancy in the sense that they will provide you with expert advice and services only as long as you need them.
So a large part of that decision depends upon the needs of your organisation. If you have ongoing executive recruitment needs, keeping a search company on retainer may work. But if you only have a small number of vacancies then perhaps a one-time approach would suit you better.
It is best to do your research and discover which search company would best suit the unique needs of your business. But regardless of the type of company you choose to work with, some elements of their approach to business should remain the same.
An executive search and selection agency should want to understand the nature of the vacancy, and the type of person you need to fill it. There should be some form of process in place to discover more about the role or, if not, then the person you work with should be asking a lot of questions and checking the facts with you to make sure it's right.
The needs of your organisation will be different to anyone else a recruitment agency works with. A one-size-fits-all approach may not address those needs. Aside from the nature of the vacancy, the nature of your business should come into account. There may be certain company values or modes of operation that need to be reflected. For instance, your organisation may require a high level of team work from executive level down, and that may mean disqualifying certain candidates who believe in producing results by working alone.
When thinking about executive recruitment for your organisation, consider the nature of your company and the requirements of the role, and communicate these to your recruitment agent. And always bear in mind your options. Think of the long term benefits of having a recruitment company on hand at all times, versus the lower pay out for a temporary contract with an executive search company.