Contingency Recruitment

Hiring an executive search firm which has relationships with senior people across the industry allows for the client organisation to be sure they are getting the best talent out there.

Once a conversation with the candidate has occurred, and they have expressed interest, the executive search firm may send over the CV of the candidate to the client organisation if they believe the candidate is the right fit. If the client organisation agrees that the candidate is suitable, an interview is arranged. Once the client organisation has selected the candidate they want for the role, the executive recruitment firm will conduct thorough background checks to make sure that everything is as it should be.

They specialise in your industry – The best executive search firms will contain executive recruiters who specialise in just one or two industries. This is often different to a normal recruiter who do not have anything specific that they are very knowledgeable about. Access to the best candidates is often only possible when working with an executive recruiter who has a great deal of knowledge and connections in the industry.

They have fantastic reviews and testimonials – One of the best ways to know if an executive search firm is the best fit can be to look through their past reviews and testimonials. The experiences that others have had with the firm is a good indication as to who likely the prospective client is to have, especially if these reviews have come from established and senior people within the same industry.

They are honest with you – Arguably the most important measure of an executive search firm’s worth is their ability to be honest and transparent with the client. While there is of course incentive for the firm to place a candidate to earn a fee, the best firms will often turn down work that they do not believe that they would be qualified to fill. The best executive search recruiters practice an open and honest approach with their clients and inform them of any reservations that they may have over the role itself, the salary, or even the prospective candidate.

While technology will no doubt keep advancing and provide valuable aid in the recruitment process, the basis of executive recruitment is likely to remain very similar. At its core, working with an executive recruitment firm offers a very personal experience with its main focus being establishing relationships between people. While roles in the industry evolve and change over time, executive search firms will be able to keep up to date with these evolving needs more so than the majority of normal recruitment firms. Due to the people-centred approach and close relationships with people across the industry, executive search firms are likely to remain an important aspect of the recruitment process for senior positions.

Week 1: We kick off every engagement with a Zoom meeting, gathering details critical to a search engagement’s success such as must-have and nice-to-have requirements, target companies, and off-limits companies. We also discuss search strategy.

Week 2: We deliver an initial list of prospective candidates and invite feedback from our client to prioritize outreach and to ensure we’re all on the same page.  We also initiate outreach and present candidates as they are developed.

Week 2+: Time-to-hire varies depending on the client’s interview and decision-making process. We usually present the winning candidate the first or second month of a retained search engagement. We have closed searches in as little as two weeks.

How long the engagement will last depends on the scope or size of the engagement. Frequently, our engagements last between one and three months. We also offer longer-term RPO engagements from 4 months up to one year at a time. Those engagements give clients the opportunity to save more and to have our team provide support for different strategic recruitment initiatives as needs shift. In other words, we become a seamless extension of your internal team.

 I don’t recommend it. First of all, executive search is time consuming. Most board members underestimate the number of hours involved in leading a search.

But you’ll want a consultant for more than just logging the hours… A well run search is about much more than finding candidates. It sets the stage for your future relationship with the new executive. And don’t forget that it’s also a public facing activity. Think about all the talented community members who will apply for this job. They love your cause, and they should still love it even if they aren’t the right fit for this role. How you shepherd the process has implications for your organization and your mission beyond the person hired.

Hiring a new executive is one of the most important things you will ever do as a board. It’s worth the investment to get it right.