1. The results will be better. The best reason to turn to executive search firms is also the bottom line: They have the skills, connections and knowledge to help you get the results you deserve, fast. Not only have these professionals been matching top companies with outstanding executives for years, many of the best recruiters also worked in the field or industry they specialize in before going into the recruiting profession. This gives them a more in-depth understanding of the process and a better perspective of your particular hiring situation. Furthermore, they are able to find candidates in places that you may not even think of looking!
2. They can approach individuals who are employed by your competitors – without burning bridges or creating animosity. You’ve probably never considered meeting with the CEO of a rival company and asking him or her if they have any interest in your vacant executive position – or, if you did, you probably have no idea how to go about it with the tact and decorum necessary. Fortunately, executive search professionals are well-trained in this process, and can broach the subject of deferring to your company with any number of talented individuals – all without stepping on feet or causing a potentially damaging professional rift.
3. You won’t have to waste time – or energy – on underqualified candidates. In this economy, any advertisements you place seeking a new employee are sure to be met with a flood of interest – regardless of whether or not the respondents are well-suited to the position in question. Unless you want to sort through hundreds or even thousands of responses from individuals who are simply not qualified to run your company, you’re going to need the services of an executive search firm.

Time is of the essence when it comes to replacing your top-level executive personnel, which is why it pays to invest in an executive search professional who can help you get the results you need as quickly as possible, without compromising on quality or jeopardizing the integrity of your company. Contact an executive search firm today and find out just how easy – and successful – the executive search process can be.

If you’ve ever been charged with the task of finding and hiring new executive-level employees for a company, then you know how challenging the process can be – and how necessary it is to establish a strong working relationship with a reputable executive search firm. No matter what industry or sector you operate in, executive search firms are integral to making your goal of finding a talented higher-level employee as successful as possible. But with so many executive search firms to choose from, how can you be sure you’re selecting the best one possible? Here are five qualities to look for in an executive search firm:

1. Strong industry connections. A search firm is only as good as its list of contacts, and the best executive search professionals have spent years building relationships with the top talent in your field. They’ll know where to look for – and how to approach – potential candidates, simply because they have established a rapport with these individuals.

2. Experience in your specific field. By and large, the most effective executive search professionals are those who actually worked in your industry for several years before they started recruiting. This lends them an in-depth understanding of the ins and outs of the industry, and gives them a better idea of what to look for in a candidate. At the very least, they must keep abreast of the latest news and developments in your industry – including who the top executives are at other companies, as well as which individuals are considered “rising stars.”

3. A hands-on approach to the recruiting process. You don’t want an search professional who simply sits behind a desk, sending emails and making phone calls all day! You need someone who will really get out there and make the connection. They should begin by visiting your office in person, in order to discuss exactly what you’re looking for in a new executive and witness the inner workings of your company firsthand. Ideally, they will then meet with promising candidates and get a feel for their career ambitions, work style and personality before presenting you with a shortlist of the best prospects available.

4. Tact in approaching potential candidates. The executive search process can be rather sensitive at times – particularly when it comes to approaching individuals who are already employed by your competitors. However, these individuals are likely to be among the most effective and dynamic people in your industry, so it is invaluable to have a search firm who can help you make that connection, without burning any bridges. A truly excellent search professional has the skills and the savvy to approach these prospects without stepping on anyone’s toes.

5. A commitment to delivering the perfect match for your needs. The executive search process is a highly personal one, and the “perfect candidate” for one company may be all wrong for another. It’s up to the pros at your executive search firm to make that call, so make sure you’re hiring someone who will stick with the task until the ideal match has been made. Does your company deserve anything less than perfection?

Contact an executive search firm in your area today and discover just how easy – and rewarding – the executive search process can be.

Executive search firms work tirelessly to find the best candidates available to fill executive spots. They compile all these into a comprehensive, up to date database. They then go in and do a background checks on all those who are up for consideration, making sure that they only have the best candidates. By the time someone like you comes to use their services, they have the cream of the crop in your industry ready and waiting for you to decide. Once your company gives some specifications as to what you are looking for and at what salary, the search firms will go ahead and narrow down to the best matches.

It is extremely difficult to yield the same results when you take into account exactly what the executive search firms are. They are companies that work day in and day out to set companies like yours with the high level workers they seek. Therefore, through the years they have come up with a number of reliable ways to find available candidates for these positions. Whether it means networking with people in these positions, so they are the first to know availability, or simply by providing these candidates with a reliable way to get placed in an executive position, these companies will have the best available candidates at their disposal.

If your company specializes in a certain task, you can understand the benefits of using executive search firms. These specialized recruiters are highly capable of setting you up with the best possible candidates there are – candidates you would otherwise be unable to find. They will also tailor make their search to your needs, so that you can quickly fill the important executive position without having to deal with any complications. When you can’t rely on yourself to do the dirty work of sifting through unworthy candidates, leave the job to an executive search firm and you will only be shown the best possible choices.

If you are a business owner that has an open executive position that you are desperately trying to fill, executive search firms will save you time and money on this arduous process. As you may already know, the task of finding a qualified worker that is experienced enough to be in the upper levels of your company can be extremely time consuming. In addition, you probably want to hire someone to this level of position because they will help make you more money, so wasting money trying to search for the right candidate is counterproductive. However, with the help of a search firm, you won’t have to worry about either of these.

Save You Time

Even when searching for such a valuable, important worker, spending time looking over resumes and making phone calls to references and past employers is probably the last thing you want to spend your time doing. Most people in a company have their main tasks to focus on, and hiring is general not one of them. The good thing is that there is an alternative: An executive search firm will take away all the time consuming aspects of the search, leaving you with to simply interview the candidates and choose the best one! All the background checks and phone calls will be taken care of by the search firm.

Save You Money

If you’re not in the thick of the employee search process yet, then you may not yet realize how much money it can cost. When looking for highly sought after candidates, newspaper ads, magazine placements, and online postings are going to be necessary. These costly methods are really the only chance you have at nabbing the best employee – unless you use an executive search firm. These firms focus all their capabilities in order to make sure that they have a current database of the most sought after available workers. If a company recently lost a prized employee or a person is ready for an advancement that their old job can’t offer, the executive search firms will know. These candidates understand that their best bet at getting placed is through a search firm, so the second they are available the executive search firms will know.

Clearly, when looking for a employee to fill a position at the executive level of your company, executive search firms will be the method that will save time and money on finding the best available candidates. Hiring someone of a high caliber is a task that is best left to the professionals that focus on it all year round. You may only be in such a situation once every few years, but the search firms make a living out of placing qualified candidates in executive positions. As a business owner, you will realize that the task of hiring an executive in your company is best left to the professionals: Executive Search Firms.

In any event, you should also choose to constantly be on constant lookout for pools of promising new executives who could immediately fill any executive vacancy your company might suddenly develop. As a hiring manager, you should strongly consider forging relationships with executive search firms – and doing so soon. Make it a point to find and call the best executive search firms that could help you meet your goal of finding the best candidates for executive posts in your business.

Most experts assert that the hunt for an executive search firm should begin long before you actually have the need for a new executive. Ideally, you would not have to subject yourself and your company to a rushed search; instead, you could immediately call recruiters to begin looking for ideal candidates for an executive position in your company as soon as the need arises.

Looking for an Executive Search Firm

Top executive search firms certainly prefer to conduct less hurried searches. Additionally, calling executive search firms before you actually need them offers a great way to help you find the best and most qualified candidates for an executive position. This could be nearly impossible if you end up having to push the panic button abruptly; the best potential candidates can rarely be found overnight.

There may be abrupt or inevitable occurrences that could lead to the loss of an executive in your company. Businesses often find themselves facing a difficult struggle when it comes to filling management vacancies, especially if the position is highly critical. You should therefore understand that it is not advantageous to re-shuffle the management abruptly, and that doing so could be detrimental to your management and executive planning departments.

Executive Search Firms Provide Contingency

The best way out of such an unfortunate situation is to contact a search firm for executive placement as soon as possible. Even if your personnel appears stable, there are no disadvantages to taking that important first step ahead of time. Management should understand that such an act will serve as a contingency plan in case any management or executive vacancies arise in the future. Your company simply cannot afford to lose top executives with no backup plan in place.

Another advantage of contacting top executive search firms long before there is an actual need for a new executive is that current managers and executives may realize that they are not irreplaceable. This way, your company may avoid dealing with unreasonable conditions or demands from them. If your current executives understand that the company would not encounter any great trouble in finding and hiring their replacements, they are less likely to abuse their power or their position. In short, it would be a winning situation for the company.

Many organizations and companies fail to effectively screen executive search firms before making their final selection. Unfortunately, the results of such failures are often disastrous. First, a less qualified executive or candidate may be hired as a result. Second, a very critical position in the company may be left unfilled. Thus, when looking for an executive search firm, you need to properly evaluate a recruiter’s capabilities.

Here are several important questions that you could ask as you assess executive search companies. These questions could help you strategically identify and select the best executive search firms in the market.

What is the industry focus of the executive search firm?

The answer to this question could help you assess the executive search firm’s current grasp of the market, as well as its functional knowledge that could be relevant to your hiring needs. You could ask the firm to name some of its current clients. This way, you can determine its industry focus. It is important that you develop confidence in the ability of the recruiter to search for the best candidates for executive level positions in your company.

How many accounts does the firm simultaneously handle?

In general, a reliable search firm for executive placement could comfortably and effectively handle about six or seven executive search projects at any given time. An executive search firm that handles more than that at one time could be of dubious quality. You should feel confident that your requirements will receive ample time and attention so that the right candidates for your executive position can be found and hired.

What are the required fees and expenses?

Retained executive search firms usually bill about 30 to 33% of a successful candidate’s first annual total cash compensation. The amount could be collected in equal installments within the first three months after the search. Executive search companies could also bill you for all costs directly attributed to the implementation of the executive search, including communication expenses. You should reach an agreement with your search firm as to whether you will be paying a single flat fee or a significant discount based on the overall volume of the transaction.

How long would the executive search last?

In most cases, a search for the best candidates for an executive level position could be completed in about 90 to 150 days. The best executive search firms can readily provide a detailed outline of the executive search process and its expected timeline. Ask for a detailed progress report of your search, including a preliminary list of pre-qualified and pre-screened candidates and their backgrounds, about four to six weeks after the process has started. You should expect to start meeting prospective candidates face-to-face on the sixth to eighth week.

Poor hiring decisions could cost your company a significant amount of money. To ensure your success, it could be crucial to properly time your search for a new executive for your company. This is why you should choose to employ the services of a reliable search firm for your executive placement needs. The top executive search firms exist to help you and your organization find, identify, and hire the best executives for your particular appointments.

When looking for an executive search firm, your first priority should be determining the quality of those potential candidates that the firm can provide. Of course, the headhunters themselves should be able to assure you of the the quality of the candidates they provide, but it could prove helpful to familiarize yourself with the process used to determine the quality level of executive candidates.

Executive Search Firms Command Confidence

The search firm you choose should have a clear understanding of your organization’s evaluation tools and performance metrics. It is a general practice that executive search firms first ask you about your specific requirements before the senior-level search starts. You should be clear in setting your criteria and assessment metrics for judging the candidates.

It’s also important that you take confidence in the search executive firm’s ability to understand your requirements and the scope of the particular executive position you need filled. At the same time, the recruiter should also have a clear understanding of your organization’s culture. In this way, the executive search firm would function primarily as an agent engaged in recruiting the best possible candidates for the position on your behalf.

Savvy Headhunters Investigate References

Executive search firms are essentially investigating the career histories of candidates. Such recruiters focus on references in order to determine and evaluate every candidate’s character, competency, and potential. Of course, references are a large part of the executive search process, and a key issue in ensuring the quality and professionalism of the candidates that are contacted.

It is a general practice in the executive search industry to conduct at least two reference checks before any candidate is shortlisted. Doing so is crucial in eliminating any possibility of embarrassing and costly problems that could appear later in the process if the wrong candidate is selected. You do not want to waste time and resources in meeting candidates that should not have been shortlisted in the first place.

The final stage of checking references involves getting in touch with peers, supervisors, subordinates, and other individuals who may not have been specifically listed as references by the candidate. You could even conduct ‘backdoor references’ on your own in order to make sure that only the best candidates are identified and tapped. However, if you decide to do so, you should still coordinate the search with your executive search firm. This is the best practice in order to make sure that the candidate’s privacy is still protected and that your organization does not go beyond what is ethical in the executive recruitment process.

1. Determine the industry focus of the executive search firm. It might be a popular choice among companies in another industry, but not in yours. To get a clue about the industry focus of the headhunter in question, try asking for a list of its clients, both past and present.

2. The firm should assure you that it will be able to oversee the majority of the hiring process. The best executive search firms are those with in-house research teams; other headhunters simply outsource their information from third-party providers. Your chosen executive search firm should also have appropriate communication and project management tools to help ensure accurate and timely feedback.

3. Top search executive firms usually handle up to seven accounts simultaneously. If your headhunter handles more than that, find another recruiter who is equally competent and reliable. This will allow you to make sure that your search is given sufficient time and attention, which will in turn instill you with confidence that you have tapped the best senior level talents available.

4. Check if the headhunter offers a replacement guarantee. The best executive search firms are those that offer at least a year of guarantee. That means that the recruiter will work to replace a candidate who turns out to be a poor fit for your company or who suddenly decides to leave the position early on. Ideally, these replacement searches should not incur additional costs.

5. Agree to a specific length of time that the search firm is prohibited from recruiting from your own organization. Understand that executive search firms often recruit from existing clients; this provides them access to a very strong pool of senior-level candidates. A year or two after an executive has been hired by your company through the efforts of the search firm, it may contact that senior talent again to offer him or her other management positions in other companies. You may opt to block the search firm from doing so within your company in the future, but there could be consequences in terms of your relationship with the search firm. The best bet is establish terms that are satisfactory to both parties early on.

6. Quality of candidates should be assured. Choose executive search firms that offer to use the evaluation tools and performance metrics set by your organization. Some firms may offer to integrate their own metrics into those of your organization to yield better results and tap a higher caliber of candidates.

7. The headhunter should not take an excessive amount of time to complete the process. It is standard for any executive search company to complete the hiring process in 90 to 150 days. A search that takes less time than that could lead to quality doubts, while longer searches lead to additional expenses for your organization. The best executive search firms are able to create candidate shortlists within 30 to 45 days of the start of the search.

8. Ideally, the executive search firm should be a member of at least one relevant industry association. Take the time to verify its affiliations in order to build further confidence in the relationship.