Talented leaders with strong executive experience are hard to find. In fact, very few of these bottom line-altering contributors actually exist, according to the Harvard Business Review. Industry experts estimate that only 10 percent of leaders have the talent to successfully manage employees and drive business development.
To court and hire these elite C-level staff members, organizations should engage external recruitment partners. Of course, finding an effective executive recruiter who meets your specific business needs can be difficult.
So, as you review your options, keep in mind these essential firm-finding guidelines:
Look for demonstrable industry knowledge
Successful executive search firms have deep industry connections and self-sustaining talent pipelines. With this in mind, kick off your recruiter search by looking to other organizations within your industry, Bloomberg suggested. You want to identify firms that have successfully placed talent for competitors and know your sector well. Additionally, poll your fellow executives, board members and other staff to see if they have suggestions.
If you decide to schedule time with unfamiliar recruiters, come armed with some key questions. First, ask them to discuss your industry and its specific recruitment pain points. Then, quiz them on your organization and finish out with some general questions about their processes. The answers they provide should tell you all you need to know.
With failure rates for U.S. executives hovering between 30 and 40 percent, you must take this opening step seriously and dig deep to find an effective executive search firm committed to facilitating fit and company success, not bolstering its placement rate.
Look for connection
The best executive recruitment firms develop strong personal relationships with the businesses they serve, The Huffington Post found. This allows them to develop true enthusiasm for client business objectives and honestly communicate that excitement to candidates. These connections have other benefits. For instance, firms are less likely to poach talent from or bad mouth organizations they understand and respect.
Of course, you won't get this kind of connection from transactional recruiters who communicate via seemingly random phone calls and email. So, find a firm that takes the time to get to know you and your business on an intimate level. Fortunately, you can tell within moments if you're dealing with the latter or speaking with a quota-driven recruiter looking for quick and dirty placements.
Boastfulness is the key giveaway. Dishonest recruiters bolster their reputations with vague, larger-than-life claims and obfuscate when pushed for details or data. Seasoned, connected global executive search firms have no need for such self-praise. They engage and work to create a natural, honest rapport. Additionally, most connect clients with a single, high-level recruitment consultant – there are no sudden personnel switches. On the other hand, firms with placement rates in mind often shuffle companies between several consultants which makes forming a genuine, personal connection impossible.
"Retained firms executive search firms offer more personalized recruitment services."
Look for something that lasts
Throughout your recruiter search process, you'll come across two types of executive recruitment firms: contingency and retained. Contingency recruiters work for candidates and often try to place them as quickly as possible to earn hefty bonuses, according to Undercover Recruiter. Conversely, retained executive search firms work with businesses and take time to match their clients with talented leaders who possess quantifiable executive experience.
Obviously, you want to focus on retained firms, as they offer more personalized services and consider candidate characteristics you won't find in sales reports or curriculum vitae. Most importantly, these recruiters are interested in developing long-term relationships, not making quick placements.
Are you ready to connect with an impactful retained executive search firm committed to connecting organizations with bottom line-bolstering talent? Contact YES Partners! To see some of the roles we have already successfully searched for and placed, click here.
Finding people is easy, but finding the RIGHT people is not. YES Partners helps companies FIND the right people – for all company functions, across many industries and globally.
