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What is Executive Search?
Everything you need to know about executive search
Executive search is a recruiting service that is tailored to acquiring top-level candidates for critical or high-level roles including C-suite executives, vice presidents, directors, senior managers, board members, and other functional leaders.
Recruiting executives is typically confidential, so it is strategically different from conventional recruiting you see with other jobs that get posted to job boards and advertised on third-party platforms. With an executive staffing agency, the recruitment firm proactively seeks highly qualified professionals who are submitted for your consideration.
This process is more strategic, discreet, and hands-on than typical candidate searches. It usually depends on deep industry knowledge, a tailored approach for each specific role, and access to talent.
The majority of executives are passively looking for jobs or open to the right challenge, and not actively engaging new opportunities. Having access to these relationships is crucial to finding the right person for your role.
How executive search works
These services are typically retained staffing arrangements, meaning you pay a percentage of the agreed-upon fee upfront and pay in steps until a placement is made. There can be other fees depending on the service agreement as well, like maintenance fees for longer searches.
Here are the steps you can expect in your executive search with an agency.
Consultation
Initially, you will meet with an executive recruitment agency to go over the role, your company culture, and any other important information to help with the hiring process. This is a crucial step to help you find a professional who aligns with your company’s long-term vision, culture, and leadership requirements.
Find candidates
After a service agreement has been reached, outreach to candidates starts and the staffing agency will contact professionals to see if they are interested, screen them to see if they are a good fit, then submit them for you to review. Then you will start interviewing your candidates.
Make placement
Your recruiter also helps with interview preparation, negotiations, offer letters, hiring, onboarding, and other administrative duties to assist you throughout the process.
Who uses executive staffing services?
Executive headhunting is popular with a wide range of businesses and industries. Here are some common scenarios.
- Corporations looking for C-Suite executives
- Startups needing strategic guidance
- Private equity firms seeking leadership for portfolio companies
- Nonprofits needing mission-driven leaders
Benefits of executive search
Here are some benefits you can expect from working with an executive staffing agency.
Access to talent and shorter time to hire
Lacking access to highly qualified talent is usually the biggest pain point for businesses looking to fill a role, contributing to their search taking longer or positions never being filled.
This can also cause businesses to settle on a candidate because there is not enough talent in their pipeline to interview, so they make an offer to a candidate before they move on.
Using an executive search service gives you more access to candidates to interview in a tighter time frame, enabling you to compare candidates and make a quicker decision you feel great about that aligns with all of your requirements.
Industry Leaders
Staffing agencies tend to work within industries where they cultivate a network of relationships with employers and candidates, which enables them to be more effective at making placements.
Working with a recruiting agency that knows what you are looking for and has access to these relationships makes them more independent after your initial consultation and submit higher quality candidates to be interviewed.
Confidentiality
With high-profile hires, confidentiality is often a key concern, especially when the search involves internal changes or is highly competitive. An executive search firm is experienced in managing confidential searches, ensuring that the process remains discreet to avoid unsettling employees or stakeholders by making the opening publicly known.
Thorough Vetting Process and Long Term Fit
An executive search firm will have a thorough vetting process to ensure only the best candidates are submitted for the role. The level of detail is much higher than a typical candidate search, including in-depth assessments, reference checks, and interviews to qualify them as a great fit for your company’s needs and culture.
As much as this rigorous approach ensures a great hire and long-term fit, it also prevents a bad one. Bad hires can be damaging to your growth and success, so finding the right person is crucial.
Executive Search vs Contingency Staffing
Contingency staffing is another type of staffing arrangement that has some key differences from retained executive search.
In a contingent staffing agreement, the client does not pay unless a candidate is filled into the role. The search is public without confidentiality or discretion, supplementing outreach with job postings on the company job board and other third-party websites.
The candidate pool varies from entry to senior level, usually excluding executive and some senior-level positions. Time to hire is typically shorter, and contingent direct-hire staffing is more scalable than executive staffing.
Hunter Can Help Your Executive Search
Ready to find your next executive leader?
Hunter Recruiting has 20 years of experience filling a variety of executive roles in STEM, manufacturing, healthcare, and other industries. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you find the right professional for your role, you can schedule a free consultation or fill out a form to request talent!
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