What Does ‘Executive Search’ Actually Mean?
It’s a phrase you’ll have heard more and more over the last few years – but what really distinguishes ‘Executive Search’ from regular recruitment? It’s not just a focus on senior roles, it’s a whole different way of approaching recruitment that can make a huge difference to the organisations that use it.
A real Executive Search service is a bespoke solution, tailored to the individual organisation, taking into account a company’s long term business plan and their culture. The exact techniques employed will vary wildly depending on the company and the role, it’s as far as possible from just throwing a spec on to a job board and waiting for applications. An Executive Search will usually begin with a thorough and extensive mapping out of the market, learning who the best possible people for the given role would be, focussing on people who are already doing great work in similar positions -people who would certainly not be browsing the web for a new opportunity during their Tuesday lunch break.
Having identified the best people for the position, an Executive Search team will then confidentially contact their preferred candidates to discuss how open they are to a move and the nature of the role in question, ideally getting as far as possible before actually naming the company. For many organisations it can be vitally important for stability and continuity to not make a lot of noise about a very high level vacancy and a carelessly worded job advert can quickly start damaging rumours.
Only when we’ve pulled together a thoroughly pre-screened shortlist of truly game-changing talent options will we put those people in front of the client for interview, cutting out the time that can be wasted when traditional recruiters send their clients stacks of CVs that turn out to be entirely irrelevant but that contain one of the same keywords that was in the job spec.
Specialist recruitment strategies are becoming essential for many organisations as the number of skilled, senior active candidates seeking new work through traditional means continues to dwindle. A targeted search carried out by consultants with an in-depth knowledge of their specialist market is an efficient, cost-effective solution for immediate resourcing needs that also takes into account and compliments long term organisational objectives.
If you’re interested in a confidential conversation to discuss whether an Executive Search project with Kind Consultancy could help your company, or you’re looking to move in to a new high-level role, contact me at any time on 01216432100 or info@kindconsultancy.com
