What Executive Recruitment Services Can (and Can't) Do for You

76 percent of recruiters had a difficult time finding qualified candidates. Growing the economy while jobs go unfilled is near impossible. The popular H1-B visa program brought 180,000 management and technical professionals (mostly in technology) to the U.S. and there still aren't enough candidates.

Finding the right candidate for your highest positions is a time-consuming and labor-intensive job. Read on to learn how executive recruitment services can help you.

Meet the Problem Solver

Executive recruitment services work side by side with your HR to source and hire the best talent for your needs. The company is their client, not the candidate. They provide expertise, knowledge, and resources that you may not have full-time on your team.

They proactively address your executive hiring needs. Top executive recruiters look to develop partnerships beyond filling current vacancies. They anticipate future skills gaps and source possible candidates far in advance- often before you know the need yourself.

If you need to search confidentially for a position (say for an underperforming exec), an outside recruiter is a good choice to begin your search. Your recruiter can candidly discuss the outgoing execs skills gap and shortcomings and then bring you, candidates, to address your needs.

Defining and Refining the Employer Brand

To find the right job candidates, executive recruitment services plan and develop a hiring strategy for you. Talent Acquisition is not a start-and-stop process. It is is an ongoing exercise in Employer Branding strategy to attract high-quality applicants for difficult-to-fill roles.

The majority of highly qualified candidates are happy in their current positions. Your recruiter identifies and screens this passive talent. They then source the right candidate for you. The best recruiters actively seek out company and industry news.

They are fanatics about Facebook and LinkedIn posts. Recruiters of the past relied on CDs of resume banks and cold calling. Today's executive recruitment services follow LinkedIn and Facebook for leads.

A great executive recruiter sources candidates through many means. For top positions, your perfect candidate may not even be actively looking for a job. Recruiters craft job descriptions or evaluate new descriptions with a critical eye towards drawing the right person to the job.

What to Expect with Executive Recruitment Services

Placing ads and waiting for resumes to roll in isn't enough, especially for executive-level candidates. When you are looking for executive recruitment services, assess your recruiter's market intelligence. You want recruitment services with extensive knowledge. Even more important, they need an up-to-date database of qualified candidates.

They should know who's who in the field. They should know who is looking for a new job. They should know what it takes to hire someone away from a competitor.

Your recruiter should be able to handle the preliminary screening and give you a vetted list to personally interview. Your recruiter should have an open conversation with you about the candidates' qualifications and motivation, too.

Post-interview, your executive recruiter should debrief you. Then they should offer counsel towards your final selection. Your recruiter cultivates a position of trust with candidates and with you, the client.

Rely on your recruiter's expertise and open communication to address crucial financial matters. They must manage expectations during the offer and negotiation. They ask both sides the tough questions, seek the red flags and mitigate risk so neither party hesitates when it's time to sign on the dotted line.

Your recruiter is the key to closing the deal with the right candidate. They are neutral third parties. They negotiate with both sides to a mutually beneficial commitment. Your recruiter's job does not end there, though. Expect your recruiter to follow through to see their candidate succeed.

Executive Recruiters Save You Money

Consider the cost of placing ads and screening executive talent. Now add in the cost of hiring the wrong person.

Using an executive recruiters saves time. Some firms place as much as 90% of their open searches within their client's time frame. Candidates generally come with a guaranteed fit within 90 days, something an internally sourced and hired candidate does not provide.

Most recruiters charge a percentage of an executive candidate's first year's annual salary and bonus as their fee. This cost is far less than the cost in time and business results to the company.

So What Can't Your Executive Recruitment Service Do?

Executive recruiters are not wizards. There is no magic wand they can wave to make candidates appear for a job that is:

• ill-defined
• incorrectly compensated
• overzealous with prerequisites

Your recruiter will work with you to hone your job description to an appealing and complete whole. If you don't firmly know your needs, a recruiter can't send you suitable candidates.

There are numerous published websites and salary calculators available today. Your recruiter should also have an intimate knowledge of the industry and the possible candidates. If your target compensation range is too low, you may not be able to capture a candidate's interest.

On the other end, setting the range too high means you will have nowhere to grow. Your recruiter is part of your employer branding strategy. Managing candidate and employer expectations is their job.

Your recruiter can't fix a poor match between expectations and actual on-the-job engagement. There will be many discussions beforehand to mitigate the risk. The recruiter's reputation is on the line.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right executive candidate for hard-to-fill spots in operations, logistics and supply chain can be time-consuming and difficult. Rather than spending company resources on unqualified candidates, rely on the expertise and industry knowledge of an executive recruitment professional.

Part of the service is defining and refining the job description to identify the right person for your needs. Your recruiter will be with you through the entire hiring process. They have an interest in their candidate's success.

To learn more keep reading our blog. If you would like to discuss your recruitment needs, reach out today.