Leading companies often form partnerships with executive search firms with the expectation that they are effectively tapping into a valuable, efficient, knowledgeable, and deeply-connected resource to help fill key skill gaps within the organization. However, when both parties don’t take the necessary time to ensure proper alignment of search needs on the “front end” of the search process, it can result in deep frustrations from both sides, and the partnership falls apart.
It should be noted that the search process is a two-way street, which is why we will explore what an effective search process looks like from the employer, search firm, and candidate perspective. In this blog, we look at what an employer really requires in a search assignment, why it’s important to get granular when it comes to search requirements, and the recipe for bringing all recruiting process stakeholders together to ensure a successful outcome.
The Employer Perspective
We interviewed an HR professional with over 30 years of experience of securing talent for large private and public companies, and within PE environments where hundreds of roles were filled at all levels. As expected, the actual experiences with search firms varied widely. In fact, the vast majority of search firm experiences with this employer were not only disappointing, but they created a negative lasting impression. Today this firm “partners” with only a “select few” search firms; each firm bringing a specific area of expertise. Each of the firms who earned this business had the exact same things in common:
- They knew their customer’s business inside and out
- They built trust with the leadership team and hiring managers, especially HR
- They invested the time up front to understand the company culture
- They had a strong communication cadence with the hiring managers
- Face-to-face visits were preferred vs. electronic/email/phone calls, whenever possible
- They delivered results and exceptional candidates
- They openly shared good and bad news, a trusting relationship
To shed some light on some of the “negative” experiences, numerous firms who solicited this company’s business were eliminated in the vetting process because they failed in almost every category noted above. Most of the search firms who were vetted out simply would not invest the time and, subsequently, were placed into the “do not use” category by the Company. In fact, numerous search firms (rightly or wrongly) were viewed as being staffed with “slick sales representatives” who were just glorified paper mills looking for a quick placement fee. They seemed to lack any true commitment to the candidate in helping them find the right role for their career. With the explosion of search firm start-ups, this issue, unfortunately, was viewed as getting worse, not better. This fact, however, presents a huge opportunity for quality search firms who are willing to earn and sustain a true partnership with their clients.
From the employer’s perspective, the firm(s) who won their business also had excellent processes to ensure that they had a firm understanding of the role, the key deliverables, the culture, and behavioral qualities of the ideal candidate. This sounds basic, but in reality, the majority of search firms failed miserably here. Missing the mark on “specific search needs” will almost guarantee submissions of poor candidate matches, which cause costly delays. This brings high levels of negative views from both sides, including a high dose of confusion to the candidates which may cause them to pull out of the process due to delays and subsequently creating a poor perception of their potential new employer. Accuracy in role specifications and process speed is vital…this is a candidate market and “A” players are being sought after with a vengeance.
This employer further noted it is crucial for search firms to stay focused on the “must haves” in the role specifications. It is even more important to constantly “re-calibrate” to ensure that both sides are still aiming at the bulls-eye. In some searches, and even with proper front end granular work, it might be discovered weeks into the process that the specifications need to be tweaked. This exemplifies the need for a strong communication cadence. Otherwise, hours of time and money invested in vetting and interviews will be lost, and more importantly, that super-star candidate who was presented may swept up by another employer.
This employer noted that when a “true partnership” is created, the vetting process becomes much faster, and, the quality of the candidates presented greatly improves. Typical costly delays are avoided. For example, one of the firms selected by this employer does an amazing job vetting candidates to ensure that the candidate is ready to make a move, vs. just testing the market. This firm probes and pressure tests each candidate in a professional manner. A key first step by search firms is to thoroughly understand the “needs” of the candidate. Quality search firms should ensure that the role, timing, location, etc., are truly what the candidate is looking for…if not, they should confront the candidate, coach them, and provide guidance on their career next steps. This in turn builds a lasting relationship with the candidate, and, it significantly eliminates costly mistakes for both the search firm and the employer.
Lastly, the employer noted that their search partner must represent the company and its brand well. As an employer, you have to ask yourself important questions such as: how is the company being “pitched” to the candidate? Who will do the pitch? What is the sizzle to attract and clearly articulate the company brand, market position, future success, and “reason to believe” that the proposed move makes sense for the candidate? Partnering with a search firm that does this well is vital.
Good search firms are true partners to the business, which typically means they take the time to visit, learn, meet key leaders, and truly vet and understand the requirements. It’s critical that search firms get granular when it comes to understanding requirements. For example, job titles may be similar in two different organizations, but may have completely different meanings. A Product Manager in a small company may wear multiple hats and have a broader role, however, a person with the same title in a $2B business may only do 30% of the actual job requirements of the position in a $100M business. Search firms must get the facts and key requirements right so they can understand that the same job titles are not the same at every company.
Getting the Most Out of Search Firm Partnerships
To get the most out of the employer-search firm relationship, make sure hiring managers “own” the search process. This means having a sense of urgency about the importance of adding top talent to their team. Most HR executives only want to deal with 2-3 search firms at best, so take the time to build a solid relationship with senior leadership as well as the hiring managers. HR leaders also want to work with firms who differentiate themselves. The search firm should be an extension of the company that helps manage its talent pool and pipeline and knows the future needs of the client.
The Search Firm Perspective
Search firms also have to be cautious when choosing clients to work with. In many cases, quality search firms will shy away from working with businesses that raise red flags, such as having a reputation for slow communication, poor or constantly changing specs, difficulty in setting up interviews, or not valuing the time spent on a search. Additionally, some companies believe they are being strategic by using multiple recruiters on the same search, but this can be a recipe for disaster. When you combine these factors, you’re unlikely to attract the partnership of a leading search firm.
Bringing the Two Together: A Recipe for the Search Firm and the Company
To avoid frustration and to increase the probability of a successful and efficient search process, form a true partnership between the search firm and the company. Take the time to educate each other on the business, strategy, goals, culture, and market as it relates to both parties.
Train and educate both hiring managers and the search firm on the process and expectations. This allows you to hold each other accountable. Above all, communication is key. Many of the process inhibiting challenges alluded to earlier could be solved with strong communication habits and practices. Additionally, both employers and search firms need to get granular when it comes to understanding what people actually do in the company–don’t rely on job titles alone, as the true duties and associated expectations may vary greatly from company to company. Spend quality time and listen to each other. Seek to understand at a deeper level and you can greatly increase the chances of an optimal candidate-employer match.