When colleagues ask why we are pushing the envelope on how executive search should be done, the answer is really an easy one.
Just because clients don’t ask for a new approach doesn’t mean recruiters shouldn’t explore better ways to help them meet their talent acquisition needs.
At a time when many of our competitors seem to be content with the highly profitable transactional model that has been the underlying foundation for the recruitment industry for 50 years, we are motivated to push the envelope on key issues — partnership, accountability, and innovation.
First, and foremost, we continue to act like real partners in terms of sharing the risks regarding the quality of our work, the service we deliver, the way we treat candidates, satisfaction with the performance of our team and the candidates we recommend.
We add value through some unique features in our process including helping clients solve other talent/skills/leadership weaknesses through our enterprise recruiting feature, conducting in-depth checking of candidate backgrounds and references, and by assessing an internally recruited candidate’s behavior/values match with other members of the team. We also support clients through executive coaching resources and technologically innovative, cost-effective outplacement services that can easily be scaled, from highly personalized support for one executive, to hundreds of supervisors, managers and other leaders.
Underlying everything we do is our commitment to be accountable for the quality, performance and outcomes.
Performance and Accountability
- Performance and satisfaction – when we commit to presenting recommended candidates on a certain date; we fulfill that commitment or discount our professional fee.
- If clients are not satisfied with the panel of recommended candidates, we discount our professional fee.
- We stand behind the candidates we recommend through one of the best placement guarantees in the executive search industry.
Innovation
- We continue to present video summaries of our recommended candidates answering questions that are important to our clients. Clients believe this unique feature, combined with our three-hour in-depth partner interviews, helps them select the best people to interview on site. Candidates undergo three firm interviews as well as in-depth vetting before they are ever presented to the client.
- We continue to produce in-depth Position Prospectuses, not the all-too-brief transactional position summaries churned out by most search firms. Former candidates say it is the most comprehensive in executive search and helps them to be better prepared. According to focus interviews, clients agree, saying our candidates seem to have a clear understanding of their needs.
- We do not rely on video conference interviews for the partner interviews of the recommended candidates, a practice that some major firms are using with great frequency under the guise of reducing costs. We have experimented with this technology and firmly believe that it does not afford the depth of insight necessary in the selection of senior leaders in healthcare today that we can achieve in focused face-to-face interviews.
- The Firm’s outplacement or transitional coaching services platform is designed so that we can deliver custom counseling to departing executives with the most up-to-date strategies, including the latest thinking on the use of social media. The Firm can also help support clients manage large layoffs with a web-based transitioning service that is both scalable and cost effective.
Value Added Services
- The search does not end with acceptance of the formal offer. We support client onboarding programs. If they do not have a formal plan, the Firm can coordinate that effort, including providing career transition support for the trailing spouse. This and other elements of onboarding are included in the professional search fee.
- We provide a half-day team-building workshop 30 to 60 days following the completion of the search, after the new executive has settled into their new role. Incorporating information from the profile we developed for the search process, the Firm’s team-building specialist leads this practical introduction to strategies to improve communication and collaboration that will drive improved performance. This is included in the professional search fee.
- We can help clients enhance performance of other executives and managers through an array of executive coaching resources. Using our deep understanding of a client’s organization and cultural profile, we can deliver targeted education and coaching that will help executives, directors, managers and supervisors adapt in a rapidly changing business climate.
- For former candidates, we provide complimentary career management support. It is hard to be a candidate, especially in our detailed process. This value added support is our way of respecting their effort as well as to help them with their future career endeavors.