It is common knowledge, or it should be, that executive recruitment firms have an entire database of candidates. In fact, they have their very own network of potential candidates in the industries they cover.
Any executive recruitment firm that is doing its job right will know all the top candidates in the industry, or know where to find them when it needs them. This is why executive recruitment firms are so efficient at helping companies fill executive positions. They do it for a living and are not interrupted with other things like human resource departments are. So they focus solely on finding the best candidates to fill the best positions.
A day in the life of an executive recruitment firm is always productive. Their career is based on a win-win situation business model. They get to connect individuals looking for work with companies looking for top-notch executives.
The innovation of executive recruitment firms
The executive recruitment process requires thinking outside the box to find the best possible candidates. The old way of posting a position online or in the newspaper is unfortunately no longer as effective. Because these methods no longer deliver as successful results, executive recruitment firms are continuously looking for better ways to reach the hard to find, and sometimes not actively job seeking candidates. Gone are the days of looking for the obvious, executive recruitment firms now have to think of things beyond themselves.
Executive recruitment firms and direct sourcing
Direct sourcing is becoming increasingly more effective and popular for executive recruitment firms to source stellar candidates. One very good example is LinkedIn. It is a highly professional platform for executives to post their accreditation, experience, education, etc. For executive recruitment firms and employers, LinkedIn is a great venue to source potential candidates directly.
Executive recruitment firms can search exactly what their client is looking for to fill their management positions on LinkedIn and other sites like it. Then they can contact the candidates directly to see if they are interested in the specific position they have available.
Executive recruitment firms and the passive employment seeker
Although many professionals with a LinkedIn profile aren’t actively looking for employment. They are often open to hearing about opportunities in case something suitable becomes available one day. But they would never go so far as to seek out jobs. Without these types of networking websites, executive recruitment firms would never find these individuals.
Facebook and LinkedIn groups
Another innovative place executive recruitment firms find candidates is on social media groups. There are groups on Facebook and LinkedIn that are dedicated to particular professions or industries, and people looking for solutions to problems. Executive recruitment firms monitor groups relevant to the industries they specialize in. They often watch for people who get asked a lot of questions or answer many questions because they stand out as the movers and shakers in their field.
Marketability of candidates
With all the ways to find candidates now, executive recruitment firms have to determine whether a candidate is marketable a lot quicker than they did in the past. To do this, they pay more attention to the first impression factor. In addition to assessing their education, skills and attributes they have to closely watch a candidate’s attire and how they carry themselves. Often there are more candidates than there are open positions.
10 things executive recruitment firms look for:
- Dressed appropriately for the interview – professional, clean-cut, contemporary, etc.
- Little to no perfume or cologne (many offices are scent free).
- Constant eye contact
- Strong, non-clammy handshake
- Not too talky, or use of slang and improper grammar
- Talk like a politician answering with um before answering questions
- Attitude – Overconfidence, pushiness, insecurity, aloofness.
- Too much expression, or lack of expression.
- Talk to fast, or too low – not articulate
- Insincerity
As well as pre-screening candidates, executive recruitment firms have to assess the companies they are filling the positions for. They have to evaluate and assess the corporate culture along with the organizational structure to know what they’re looking for in the executive they hire.
Executive recruitment agencies are highly skilled professional services that make hiring a lot easier for busy executives.
About the Author
This article was written by Eugene F. Wallace, an executive recruiter who helps companies identify and hire exceptional talent for their agencies and creative departments.
Photo credit: World Relief Spokane
