Why Businesses of Every Size Should Use an Executive Recruiter

There’s sometimes a misconception among those in leadership of medium to small, but growing businesses that executive recruiting is something that only larger companies do. But that’s not the case. Partnering with an executive C-level recruitment firm is a worthwhile investment for the future of your business regardless of its size. For everything from ecommerce recruitment to analytic recruiting, an experienced executive recruiting firm can make the difference between hiring someone subpar or average for the position to sourcing and bringing on STAR talent who will excel and help move your business forward. However, there are ways in which you can prepare to make the experience as fruitful and universally beneficial as possible. Here are some things to consider when looking for a recruiting firm and top talent.

What to Look for in a Recruiter

To say that executive recruiting firms are not created equal is an understatement. When looking for an executive recruiting firm, the first step is to find one that is established, has a good reputation, and has a respectable suite of practice areas and specializations. Your business should fall into one of those practice areas. Most importantly, you want a recruiting firm that is going to be a true partner throughout the entire hiring process. That means working closely with you from before they are providing candidates to onboarding and acclimating the hire.

What to Look for in STAR Talent

Whether it’s a position in data science or analytic recruiting for a major corporation or hiring for the director or vice president of your sales department within your medium-sized business, many of the same hiring considerations apply. It’s not only about basing hiring decisions on mutual interests or likeable personalities, but also considering if the talent’s experience and achievements are relevant and applicable to your business.

Additionally, one needs to consider the strengths and weaknesses of every candidate and not overlook or assume an external hire or internal promotion will be a shoe-in for the executive team. An impressed medium to small business owner might assume that because their best salesperson has tenure, they are therefore the perfect choice for management, for instance, while overlooking their poor planning skills that would prove disastrous would they be expected to lead a team. That said, it’s important to be critical of outside talent as well and honest about the challenges they’d face in the position. When hiring, embrace diversity. It’s not just the impressively inclusive thing to do,research suggests that diverse leadership teams are objectively and significantly more innovative leading to market share gains.

Know Exactly What the Position Entails

There’s a tremendous amount of job postings out on the web. When defining your role, be innovative and write a compelling description that will grab the interest of those seeking out a new position. Be cognizant though, most positions are filled with those who are not looking to make a career move. An experienced recruiter has the resources to source and vet the perfect candidate.

Culture, Communication, Cooperation, and Patience

Also exceptionally helpful for recruiters and their candidates is understanding your company culture. The “best” candidate can be a disaster if the culture fit isn’t there. Try to be unbiased as possible when defining the culture. It’s essential to have the hiring manager talk to the recruiter separately as well. The hiring manager can have a more objective understanding of culture than management and will need to assess if the new hire will complement the team.The more communication and cooperation taking place between recruiter and client, the better the process and result are going to be, every time. The key to success is a true partnership between the business and the recruiting firm. Finally, be patient, both with the recruiting process and the eventual hire. It’s going to be a learning experience for all involved, and with some work, a mutually beneficial one as well.