Executive Search

In this article we will provide you the awareness about the Executive search meaning its advantages and finding top management.

Executive Search, literally translated, is the search for executives. In other words, it is a process in the Human Resources area that seeks to find the right professionals to occupy some more strategic positions for the company . These positions are distinguished by their high level of demand in skills, as well as the high level of responsibilities they carry with them.

The wrong choice, in these cases, can lead to several problems, ranging from employee dissatisfaction and loss of productivity to a drop in operating and financial results. Therefore, it is essential that the selection process be more detailed and adopt some differentiated practices.

What are the advantages of Executive Search?

Executive Search provides an organization with many advantages, such as those described below.

1-Active search for professionals

The hunting process , that is, the active search for professionals, is a common practice in the search for different types of positions. In more strategic positions, such as senior management positions, this process allows the company to be one step ahead, acting proactively . So, instead of waiting for the ideal candidate to show up, she is the one who goes looking for you and attracts the right person to her.

2-Agility in filling the vacancy

The greater the specificity of a vacancy, the longer it can take to fill it. For senior management positions, it is not enough to have a series of certificates and diplomas, it is necessary to have a good cultural fit and behavioral profiles necessary to meet the specific demands of the business.

The use of Executive Search helps to reduce the time of the selection process by adopting specific practices and relying on headhunters, who are specialized in this type of challenge. As a result, teams spend less time without proper supervision and operational and financial results are impacted as little as possible.

3-long term savings

A selection process generates a series of costs and when we talk about executive positions the tendency is for them to be even higher. On the one hand, because this search ends up demanding more resources and on the other, because the vacancy of this vacancy generates negative impacts on the team’s productivity.

Another important aspect is that if the wrong person is chosen, the company can bear several months of results below expectations and even with employee dissatisfaction. Executive Search is able to prevent this from happening, through a more careful and efficient selection process.

4-Focus on quality of candidates

For the vast majority of positions, it is interesting that the company has a talent pool and guarantees a good amount of resumes available for the next selection processes . However, in the case of executive positions, there are very few vacancies, with many specific requirements. So, targeting is no longer quantity and becomes the quality of candidates.

The Executive Search process is carried out with a focus on professionals who meet the greatest number of established prerequisites. In this way, the filter applied, already in the first stages, is more rigorous. Also, the number of candidates that are approached is smaller, but the level of compatibility is higher, making the process more efficient.

4-Further analysis of candidates

The fact of having a leaner selection of candidates helps the headhunter to have more availability to better deepen the analysis of each one of them. Therefore, the assessment is no longer just curricular and goes much further, addressing aspects such as leadership style, behavioral profile and potential results for the current scenario of the company.

5-Improvement of the company’s image in the market

One of the essential skills of a good headhunter is knowing how to sell the company he is introducing candidates to. With a smoother approach and all his experience in the market, he is able to demonstrate the advantages of following the process and, therefore, improve the business’ image in the market.

But it is very important that this work takes place together with employer branding , in order to strengthen the headhunter’s arguments.

6-Impartiality in the evaluation of candidates

Hiring the Executive Search service helps make the evaluation of candidates more impartial and objective . This makes it possible to hire the professional that the company really needs to overcome all its challenges, not the one that one or another member of the board liked best. Thus, the process has more tangible requirements and the choice of the new executive is made more efficiently.

How to find top management professionals in the market?

The search for executives in the market includes some differences in relation to the search for professionals for other positions. To find the right person, it is important to pay attention to the following steps.

1-Define the job profile

Start by defining the vacancy that will be available. In the case of vacancies for senior management positions, it is normal to list more requirements . It is worth remembering that this person will have a very important role within the organization, with high-impact decision-making, in addition to influencing a larger group of people who will be under their responsibility.

It is important to consider all this when aligning, with the headhunter, the profile of the professional that the company needs. In this way, he will be more assertive in his actions and will act in a more organized and targeted manner.

2-plot the search strategy

The next step is to design the strategy for recruiting . Each vacancy will demand the use of different resources and the headhunter is the person who will be able to make this distinction. With his market experience, he better understands the candidate’s journey with this type of profile and, based on that, he can direct search actions to the most appropriate channels.

3-Start the recruitment process

Once the planning steps have been taken, it’s time to put everything into practice. In Executive Search, the difference lies in the fact that the recruiter has to carry out an active search for candidates who, in most cases, are already working in another company . The LinkedIn is an important ally at the time, because it allows direct contact with candidates, discreetly and efficiently.

4-Conduct interviews and generate reports

As with the usual selection processes, it is important to conduct interviews with selected candidates. In this case, the difference lies in the structure of the conversations, which need to capture some nuances that help to better understand the managerial capacity of the person, as well as their alignment with the profile that the company desires.

At the end of the interviews, the headhunter must prepare detailed reports about each candidate that went through the selection process , inserting their perceptions and considerations, according to what they consider necessary.

5-Analyze the reports and make your choice

Finally, it is the moment of choice itself. This is the easiest part for the company, since, throughout the entire process, the candidates were sifted until only those with the most suitable characteristics for the vacancy were left. As they are more specific positions, it is normal that very few reach this stage. The company is responsible for the final decision and, after selection, the candidate proceeds to the admission process .

As we’ve seen, Executive Search is a slightly more complex recruitment and selection process, which matches the positions it serves. Relying on the help of experienced professionals is essential for the company to hire the right executives, who will lead the organization to achieve its goals and provide for the growth and development of the business.