Choosing an Executive Search Firm

ign="center">names of targeted candidates to recruit. But many
My husband has been a criminal defense attorney forseem to use that initial 48-72 hours placing ads and
over twenty years. During many of our dinnersearching resume databases to find those candidate
conversations, he tells me about one of his peers andwho are looking for a new job vs. being
the underwhelming work they have done‘happily’ employed and productive.
representing a client. The topic arises because he has(I should watch some of my opinions during this very
taken over a case where the previous attorney isturbulent time of company wide layoffs; there are
failing to file on time, charging an outrageous amountsome very talented executives now looking for a
of money and/or not helping the client work throughjob.)
the legal system to get a case settled with aVery few recruiters seem to understand let alone
(reasonably) positive outcome.utilize the process of deep research to find the best
Like the legal business, not every executive searchtalent. Lacking also seems to be the confident search
firm is created equal. It is often that I am called uponconsultant who possesses the psychological skills
to ‘rescue’ a search started bynecessary to recruit reluctant and
another search firm. Despite the abundance in‘happy’ talent in other companies.
recruitment training available, there are still manyCompetency is on my mind this morning as I take
recruitment/executive search consultants that:over another search from an underperforming
•Do not have a defined search processrecruitment firm. Please don’t get me
•Use job boards and resume banks to findwrong, I am happy for the work. However, from a
candidatesclient’s point of view, they have lost time
•Don’t have the ability to convinceand money in getting this search filled. Moreover, my
top (happily employed) talent to interview for a new‘underwhelming’ colleague is adding
position.to the seeming negative reputation of the executive
I started in recruiting in the early 90’s andrecruitment profession.
we spent many a day paging through large (andIt is my feeling that time spent on the
heavy) research directories to find names of‘lazy’ recruiter’s
candidates to contact for a search. The Internet hasmethodology can be transferred into identifying and
replaced this type of cumbersome ‘heavyrecruiting the best talent – not just the
lifting’ that existed pre-Internet. Withintalent that is available. Perhaps I would receive fewer
48-72 hours, any recruiter using the various online‘rescue’ searches but, I doubt it.
directories and Internet databases, can find theQuality and process speak for themselves.