JANUARY
2000
How
to Get the Best Performance From Your Executive Search Consultant
IT’S
A NEW YEAR, a new century and a new millennium – a confluence
of events that will not happen again in your lifetime. What
a perfect opportunity to contribute to your organization’s
success by getting the very best quality, service and performance
from your executive search consultant.
Some
organizations expect very little from their search firms and
receive very little in return. Others have great expectations
and receive superior results.
No company,
of course, would fax technical drawings of a new product to
its advertising agency with the instruction to return in several
weeks with a memorable ad campaign. And no company, faced
with a wrongful termination suit, would fax the complaint
to a law firm with the instruction to go win the case.
In the
case of the new product introduction, the advertising agency
would spend weeks at company headquarters and its product
development labs learning everything possible about the product
-- including its advantages over competition, intended customer
base, volume objectives, pricing structure, market-research
results and so forth. In the case of the wrongful discharge
suit, the defending law firm would interview everyone involved
with the termination and would discuss legal strategies with
company attorneys and executives.
Yet a
number of companies that gladly meet with their ad agencies
and law firms attempt to procure their most important product
– people – by faxing position descriptions to
recruiting firms. At the lower end of the search business,
these came to be known over time as "job orders,"
a term suspiciously similar to "purchase orders."
The false implication was that people could be requisitioned
like paper clips.
Why
Written Descriptions Fall Short
Years
ago, many organizations felt a step ahead of the competition
if they had written descriptions on hand for most positions.
A good
job description, in fact, does provide an understanding of
the position’s duties, generally as performed by the
current incumbent. For example, an accounting department manager
might oversee the timely preparation of financial statements,
supervise the payment and collection of accounts, and manage
a staff of five professionals and two clericals.
That
same job description, however, provides no insight into any
problems the department may be having (such as the collection
of delinquent accounts), challenges looming on the horizon
(such as the accounting integration of a newly acquired subsidiary),
organizational concerns (convincing line managers to provide
timely reports), etc. Nor does it provide insight into the
corporate culture in which the manager must function, skills
lacking in those who have held the position up till now or
changes that company management would like to see the next
incumbent make. Indeed, many of these issues may be less than
clearly understood or articulated.
The effective
search consultant, like a good physician, must diagnose the
problem before recom-mending the proper cure. That usually
requires access to key executives and managers who supervise
or interact with the open position.
Even
in corporations that channel all search and selection activity
through the human resources department, wise HR managers open
doors to search consultants, as opposed to shutting them.
With a pantheon of responsibilities ranging from compensation
and benefits design to organization development and training,
HR professionals realize that they personally cannot be the
ultimate source of every piece of information on every job
throughout the company.
Using
the "Three C’s" of Effective Relationships
Knowledgeable
search consultants expect three things above all else from
their client contacts: candor, cooperation and commitment
to an effective search process.
Candor
means that the consultant at all times will receive all information
and changed information that may affect the successful outcome
of the search. For example, if a client company’s CEO
one day decides to bet the company’s future on e-commerce,
that is vital information in the search for a new chief marketing
officer.
Cooperation
means that the client will be available to the consultant
and responsive to his or her needs. In today’s environment
of multiple job opportunities, it is especially important
that issues and questions can be promptly resolved.
Commitment
means that the client not only is dedicated to filling the
position, but also supports the process that will make this
happen – including the timely interviewing of high-potential
candidates and the equally timely extension of an employment
offer.
In turn,
clients should expect the complete candor, cooperation and
commitment of their search consultants.
Trust
is a two-way street, and it stems from the mutual honesty
and respect that close working relationships engender. Good
clients never farm out search assignments to just any firm
that calls; rather, they cultivate a close and continuing
relationship with one or two firms who speak their language
and consistently deliver superior results.
Selecting the Right Search Firm
Just
as good advertising agencies develop superior ad campaigns
and good law firms provide top-notch legal representation,
good search firms identify and attract the caliber of people
who will help your company or unit meet its goals. To separate
the wheat from the chaff, ask the following kinds of questions:
1. Does
the firm specialize in my industry?
2. Have they taken the time to get to know me – and
understand my needs?
3. Have they explained the process they will use to conduct
the search?
4. Do I feel personally comfortable with the lead search consultant?
5. Will the firm represent my company to job candidates in
a highly professional and confidential manner?
6. Will they provide a high level of value-added service and
remain in close touch throughout the search process?
7. Am I confident they will deliver results?
The
more time up front that an employer spends in selecting the
right firm and providing all information relevant to the search,
the faster strong candidates will be identified and a final
offer of employment extended.
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