How to Evaluate the Best Executive Search Firms

When businesses and organisations in Australia need to find the right person to fill a senior and C-Suite level executive position, they reach out to executive search firms. Executive search firms operate with a team of professional headhunters that actively pursue talent to provide their clients with suitable candidates. So, how exactly do companies evaluate in order to know who the best executive search firms are before reaching out?

Here are some important factors companies must take into consideration:

* Do they understand the bigger picture?

Unlike with lower-level positions, businesses turn to executive search firms when they require a senior-level candidate who can not only fill the position but also ‘stay for the long run’. Due to the cost and time of finding a prospect and the responsibility that the position entails; a candidate leaving after a few months is not ideal.

Headhunters from executive search firms will ensure that the candidates they present have a long work history with their previous employers. They conduct thorough research to provide relevant talent that wants to grow with the company and stay for the long-term.

* Will the candidates be the right fit?

The best executive search firms in Australia service their clients with a context-driven approach. This means that they work closely with their client in order to understand their exact needs and requirements before searching. For example, an international business might have a prerequisite that the candidate needs to be the right fit for their culturally diverse workplace.

When working closely with clients, headhunters aim to understand the culture of their business. This insight allows them to know exactly what to look for in a suitable candidate and what types of questions to ask when assessing them.

* How do they assess potential talent?

When businesses turn to executive search firms instead of using an in-house or extenal recruitment team, it can seem daunting at first to not be in control of the hiring process. Executive search consultants have a vast amount of experience in various industries. To avoid the risk of a bad hire, they will thoroughly assess candidates before presenting them to the client.

An experienced executive search firm will rigorously screen all candidates. This includes examining their qualifications, work history, relevant experience, motivations, career goals, strengths, weaknesses and more. They will also keep their client informed throughout the executive talent search.

* What else can they offer?

Once they have provided the best-suited C-Suite level candidate for the position, then what? Many large businesses have other needs such as skill gaps in management or lack of leadership in the workplace. The best executive search firms will provide additional services such as board advisory services and leadership services.

These types of services provide talent strategists that can conduct various leadership assessments to identify any issues such as skill gaps in your current senior management and board. Other types of management services can include market mapping, executive coaching, competitor intelligence services and more.

Keep these following factors in mind when searching for the best executive search firms online and find an executive search firm that is best-suited to your exact needs.