Many historians believe that the hinge pin that enabled America to win the Revolutionary War against England was the excellent leadership from George Washington. Likewise, the most successful sports teams might have a few really great players, but the driving force that unifies them and helps them function as champions is the coach. The leadership in any enterprise is one of the most important factors in determining the ability to reach goals and to be successful.
In the business world, the executives who steer a company hold the power the make or break the the business. It it extremely important that the right people are in these critical leadership roles that determine the success of a business. For this reason, when a business is restructuring or filling leadership positions that are opened through attrition, it is often extremely valuable to utilize executive HR search firms in the process.
Executive HR search firms are often mistaken for general staffing companies; however, they are far different in the value provided through their services. Consider a few of the unique benefits that companies gachieve when they use executive HR search firms to fill leadership positions:
Four Benefits of Using Executive HR Search Firms
- The best candidates often are not looking for new jobs.
Yes, it is possible that your internal HR will post a job opening through their traditional channels and the right candidate will see it and apply. However, many times, the idea lcandidate for the job is already being extremely successful at the company they work at, and are not looking for a new job. This is where the executive search consultant service adds the most value. Professional recruiters network specifically with leadership-level talent across all industries, and will know how to identify the perfect person for the role, whether or not they themselves realize they need a new opportunity. - Hiring an executive is very resource-intensive.
We have a hiring market right now, particularly at an executive level. For every executive job opening, Human Resource departments receive hundreds of resumes. Weeding through 300+ pieces of paper to identify the best candidates is labor intensive and drains man-hours. Most importantly, it’s easy to overlook great candidates and waste time on the wrong resumes.
On the other hand, professionals from talent acquisition management services do one thing: they specifically hire executives. And they do that one thing great. Instead of expecting an internal HR team to find the needle in the haystack of resumes and manage to find the perfect man (or woman) for the job, using a recruiter who does nothing but hire company leadership saves a precious resources and — most importantly — helps ensures you don’t hire the wrong person. - Many businesses don’t know what their leadership structure is lacking.
Many businesses work in silos. You might know your product or service, or perhaps your industry, like the back of your hand, but there could be a groundbreaking leadership model being used in other businesses that you’ll never hear of. Meanwhile, an executive recruiter works with leadership across a number of businesses in a number of industries. Having insight from a professional who is familiar with the leadership structure that the most successful companies utilize could single-handedly steer a company to success. - The overlooked success factor in hiring an executive: on-boarding.
There is a reason that the first thing the president of the United States does when he comes in office is to release a plan for his first 100 days. The initial on-boarding of a leader has a critical impact on his (or her) success in the future. Not only does an executive recruiter help a company identify the right person for the job, they also partner with the new executive and the company to ensure the transition is seamless and successful.
The leaders in a company are the single factor that determines the business’s success (or lack of). When it comes to filling an important leadership role, a business shouldn’t assume the best candidate is going to fall in their lap. Just like realtors are essential for finding the perfect home, executive HR search firms are essential for finding the perfect executive candidate.
