Executive search is a profession. Executive search assists organizations to identify, attract and refer qualified candidates for important executive, managerial and technical positions. The fee is always paid by the client and the service of recruiting is free of charge to the candidate. There are two kinds of executive search -  retained and contingency.

Retained Search

Retained search is when the client and the recruiter work exclusively together to assess and evaluate the client's requirement. The client pays the search firm a portion of the estimated fee for the search to begin. The recruiter actively researches and identifies target companies and candidates. The recruiter actively then recruits and qualifies candidates from an agreed search plan. The recruiter presents a number of suitable candidates to the client, organizes an interview schedule and the process begins. Within two to three weeks a successful hire is made. Retained search is usually a solution for Senior Executive positions. The client pays the fee.

Contingency Search

Contingency recruiting is a service provided to a client who has numerous positions to fill. The client enters into a contingent fee agreement with the search firm and the recruiter then begins to search for suitable candidates to fill the open requirements. The candidates are presented to the client, interviewed and hired if appropriate. The search firm is paid a fee by the client based on the guaranteed first year's annual income of the candidate.

INFORMATION THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE CANDIDATE

Understand how a Recruiter works

A recruiter or headhunter works with you to market and promote your background and experience to his or her client. The recruiter works for the company or organization who is the client that pays for the services. A good recruiter will be interested in you, the candidate, and dedicate a fair amount of time in getting to know you, your objectives, geographic preference, position preference and most importantly what your long-term career objective is. This allows the recruiter to position and present you with the best opportunity to move your career to the next level.

Find a good Recruiter/Headhunter

There are countless ways to find recruiters as they are dime a dozen, but to find a good one is difficult. A good recruiter for you to work with is one that takes the time to discuss you, what you know, what you want to do, how much you would like to make and what your ultimate career goal is. A good recruiter is also someone who will ideally want to meet with you for 45 minutes to an hour so that a "face" can be placed to the resume and to the recruiter. This allows for a much better relationship to be established. A good recruiter will always have your best interests at heart and will not solely be focused on closing the deal. When you have found a good recruiter compliment them by referring people you know to them who can benefit from their services. A good recruiter will have valuable information about the company he or she is representing, about the job, the manager and about the technology and direction of the division. He or she will tell you about the interview, what to expect, who you will meet, what their title and personality is, the amount of time you need to allocate to the interview and finally what to wear and how to conduct yourself.  This coaching will allow you to maximize your chance of winning an offer. In an interview process the objective is to get the offer and until you have an offer you do not have a choice !

Finally, if you receive a call from a recruiter, take the time to hear about the reason for their call. NEVER be rude or refuse to hear about the opportunity. If you do not have time at that moment then suggest an alternative time that is more convenient. A good recruiter understand the stresses of your daily pressures and will accomodate your schedule.  The recruiter or headhunter is your best friend and you never know when you will require their services to assist you in moving your career forward.

INFORMATION THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE CLIENT

Companies or organizations enter into a search assignment with high and sometimes unrealistic expectation. There is a sense of urgency to get the job done and the position filled. The success of the assigment is when a superior candidate is placed.

Key areas to focus on to avoid search failure

Once an executive search firm has been selected use the following checks to guarantee success.

Due Diligence

Establish who will be managing and working on your search and schedule a time to meet with them. It is important that the recruiter understands your business and that they have the time to work on your assignment. Get to know the recruiter and the style they use to attract suitable candidates.

Expectation and ground rules

Understanding of goals, timetables and expectations of both client and recruiter is key to the success of the search. An interview process and people must be clearly defined and any "hidden agendas" will place the search at a disdavantage.

Important information

A client could never over-educate the recruiter on the companies culture, management style and the interview process. The recruiter needs to understand your company as much as possible. Allow him or her to meet as many executives and hiring managers as possible within your organization. The better the recruiter understands your "compelling story" the more successful the end result.