How to never give up in executive search
I've seen it all too often. A search gets hard. The candidates are all no's, too expensive, or not interested. The hiring team is frustrated. The recruiting team is stressed and feels the pressure. They meet and are reassuring, but the goal becomes surviving the next client call and keeping everyone happy with the momentum of new potential candidates, instead of thinking strategically about how to ultimately fill the job.
I was told recently by an internal executive recruiter that I never give up. This is something I started hearing from clients years ago, and it's a differentiator I never realized. The internal recruiter and I were talking about how after a while, many search firms tend to give an ongoing search less energy and attention. I've seen that happen, where people are chasing fresh retainers and excited about new roles, while the ones that have been open for months get less focus.
So how do we make sure all recruiters are problem solvers versus problem presenters? That they focus on closing searches, not celebrating interview activity? This is especially important in this age of AI and (seemingly) easier research. How do we make sure to take a step back and strategize, instead of simply finding more potential candidates to reach out to?
First, I do believe that all great recruiters have a bit of a personality trait where they have something to prove, the relentless need to win, and an insatiable drive.
After that, it's a matter of having honest conversations.
Every company has several stakeholders, usually the hiring manager, recruiting, and HR/HRBPs. They each hold the answer to how we fill roles. Is it comp or location flexibility? Can we flex on skills or target different companies? Are we checking our biases? Should we focus on local talent, or talent in our price range regardless of their titles? Do we need fewer cooks in the kitchen, or better internal alignment? Do we need to sell the role better, together?
When a search stalls, here's what I check, in this order:
Are the expectations realistic? Does this person exist?
Has the market truly been covered? Are we looking in the right places, at the right levels? To me, a market is truly covered when every company on the target list has people identified and approached.
When a strong candidate doesn't reply, have we reached out to them again?
Then it's about bringing these findings to the hiring team, making recommendations, and deciding together what to change.
Seeing a clear path to filling the role is what gives all of us the energy to keep going.
With automation, so much of what tech companies are solving for is candidate identification and outreach. There is so much more to the art of recruiting than meets the eye! Here's to all the recruiters who approach their craft with the mastery of problem solving, aligning stakeholders, and balancing trust with sales, and who fill searches with hires everyone is excited about.
----
Looking for more behind the scenes executive search advice? Check out my book Search in Plain Sight on Amazon or Audible. https://a.co/d/03cgmski
Have any hiring needs? Let’s connect. Message me here or email me.
Comments