Did you know that it takes an average of 41 days to hire across a range of functions? And, did you know that the average job post receives 250 applications?
When hiring for a new position, companies are often inundated with inquiries and applications. While this can make hiring for any role tough, it can especially make it tough when hiring for an executive leadership position. When hiring for an executive position, the stakes are a lot higher, as an executive has a lot more responsibility.
For this reason, many companies work with executive recruiters. What is an executive recruiter? Why should your company work with one? Read on to learn all about executive recruiting.
What is an Executive Recruiter?
As the name implies, an executive recruiter is someone who recruits executive personnel for a company. This may include directors, senior managers, or other high-level corporate officers.
Executive recruiters typically work independently or for a firm, and they usually specialize in one or more industries. For example, an executive recruiter may specialize in recruiting engineers or architects.
If they work for executive recruitment agencies, an executive recruiter may be on a retainer contract or contingency contract. With a retainer contract, the client pays the recruiter to retain their services for a specific time period. With a contingency contract, the recruiter is paid when they make a specific placement.
Executive Recruitment Process
Once an executive recruiter is hired, they’ll begin by making a detailed list of client requirements. This may include information regarding experience, skillset, location, salary requirements, education levels, and more.
Then, they’ll do some research to identify potential clients. To find clients, they may create job postings to be placed on job boards. Or, they may reach out to candidates directly through Linkedin.
Once they’ve found a pool of potential candidates, they’ll perform screening interviews and then present the potential candidates to the client. Once the client decides on a new executive, the executive recruiter may be responsible for conducting post-offer reference checks and background checks.
Why Hire an Executive Recruiter?
Executive recruiters can be a valuable asset to your company. Instead of sifting through hundreds of resumes on your own, an executive recruiter can take care of the heavy lifting for you.
Executive recruiters also typically have existing networks they can tap into to help you find a qualified candidate. And, perhaps most importantly, executive recruiters have the right industry knowledge and expertise to assess if someone is the right fit for a job.
If you’re looking for a new chief financial officer for your company, an entry-level recruiter likely won’t know what skills someone needs to possess to excel at this job. Executive recruiters work with high-level candidates on a regular basis, so they know what qualifications to look for.
Is it Time to Hire an Executive Recruiter?
Now that you’ve read this post, it’s time to decide if hiring an executive recruiter is the right decision for your company. If the answer is yes, then you can start doing some online research for executive recruitment companies.
And, check back in with us for more recruiting tips!
