Choosing an executive search firm requires care

Filling professional and managerial-level positions is critical to attain sales, profit, growth, customer service and oth-er quality goals. A key resource in this endeavor is using an executive search firm.

Four indicators reflect that a business requires the services of an outside firm:

First, a confidential search is ex-tremely hard to perform when using an organization's in-house human resource department. It is impossible if the owner wants the search to remain confidential.

Second, the inability of establishments to locate and recruit quality job seekers is still prevalent in the job market today.

Third, the extensive time necessary to solicit worthwhile candidates is a definite challenge for many human resource departments and hiring managers.

Fourth, an analysis of the corporation's true success in filling job openings might reveal deficiencies. The majority of enterprises maintain a 50 percent accomplishment rate. Outsourcing then becomes cost-effective, since the em-ployer will actually decrease the cost-per-hire, turnover, liability, personnel problems and the clean-up that inevit-ably results from a bad hire.

Core issues

Five core issues must be investigated to effectively select an executive search firm to partner with a business:

First, find out the education and prior experience of the person who will be helping in the search. Based upon that information, a business will be able to draw sound conclusions regarding service level expectations. For example, if he is a sales representative on commission, the business might expect minimal recruiting and screening. This is because his expertise is in sales, not human resources, and the less time he spends, the more commission he makes. He will also use his sales skills to persuade the business to hire one of his candidates.

Second, find out exactly what creative recruiting techniques will be used that the business cannot perform itself. For instance, placing an advertisement in the newspaper is a task that can be executed for less money than the fees of a search firm. The primary technique a firm should use is networking with currently employed individuals. Hundreds must be contacted to ensure success.

Third, verify that a representative from the firm will conduct an on-site visit. He should ask for a tour and acquire considerable information about the business, the duties of the job to be filled, and the personality characteristics required. Confirm that he will prepare a written job description detailing all the facts discussed.

Fourth, an aspirant for the job might have the perfect education and experience, but if his personality does not fit with the position, department and company, you will have failure. Accordingly, the personality traits you believe to be critical must be analyzed and additional strengths and weaknesses obtained. The firm should conduct personality assessments and provide the results in written form. Since this requires comprehensive interviews that last three hours on average, ask the search company the length of their interviews.

Fifth, it is imperative that the business receive references on applicants. The search firm should contact every supervisor the candidate has ever had from 1985 to the present and provide a detailed, typed report of the responses of seven.

(Lynne Haggerman is president/ owner of Haggerman & Associates, a retained search, outplacement, management training, and human re-sources consulting firm.)