Editor's note: The following column is from HVS Executive Search, a recruiting firm covering the hospitality, lodging and restaurant industries. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Nation's Restaurant News.
HVS and NRN have partnered on two compensation studies set for publication in the coming months. A look at pay-for-performance metrics and the 2011 Restaurant Executive Compensation study will soon be available.
As a long standing executive search professional I have heard of almost everything when it comes to the candidate experience when utilizing an executive search firm. If executed successfully a candidate gets an incredible opportunity to enhance their career and the hiring organization gets a return on investment. However, when a search firm executes poorly it can lead to a disastrous situation for all parties involved.
This article illustrates what a potential candidate should expect and has the right to know when considered for a job opportunity.
The true executive search firm
There are many different perceptions regarding the role of a professional executive search firm. I thought a good starting point would be to provide a succinct definition of a high performing search firm’s objective:
Executive search is a specialized form of management consulting conducted through an exclusive engagement with a client organization. The definition of a client organization is the hiring entity; in no case should an executive search firm represent a candidate. A firm’s primary goal is to assist the client in identifying, recruiting and retaining senior executive talent.
Executive search is a critical management tool that, when used correctly, can add significant value to organizations by assisting management teams in achieving their business objectives. It relies upon mutual trust, confidence, cooperation and professional business practices among the search firm, the recruiting organization and the candidate.
The candidate “Bill of Rights”
Confidentiality - When you become a candidate, you put yourself at a certain amount of risk with your current employer. For that reason, you are entitled to the highest level of confidentiality from the search firm and the client organization. To safeguard your confidentiality, the search consultant should:
• Obtain your authorization before submitting your name and credentials to the client organization.
• Not contact references provided by you without your permission.
• Not discuss your potential candidacy with anyone outside the search firm and ensure that all employees of the firm abide by the same rules.
• Caution the client to also safeguard your confidentiality.
It is important to remember that you do not become a search candidate until the search consultant has conducted an initial evaluation of your suitability and you have expressed an interest in the position. If either of these two criteria is missing, you should not be considered a candidate for the position.
Full Disclosure - In order to make the right decision, you need to know as much as possible about the search firm you are talking to, the position and the client organization. This ultimately requires full and open discussion regarding:
• The nature and requirements of the position
• The compensation package
• Whether relocation is required
• Pertinent information regarding the client organization
The search consultant should also make clear whether he or she has been retained by the client to manage the appointment in question. Retained executive search consultants work under an exclusive contract with the client organization; and thus have confidential access to the client as well as their full and committed attention. If the consultant fails to notify you of this important fact, do not hesitate to ask.
Timely Communication & Feedback - The completion of an executive search assignment can often take several months, with many steps between initial contact and the ultimate hiring of the successful candidate. Once you become an active candidate, the search firm should communicate with you in a timely manner at each and every step of the process. This means proactively updating you on the progress of the search as well as responding in a timely manner to any inquiries initiated by you.
Based on his or her understanding of the position and the client's needs, the search consultant should give you an honest appraisal of your strengths and weaknesses in competencies required for the position. If at any point in the process the client decides not to proceed with your candidacy, the search consultant should also provide you with a complete explanation of the client's decision. Additionally, the best search consultants understand and respect that, as a senior level executive, your current position demands your full time and attention. When scheduling appointments and interviews, the search consultant and client should demonstrate the utmost respect for your time, position and responsibilities to your employer.
