Steps to take before starting executive search

Preparing for an executive search process without the help of an internal HR professional or an external executive recruitment company can often be chaotic. Preparing for an executive search needs to be a structured, manageable project, where each step has its own purpose and involves specific links in the search process. Typically, an executive search preparation has 4 phases:

1.Initial discussion of the need

This discussion involves the executive search firm’s executive recruitment specialist and all the employer’s representatives who will be involved in the future executive search project: human resources specialists, hiring managers, board of directors, etc. The purpose of this phase is for the executive search company to understand the employer’s initial expectations for the managerial position and to comment on the labour market supply, the possible remuneration budget, the duration of the executive search project, the risks, the testing process for the candidates etc. Typically, this interview is followed by a series of insights from the hiring side, after which the hiring side schedules an internal re-discussion of the position, and then puts in writing the final requirements for the manager sought.

2.Validation of communication to candidates

Once the employer’s final requirements have been received, the executive recruitment specialist prepares the final position description, which is then sent directly to the potential candidates. Although it is only one document, it is of the utmost importance, and it usually takes about a week to agree on the best version of the job offer, which not only informs the potential candidates in detail, but also arouses their interest and can be used in the headhunting process.

3.Preparation for the executive search process and identifying the participants

Before starting the executive search process, it is important to anticipate the steps that will be taken once the first tentatively suitable candidate has been selected, i.e. what will be the stages of the screening process, what testing methodology will be used, who will be involved in the interviewing of the candidates, who will be checking the candidates’ references, and at what stage of the executive search will this be done. This preparation phase, if omitted, causes considerable stress for the hiring company’s managers later on, as decisions have to be taken urgently on a process that is extremely responsible and important for the whole company.

4.Preparation for the start of the executive search process

Once the requirements and the public communication of the executive search to the candidates have been established, it is necessary to anticipate the channels through which the executive recruitment will be developed and to prepare for the targeted use of these channels:

• If a public search is to be conducted, confirm on which public channels the search will be visible and the timeframe for reaching them.
• If only headhunting, the entire database should be checked and a long list of suitable candidates should be drawn up to whom the offer will be communicated.
• If a targeted narrow group of candidates is envisaged, individual messages should be prepared for each candidate according to their potential motivation level and position. Such personalised communication usually leads to better results.

Usually, the rush to start an executive recruitment project as soon as possible leads to hasty preparation, which further leads to a chaotic executive selection process. When selecting a strategically important position for the business as a whole, it is better to focus more on the preparation phase than to spend much more time afterwards correcting unforeseen mistakes in the selection process itself.