Who are the key players in the executive search process?
There are many different roles that can be involved in an executive recruitment project. But the importance of their roles vary. Knowing which roles are the most important in an executive search can help to focus extra attention on filling those roles with competent professionals. The main and most important actors in the executive search process are 3:
1.The executive search firm’s specialist or in-house HR professional dedicated to the executive recruitment process
The hiring managers formulate the list of requirements for the executive search position. The HR manager is responsible for the successful launch of the executive recruitment project. But it is the executive search project manager who implements the search project itself. The role of the HR manager is the most important in the executive recruitment project. He/she is in direct contact with the candidates and manages all the selection information. The purpose of the Executive Search and Selection Specialist is to collect information from all those involved in the executive search, organise it, prepare a selection project plan and implement it by proposing the most suitable candidates. This link, whether it is a recruitment company resource or an in-house recruiter, must be experienced in top-level executive searches.
2.The hiring manager or the hiring manager’s team and board
This level of the executive search process decides whether the candidate presented is suitable for the role. This is a major responsibility and it is recommended that the decision on the right candidate is not left to one manager. The team-based assessment of candidates adds transparency to the executive recruitment process and the resulting debate on the suitability of candidates allows for a more accurate identification of both opportunities and threats.
The board or the hiring manager does not need to be familiar with the executive recruitment process itself. These competencies will be fully covered by partnering with an executive search firm. The main task of the hiring manager is to properly formulate the requirements for the managerial position to be sought and to provide a framework for the evaluation of the candidates proposed by the executive recruiter. This link is the second most important in the executive recruitment project.
3.The person occupying the position of the employer’s HR manager
While this position may be part of the hiring manager team in point 2, the function of the HR manager is also to ensure that the right selection is made by the recruitment company or internal HR professional and that the whole process of the executive search is smooth and produces the right result. While the HR manager is usually not involved in the normal recruitment process or is involved only occasionally, the top manager is very much involved in the recruitment project. He or she also often acts as a consultant to the hiring manager’s team. The HR manager, unlike the company’s shareholder or the CFO, has a greater knowledge of the labour market supply, the evaluation of candidates and their motivation to participate in the selection process.
