What are executive search firms?

These are professional organizations which recruit, select and develop people on behalf of other organizations. These firms do a person-job fit exercise by matching potential candidates with the available posts Seattle Executive Search Firm .

It is largely observed that many organizations prefer focusing on their core areas, and tend to outsource the recruitment and selection (and sometimes training) work to executive search firms.

These firms specialize in this job of finding the right candidate as per the job description, and place them suitably (by taking into account their job specification).

Usually the services of executive search firms are taken in order to hire people on high level posts.

How do executive search firms work?

These firms initiate their work by drafting Job Descriptions (JD) and Job Specification (JS). Job Description is a detailed list of duties and responsibilities that define a job. Job Specification is the sum total of skills, knowledge and attitudes that a candidate is required to have, in order to be hired for a particular post.

Usually JD and JS are given to these firms by the client organizations, but sometimes only the surface knowledge of the two is provided. In latter cases, search firms are required to start their work with the preparation of the two documents (Job Description and Job Specification).

Based on JD and JS, these firms recruit (attract) the potential candidates. They may use electronic media such as telephones and e-mail to contact the candidates; or may get in touch through referrals.

The next step after attracting the potential candidates is to scrutinize them, so as to select the most suitable candidates for the available posts. The selection process may include various steps like written test, telephonic interview, face to face interview and the like.

Once the selection part is completed successfully, the candidates are inducted to the organization for which they have been hired. In case a need arises, the candidates are suitably trained by these firms (only if training part has been outsourced to these firms by their client), so that they can handle their jobs well.

How to select an executive search firm for your organization?

When you start looking for options, you should first look up for some firms on internet (yellow pages or B2B marketplaces). It is always better to collect references and take recommendations regarding such firms from your reliable sources.

Once you have shortlisted some firms, contact them and see if they can give the services you are expecting. Give them the JD and JS you have prepared and see if they are willing to work for you.

As a caution, never enter into long term contract with any such firm without getting satisfied of their work quality.