Recruiting through headhunter for maximum return

Pri Notowidigdo, The Amrop Hever Group, Global Executive Search, e-mail:jakarta@amrophever.com

If you are the CEO of a company and are seeking top talent to reposition your business, think about using a "headhunter," the popular term for an executive search consultant.

He will find executive talent for your management team. A seasoned headhunter with a demonstrated track record will apply market research, investigative techniques, business acumen, industry knowledge, and tap on his extensive network and market intelligence to identify and select the right professional. Using an experienced headhunter effectively will bring you a maximum return on investment.

If you are a corporate client using a headhunter's services, what can you do to ensure that you will derive added value to your search? Before the search begins:

1. Start with goals and strategies rather than a position specification.

2. Be honest about the problems, issues, and challenges facing your company. Discussing these matters in the beginning will ensure that the headhunter, as well as the candidates, understands the qualifications being sought.

3. Hire the kind of people you need and not the kind you already have.

4. Invest in the headhunter by letting him spend time with your employees. This will enable the headhunter to understand the corporate culture and appreciate any problems and issues.

5. Help the headhunter sell your company to candidates. Let the headhunter learn the advantages of the company, its strengths, and the reason why people enjoy working there. This will help him present a positive image of your company to the candidates. The best candidates are people who didn't apply for the job, but need to discover its attractions.

During the search:

1. Take joint responsibility for the success of the search. The headhunter represents you and it can only do its best job when you take an active role.

2. Give specific feedback to the headhunter about each candidate short-listed.

3. Respect the candidate by giving him timely feedback through the headhunter.

4. Respect the headhunter by deciding yes or no to each candidate presented.

5. Focus and re-focus on 3 key skills most urgently required of the candidates - cultural fit, reputation for results, and communication skills. While other factors are as important, experience and research has supported the three above mentioned skills as critical to success.

As a corporate client, make expectations clear at the beginning. Understand and agree on respective roles as well as explicit ground rules on the conduct of the search. All this points to the conclusion that you must regard a headhunter as your business partner. In this regard, expectations for both sides should be responsiveness and openness. Choose a headhunter with a business orientation as well as an understanding of people. Choose someone who communicates clearly and demonstrates respect for people. In the final analysis, ask yourself whether the headhunter has a common vision with you of your business and the talent required to make the business a success.