Career Management Alliance Blog

I review websites of staffing companies daily.  I also talk to executives about incorporating targeted networking strategies in their job search.  During those conversations, I find that career seekers draw different conclusions about executive search firms that sometimes are not accurate.

I ran across an article that accurately explained why the search profession has grown so much and the benefit to people looking for new work.

Why Has The Executive Search Profession Grown So Extensively? 

The predominant reason is today’s maturing of management as a professional function. This development brought about a realization that the success of an organization depends largely on the quality and performance of its people.

The organization with the best executives is most likely to move ahead of its competitors. Therefore, ways had to be found to develop the best from within and recruit the best from outside.

The gradual understanding that executive search firms are the main means of bringing about better utilization of scarce executive talent has been seen and endorsed by many successful businesses.

There is no way that a frustrated executive can advertise his desire for a bigger job that does not exist for him in his present organization. Nor can companies and other organizations usually broadcast their confidential executive requirements. Search firms become the much needed instrument for bringing under-utilized executives into organizations in which their talents could be more effectively applied.

Confidentiality; the organization may not want a decision or strategy to be known either internally or within the business community. Under those circumstances a third party must do the searching, protecting the identity of the organization.

The cost of errors in executive selection has become increasingly evident. The impact of a wrong match will effect an organization in many ways. These events lead to the importance of professional assistance in finding The Right Match ® for the organization.

The ability to thoroughly search out the very best candidates regardless of where they may be or how invisible they are. The infrastructure and experience required to evaluate more than a hundred prospective candidates and select the two or three who would be the best performers. Counseling the organization on handling candidates from the first telephone contact through the interviews and continuing until the executive is in place. The especially useful role of a professional third party in negotiations between organization and candidate that are often difficult and complex. The special abilities needed to conduct confidential and delicate inquires into the candidate’s qualifications and reputation in a way that will not create embarrassment for anyone yet leave no stone unturned. The ability to counsel the selected candidate in extricating himself smoothly from his present organization and community and in establishing himself in his new position. The ability to smooth out any problems for either the organization or the new executive during the beginning phase of their new relationship. By maintaining a constant vigil for the best talent and clients, and to bring that creative power to all. Truly successful search firms specialize in an industry function or market niche. Generalists do not succeed as well because of the continued time expense of relearning each company or technology, etc.

posted by Jim McFarland