It’s a great time to be a job seeker. It’s a hard time to be an employer battling for qualified candidates who fit your company’s needs. When it’s time to fill a position, much like finding a qualified employee, it’s imperative for companies to find a qualified search firm that truly understands their needs and will deliver on their expectations.
A key to business success is having the right people leading in the right way– These are the people who can unlock the potential of your organization. Having a search firm to assess and aid in finding leaders for the future success of your company is an important place to start, but there are things to consider before you engage with a specific search partner.
Here are 5 qualities to look for in a search firm partner:
1. Find a search firm that values your time and schedules regular touchpoints.
It’s a given that your search firm should be checking in with you regularly to discuss position and search updates. However, it’s also important that your hiring partner will think beyond the “today” tasks to the future of your organization months and years down the road. Learning your business’ goals, mission, and values is a continuous conversation with your search firm before and after a position is filled. When you build your team, you are investing in the future leadership of your company.
Here at Versique, we have regular conversations and structured updates with our clients, ensuring that your candidates are aligned with your needs, properly evaluated, vetted, and reviewed by you before and after final selection. We don’t want to overwhelm your schedule, but we do want you to be aware of our search process so you can trust that we are meeting your needs.
2. Find a search firm that is fully transparent and sets honest expectations.
You want a search firm that tells you more than just what you want to hear. If you were selling your house, and your realtor tells you it will fetch your dream dollar amount and will sell immediately in its current condition, that message is only valuable to you if it’s true. Honesty and authenticity is also a necessary quality when selecting a search firm. You want a search firm you can trust will dig deep with your company to evaluate realistic expectations and ask questions such as:
- Is this timeline realistic to land a hire in this market?
- Is the salary competitive in the current industry?
- Are these realistic position specifications for available candidates?
Our team at Versique can quickly assess the whole picture and identify the key industry elements that will take your business to the next level. Then, we leverage an expansive network to turn your potential into reality.
3. Find a search firm that understands the changing forecast in the workforce.
The last couple of years have changed the landscape for hiring and planning. Health and safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic uncertainty have created an extremely tight and competitive labor market.
The trends are revealing, showing what’s important for today’s job seekers. One of the main things people are looking for is a strong company culture where their work is valued and they feel seen and heard by colleagues and managers. You want a search firm who can be a resource in an ever-changing labor environment, who sets both you and your candidates up to succeed. This partner can help evaluate your incentives to attract ideal candidates–such as more flexibility and the curation of a hybrid work environment – and balance this with your company’s goals.
As your trusted hiring advisors, we keep on top of the labor forecast so you have the insider’s advantage to what is working well for companies, and discussions up front about the challenges for companies who aren’t adjusting to changing workforce demands. We can assess the benefits of bringing in interim talent who can supplement workforce gaps and meet increased project demands on a rolling basis. Our team is there to partner with you to find and evaluate talent and help you prepare for the future.
4. Find a search firm that has direct experience and knowledge in the industry you’re hiring.
One key indicator that sets a quality search firm above the rest is their direct experience in your business’ industry. A search team with direct experience can offer:
- Robust knowledge of industry standards and the nuances of your sector.
- Comparative analysis with what has proven most effective for bringing on talent in other areas.
- A personal understanding of the day-to-day requirements of the role.
With a continuously changing market, direct experience and understanding of the market is critical for leading an organization through future transformations.
At Versique, many of our recruiters have worked in the positions that you’re hiring, providing a unique offering of immediate insight and first-hand knowledge of the skillset you’re looking for in your next candidate. We partner with your Human Resources and hiring managers to create efficiencies for your team.
5. Find a search firm that will attract the best quality candidates for your team.
The demand for talent is only increasing and so is the competition for companies, all of which are looking to attract top candidates. It’s important for your business to have quality advisors on not only finding the best available candidates, but having the right incentives to attract and retain top talent.
Versique’s proven Talent Activation Process evaluates candidates by looking at three critical areas:
- Company and cultural fit
- Career and motivation
- Job and skill match
Our certified experts work precisely to recruit candidates that align with your organization on multiple levels, guaranteeing high performance and high retention.
Versique offers unparalleled Executive Search, Interim and Direct Hire solutions for your company. Contact us so we can connect you with our dedicated and experienced team.
