What Employers & Candidates Should Expect from an Executive Search Firm

In this fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, both companies and candidates should expect more than just a transactional experience with recruiters. They should expect partnership, insight, and value at every step of the process. As an executive search professional, I’ve seen firsthand how understanding these nuanced expectations leads to successful outcomes for everyone.  

I am always surprised when I meet with companies that have never experienced what great looks like when engaging an executive search and recruiting firm. Here’s a look at what companies and candidates truly need from their executive search partners. 

What Employers should expect from an executive recruiter:

• Targeted Talent Pools: Often, I hear “do you have anyone in your database that is a fit for (insert your position title here). Companies should expect recruiters to tap into networks they can’t access on their own. You are not paying a recruiter for simply who they know.  The real quality is in their ability to locate candidates who are often not looking for a new role, have specialized skills, bring leadership experience, and have a proven track record of making an impact in the role being recruited.
• Market Intelligence: Beyond finding candidates, organizations look to recruiters for insights on compensation trends, candidate availability, and competitive hiring strategies. Companies make informed decisions to attract and retain top talent. Intelligence gathering through candidate interviews informs recruiters about compensation, benefits packages, and real-time market data by industry, geography, and position. Access to data sources and current compensation studies are an invaluable asset to employers who enlist the help of an Executive Search firm.
• Speed and Efficiency: Time is critical for employers and candidates when filling positions. There is a pace and a process that, when followed, ensures a successful outcome. Our process delivers a streamlined, expertly managed talent search approach, minimizing disruption and reducing time-to-hire while maintaining a focus on quality. The candidate’s experience throughout the search process reflects upon the employer. It greatly benefits an employer’s brand and reputation if the recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding processes are positive ones.  A great executive search partner is the employer’s brand advocate and ensure candidates are learning about your company and leave the exchange feeling good about how they’ve been treated.
• Cultural Fit: Finding the right technical skills is only part of the equation to making a successful hire. Long-term success also requires hiring people who align with the organizational culture. A recruiter should be expected to bring expertise and a process which helps an organization evaluate cultural fit. Developing customized interview questions and facilitating interview discussions increases the chances of a good hiring decision.
• Discretion and Confidentiality: Sensitive searches, particularly at the executive level, require absolute discretion. Maintaining strict confidentiality protects both the organization and the candidates involved. This becomes even more critical when evaluating internal candidates against external comparisons. An executive search firm becomes the employer’s trusted partner, to serve as a fair and neutral third party in these situations.
• Strategic Advisory Services: Companies should seek the guidance of their recruiting partner to define role expectations, structure compensation packages, design sourcing strategies to attract top talent, and outline and manage the entire search process. Firms who can leverage the expertise of human capital experts to assist with conducting talent assessments, compensation studies, executive coaching, and a variety of talent management services are invaluable resources for any employer no matter what industry or size.  

what candidates should expect from an executive recruiter:

• Honest and Transparent Communication: Candidates value clear expectations around timelines, feedback, and selection criteria. The best recruiting professionals are not just “recruiters”, rather they become every candidate’s trusted career consultant. Trust built through honest and transparent communication allows a recruiter to guide the candidate through their career not just a one-time job search.
• Personalized Guidance: High-level candidates appreciate tailored coaching on market positioning, interview preparation, and role alignment. Recruiting specialists should take the time to understand unique career aspirations and offer strategic advice. Understanding each person’s motivations and “wish list” of job attributes will help match the job seeker with the best opportunity. It never benefits us to push someone towards a position or company that doesn’t seem like a good fit. Success with employers depends on each candidate’s success in the job so the search firm makes sure it’s right for all parties involved.
• Access to Hidden Opportunities: Many of the best executive roles are not advertised publicly. Candidates rely on us to introduce them to high-impact opportunities that align with their expertise and career goals. Organizations who are hiring their own internal resources would know to or know how to recruit passive job seekers who have the unique skill sets required for the position.   Once a recruiter understands the candidate’s background and desired “wish list” for a career move they can help market them to their client companies that may not even have posted their openings.
• Confidentiality: Executives often navigate job searches discreetly to protect their current roles and reputations. Complete discretion gives candidates peace of mind through the process.
• Career Partnership: Candidates maintain long-term relations with recruiters who can provide ongoing career advice and access to future opportunities throughout their professional journey. A conversation about a particular opportunity today may not materialize into a job offer, but taking the time to get to know the person and staying in touch will keep the relationship strong for future opportunities. Many recruiters have a quick conversation for a very specific job and if it’s not right at that time they will move on, and the person is forgotten.
• Authentic Advocacy: Candidates want recruiters who champion their candidacy and advocate for roles that truly fit their skills and goals. Career advisors should serve as candidates’ strongest advocates, ensuring their value is recognized by hiring companies. Encouraging the employer to expand their thinking on what’s important to the role, what skills should be required, and what exhibited skills and experiences are transferrable to their needs through “out of the box” thinking is a high-value attribute of a top-notch search firm.  Presenting the employer with a variety of candidates (not just the obvious ones) will challenge them to think differently about an “ideal” candidate profile. It may result in placing the right-fitting high impact hire.

Delivering value through partnership

The role of an executive search professional goes beyond matching resumes to job descriptions. Sadly, that is what many companies get from other recruiters. Creating meaningful connections, delivering strategic insights, and fostering long-term relationships is far more valuable and is our partnership approach. It is critical to understand and meet the expectations of both employers and candidates, to truly serve as a trusted partner in the search for exceptional leadership. 

If your organization is seeking transformative leadership or an executive looking for your next impactful hire, let’s connect. Together, we can navigate the evolving landscape of executive hiring and career advancement. I’m confident you’ll have a different experience with our Executive Search & Recruiting team to show you what’s possible with a trusted advisor.  

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about the author

Sarah Gobble specializes in executive search and has experience managing human resources and staffing functions for large and small companies across multiple industries including e-commerce, retail, manufacturing, investment banking, nonprofit, and healthcare. She partners with clients to provide strategic advising and support for recruiting and hiring needs ranging from C-Suite level searches to recruiting process improvement and strategic sourcing initiatives. Fahrenheit’s customized recruiting approach allows her to find the best fit for candidates and companies by understanding a client’s business, industry, and culture and sourcing open positions within an established network of qualified candidates. These strong relationships allow Sarah to identify top candidates and make the perfect match for long term success. Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn.