When you’re in the market for a new CEO, COO, or any other C-level executive, it’s critical that you find the right head hunter to work with. C-level positions are anything but simple to fill, and you need to know that you’ve found a head hunter who will help you get it right.
6 Things to Look for in a Head Hunter
#1. A Strong Reputation
Every head hunter will tell you that they are the best, but the truth is that not all head hunters are made equal. And, when you’re hiring for the upper echelons of your organizations, it’s critical that you find the right one.
So, how do you choose when everyone claims to be the best? Look at what their clients are saying.
What a head hunting firm says about itself matters a whole lot less than what its clients say about it. You can get a good idea of what working with the firm is really like by reading its online reviews.
#2. The Right Network
Whether you’re hiring a CEO, COO, or CTO, it’s important to realize that filling these positions is a much different process than hiring for sales representatives or customer service specialists.
For most positions within your organization, the traditional hiring process, where candidates fill out an application or send you their resumes, is perfectly acceptable. But, when you’re hiring for C-level positions, the best candidates will be less likely to be actively looking for a new position.
For C-level positions, you can’t expect the right candidates to come to you. You have to go to them, and the right head hunter can help you find those candidates through their candidate networks.
#3. Empathy
The quality of the candidates a head hunter recruits for your organization depends on how well the head hunter understands what you need in a candidate. The better a head hunter can put themselves in your shoes, the better the candidates they can find for you.
Empathy is what gives a head hunter the ability to put themselves in your shoes and really understand what you need, and it’s absolutely something you should look for in a head hunter.
Of course, you can and should communicate what kind of candidate you’re looking for, but that’s not always easy to put into words. An empathetic head hunter will take the time to really get to know you and your needs.
#4. A Dedication to Finding the Right Fit for Your Company Culture
The right candidate for the job will check a lot of different boxes. They’ll not only have the experience and skills you’re looking for, but they’ll also be a good culture fit for your organization.
Company culture is huge in this day and age. It impacts employee satisfaction and productivity, and it ensures that everyone is working toward a common goal and share the same passions.
Too often, head hunters are so focused on a candidate’s resume that they don’t take the time to get to know the organization and to ensure that they are truly a good fit for the company’s culture.
#5. The Ability to Hire for Potential
A candidate’s experience and education are great for understanding where they’ve been and what they’ve been doing, but it really doesn’t give you any indication of what kind of impact a candidate might have on your organization. That requires a focus on a candidate’s potential.
It’s easy to look at a candidate’s experience and education. In fact, you don’t even really need the help of a head hunter to do it. Anyone can read a resume. But, it takes something more to hire for potential.
Hiring for potential is much more difficult than hiring for experience or education, because you can’t really learn much about a candidate’s potential through a resume. That takes a true understanding of the candidate, as well as the hiring organization. And, that’s where having the right head hunter can really come in handy.
#6. A Commitment to Your Success
You don’t want to work with a recruiter who will look for just any candidate to fill your position. You want a head hunter who will take the time to find the right candidate.
Your average head hunter will work to find a candidate that will meet your minimum standards and get the position filled. But, the right head hunter will partner with you to find the right candidate for the position.
Getting it right when hiring for C-level positions is critical because these positions are typically the most expensive and time-consuming to fill. You want a recruiter who understands that and who will work with you to ensure that you get it right the first time.
When you need the right head hunter on your side, there’s no better agency to turn to than Riderflex. Riderflex is Colorado’s premier headhunting firm for a reason, and we’re dedicated to helping you find the perfect candidate for the job.