Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look for training in recruitment for multiple industries websites

While you are job hunting, or doing your regular industry news updates research, keep an eye out for the trends that are leading the industry to point you to the training that you need to meet the demands of the times. Consider the requirements of the jobs you might like to pursue and find out what certificates or training you can get to make yourself a desirable candidate.

I recommend: Insights is an online resource for training programs designed for the training of recruitment and search professionals. Check out the many courses and training options available at Humanatek.

Join executive search firm associations for training

Most trade associations offer continuing education and professional development courses for their members. Some groups can guide you to special certification courses that will help you advance your career while offering events and meetings at which you can meet other professionals and find out about other training options.

I recommend: Find professional development and networking opportunities through the Career Counselors Consortium. The Association of Executive Search Consultants offers a slew of professional development and training opportunities.

Find a training mentor for multiple industry search firms

Whether you can relate to a good manager who might take you on for mentoring, or you seek out a professional in a trade group or other professional association, follow the advice when you're pointed to special training opportunities. Often a designation or degree can make all the difference when you are looking to advance.

I recommend: Bring training in-house or go for your own online training courses at Recruiter Training. Get online training courses through AIRS University, which specializes in recruiter training.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Talk to your employer about what kinds of executive recruiting services training they will either pay or reimburse you for.

Guide to Executive Search Firms for Multiple Industries

Get the most from an executive job search firm in a competitive marketplace

By Paul Kocak

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use executive search firms for multiple industries that dedicate a real person to work with you

Whether the executive search firm consists of three professionals or a staff of thousands, you deserve the dedicated resources of someone to guide your campaign. Just dealing with a website or an automated response machine does not cut it at the executive level.

I recommend: Korn/Ferry International goes so far as to display personal e-mails and photos of its consultants, from the president on down. Similarly, Boyden Global Executive Search presents a scroll-down menu of its associates, linking to a contact page for each of its executive search professionals.

Find an executive job search firm that has both industry knowledge and human resources proficiency

Leading recruiting services for multiple industries understand the latest trends in their respective fields. In fact, they anticipate the emerging lines of thought in their practice areas. You'll know the depth of the bench supporting you by white papers, speakers bureaus and other professional engagements of the executive search firm.

I recommend: By sharing surveys, published articles and other data in its Thought Leadership links, Russell Reynolds Associates demonstrates wide-ranging industry expertise. Heidrick & Struggles shares an extensive library of its consultants' published research and human resource articles.

Enlist executive search firms that are active on your behalf

Reading consultant biographies of executive search firm professionals gives a glimpse of their prior advocacy on behalf of clients. Case studies of client success also demonstrate how active executive recruiting services are likely to be for your search.

I recommend: Edward W. Kelly & Partners has a roster of search professionals in global strategic locations who serve targeted business sectors. At Watson Wyatt Worldwide, the "Client Stories" page shares narratives of how a successful executive job search firm actively serves its customers.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Ask a representative of an executive recruiting services firm to introduce you to a satisfied client.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Accept emails from executive search firms for several industries

Set up a separate email account to get email alerts, RSS feeds and industry newsletters that will send you news as it happens, the latest trend pieces and information about what the major industry players are up to. Check this email daily so you don't miss out on important news.

I recommend: RSI provides news about what’s happening in the industry and what companies are making that news. Get involved with the blogs and view recent news when you log on to Executive Search Firms.

Join executive recruiting services groups

Association with other professionals in the same field will provide you with an inside track to news, often before it hits the press. Get involved with your trade association and take advantage of the networking opportunities to develop relationships as well as the group's newsletters and communication vehicles.

I recommend: The Association of Executive Search Consultants sends out news and information to members and puts on educational conferences where you can find out about current and upcoming industry trends. Get regular newsletters sent to you from the Iowa Association of Staffing Professionals.

Read about the latest recruiting for multiple industries news

Take time to read in-depth reports and magazines that cover the industry further than the headlines. Often the best information that can help drive your own business decisions comes from investigative reporting and research articles that take a deeper look into industry issues.

I recommend: The National Personnel Associates gathers news items from across the industry and posts them in one place for members to easily access. Get all the news and trends in addition to publications that provide in-depth research from Kennedy News directory of Recruiting Trends.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Encourage your staff to read publications and websites that can bring even more news about the executive job search firm industry. Make it fun by giving a prize to the team member who comes up with the best news tidbit each month.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Executive recruitment

Executive recruitment is the major task of executive search firms. They identify potential matches and then solicit them to fill jobs openings.

I recommend: Korn/Ferry International is a well-known executive search firm that explains how the process works.

Retained vs. contingent

Executive search firms may either be retained by a client company, or work on contingent. A contingent search is one in which the firm gets paid only when the recruit actually gets hired. Retained executive search firms are paid a retainer at the beginning of the search and as the search progresses by the company seeking candidates for their positions. Typically, retained search firms work on filling senior-level positions such as presidents, vice presidents and directors.

I recommend: The Management Recruiters of Philadelphia offer both retainer and contingency services.

Recruitment process outsourcing

Recruitment process outsourcing is usually for companies that are smaller or have limited resources. They transfer all their recruiting activity to an outside agency that can manage recruiting for them. Oftentimes large companies outsource their executive searches because the firms usually have more contacts and resources for high-level positions.

I recommend: The Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association has more information.

Talent management

Talent management refers to all the processes related to attracting potential employees, bringing on new employees and developing current employees. Executive search firms provide talent management services because they want the employees they recruit to stay with an organization.

I recommend: Buildingvalue.com offers a good explanation of this process.

Succession planning

Succession planning is the process of defining current and future human resources that are needed or will be needed. It also includes understanding the knowledge, skills and abilities of the current employees and defining what additional programs are needed for them to complete for future positions. Some executive search firms offer succession planning as one of their services.

I recommend: The Business Monthly has an article on succession planning.

Competency-based interviewing

Competency-based interviewing is the process of identifying specific skills or attributes necessary for a position, then building a series of questions that test candidates for those competencies. The answer the candidate gives is then compared to the original criteria as defined. Executive search firms can help an organization build a competency-based interviewing processes.

I recommend: Interview Skills Consulting spells out the various elements for you.