Making the Most of Executive Recruiters

Finding affordable executive recruitment services for small businesses
By Cynthia Batiste Today, most small businesses do not have the capital to collaborate with traditional executive recruiters and are coming up short when hiring top senior talent. However, there are several executive placement services available to small businesses, offering boutique style recruitment options, niche market searches and consultant staffing solutions at a minimum cost.
 

Small business owners, who are on a restrictive recruitment budget, seek out executive search firms along with top-notch executive recruiters who have the ability to coordinate a cost effective recruitment solution without sacrificing quality. Therefore, small businesses are able to make the most of their recruitment search by utilizing executive recruiting firms for their upper-level management search. Utilizing affordable executive search services provide the small business owner the ability to:

1. Save time and money on executive recruitment services so that you can concentrate on growing your business

2. Appoint executive recruiters as the key point of contact for all hiring/recruitment needs

3. Develop a partnership with the executive recruitment firm for future searches

Choose an executive recruitment firm that is specific to your company's needs

Small business owner's recruitment needs are not consistent with larger companies because some small businesses may have limited staffing needs compared to the constant flow of human capital that larger companies demand. Therefore, small businesses should choose an executive recruitment firm specific to their company's hiring practices.
Try: Intelligent Solutions International is a quality executive recruitment firm that offers exclusive recruiting and consultation solutions for small businesses. Affinity Executive Search offers a variety of retained, contingency, special project and contract staffing recruiting services.

Ask for the break down of fees and outline of costs for each recruiting service

The executive search firm should be able to provide a breakdown of costs and executive recruiting services. A boutique style executive recruitment search firm offers a variety of niche services, such as contingency, retaining searches, name generation and hourly staffing options.
Try: Small Business Recruiting Solutions specializes in affordable contingency and consultant recruiting options. Moss and Company Executive Search features hourly executive recruitment fees in order to accommodate the small business owner.

Ask the executive placement service for a detailed recruitment plan

Asking for a detailed recruitment plan (the who, how and when of candidate sourcing) from the executive recruitment firm will help determine if the executive recruiter's approach to your small business senior level search is in agreement with company requirements and hiring guidelines.
Try: RSI Executive Search and Recruitment utilizes a comprehensive search process in order to ensure top notch executive candidates. Executive Recruiting Team uses a consultative and objective approach to recruiting services.

• Making the most of Executive Recruiters is not being afraid to ask for references and documentation of past performance metrics to ensure that you are partnering with the right executive search firm.
• Be sure to question the executive recruitment service about the candidate policy and terms. Most Executive Placement firms offer a 60-90 day guarantee after you hire the candidate, which includes free candidate replacement or refund during this employment period. This is a very important clause in the contract because if the original candidate did not work out, no business owner wants to start the recruitment process again or absorb the cost of finding another candidate.