Sourcing the right candidate for your business will have a measurable impact on your bottom line, particularly when it's at VP, director and senior management levels. Though when competition for high-calibre talent is fierce and today's climate is growing in complexity and uncertainty, hiring the right professional can be a challenging and time-consuming task. To minimise risks, more and more businesses are turning to executive search firms to gain access to strategic insights on talent acquisition, knowledge, and experience of many searches across industries, markets, and roles.

Successful teams need a blend of the best people in senior level positions, but these candidates are not always looking for a new role. That's why utilising the right executive search partner who has access to a wide talent pool and their extensive networks of professionals in the industry is key. More importantly, an effective search partner will gain a deep understanding of your business, culture, and the talent gaps you are looking to fill to support future growth, whilst reducing staff turnover and in turn, improving your overall employer brand.

How to choose an executive search firm

When faced with the need for a business-critical hire, the cost of engaging the wrong candidate is insurmountable. That's why it's vital to find an executive search partner that you trust and who is flexible in their approach, so that they can tailor their services to meet your unique needs and find the right professional for the job. An agile and progressive search firm will take the time needed to understand your requirements, what success looks like, and where you position yourselves in the wider industry landscape.

When considering which firm is the best fit for you, it is important to consider what good looks like and establish whether they:

• Will tailor their services to suit your unique business needs, rather than a blanket approach (which tends to be true of the larger firms).
  
  
• Have an established team of experts carrying out all aspects of the executive search process, from researching, pre-screening and interviewing to deciding on a shortlist of candidates. Check their background and depth of experience and enquire after the main POC/ Ac Manager, as well as asking if anything is outsourced.
  
  
• Have experience hiring for similar roles in similar locations, companies and/or industries and have a proven track record of success.
  
  
• Have people you can trust. Search assignments involve large amounts of interaction so it's critical that the chemistry is right for both sides.
  
  
• Have similar values and a company culture that is in keeping with your business, as an executive search partner is ultimately an extension of your existing team.
  
  
• Provide a true executive search practice – an unwavering commitment to delivery, detailed shortlists and management reporting, candidate shortlist notes and completion upon start date.
  
  
• Provide complete transparency in fees, calculated on base salary only.
  
  
• Have realistic timescales and reporting that is based on the interpretation of valuable data, as opposed to purely providing a 'guestimate' or information based on their track record.
  
  
• Are driven by integrity, doing what they say they will do, while being passionate about great practice and adding value to your business.
  
  
• Can they provide evidence of their successes and have clear testimonials and/ or reference ability?
  
  
• Clearly defined T&Cs that outline 'what if' scenarios and their policies on shared risk. What if the shortlist of candidates is weak and no one makes it to the 2nd stage of interviews? What if a candidate is offered the job but doesn't accept? Are the payment stages front or back loaded? How invested is the search firm in completing the assignment?

Boutique search firm vs global search house

When considering your executive search partner and whether it would be suitable for your business to go with a niche search firm or a larger search house with a global footprint, it is important to consider how they differentiate from each other. While geographic focus, industry sector specialisation, and functional focus are all variables that will set the two apart, the most critical comparison is that the difference in size and how this may impact the level and quality of service, reach, and methodology a firm deploys.

While some of the comparisons made between large, global firms and smaller boutiques are obvious, there are other more subtle differences that can set the two apart entirely which we have detailed below.

Benefits of using a boutique search firm:

• You can rest assured that your search partner will remain intimately involved with you and your business and maintain a more personal touch. Due to the size of global search houses, searches tend to be delegated to more junior members of the team with less experience and expert knowledge.
  
  
• Consultants take on less workload which often results in a faster turnaround.
  
  
• Cost of a client leaving is much higher than larger firms, which means you can expect a more tailored and high-quality service as they rely a lot more on referrals. Larger global firms have greater overheads which tends to mean that they focus on assignments with the largest fees and higher probability of repeat business.
  
  
• Boutique firms focus more on original research rather than relying heavily on a large, internal database for candidate sourcing and engagement.
  
  
• More often than not, boutique firms will have a sole focus on executive search, whereas larger firms tend to have a more diverse offering.

Our Target Alliance executive search practice

Target Alliance is an executive search firm dedicated to employers and candidates within the technology and telecoms industry. Experts in our field, we recruit sales, marketing and product positions at VP, director, and senior management level. Our flexible approach enables us to tailor our services to meet your unique business needs, as we know that no two people nor organisations are the same.

Without compromising on quality, we focus on providing top talent that will drive results in your business and adopt a transparent, open, and straightforward approach throughout the talent acquisition process. Successful teams start with the right individuals and Target Alliance is proud to have our expertise trusted and recommended by major blue chips, SMEs and individuals alike. Get in touch below to find out how we can help scale your team for future success.

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