Many companies assume they know what they want. In a lot of cases, they have someone to find it. But when it comes to senior management positions, another set of eyes can make all the difference between a hire that’s just okay, and one that’s close to genius.
Executive search consultants, like SPE Resourcing, can do so much more than your in-house team. We are at the top of our game in hospitality and retail, with decades of experience to draw on. That wisdom is something you really should take advantage of.
Still not convinced? Here’s why you’re losing out by keeping executive search in-house.
Getting waiters, cashiers, chefs, admin staff, technicians and drivers isn’t too much trouble. There’ll be dozens of CVs at your feet, whenever a role like this opens up. But senior management positions are much trickier. Candidates don’t just sit on the job sites. You have to move in the right circles – and spend a lot of time networking – to know who they are.
SPE Resourcing have already done the legwork. We’ve been at the helm of the retail, leisure and hospitality industries for many years. In this time, we’ve accrued some of the best contacts you’ll ever have a chance to meet: the sort of people who can transform your brand from the inside out.
Can an in-house professional say that? Often, the answer is no.
We should face a fact – most employees, for better or worse, just want to get paid. It’s likely that your recruitment division will play on the safe side when selecting candidates. And they certainly won’t be the first to point out faults with the status quo.
Executive search consultants, on the other hand, will speak plainly with you. If something doesn’t seem to be working, or the role itself is redundant, we will say so. Part of the good faith we earn relies on a blunt, honest appraisal of what you require for corporate dynamite.
Remember: senior recruiters have, in effect, run their own business. They’ve been where you are. A ‘typical’ recruiter, meanwhile, has his or her eye on the next paycheque. So don’t expect them to shake the barley and challenge your assumptions.
Let’s continue on this thread, because motivation can ripple into so many areas of an executive search… Imagine, for instance, that you’ve given an in-house professional targets for each week, month and year i.e. a number they have to hit.
What does that really say about a recruitment drive? Shouldn’t quality be the prime yardstick, not the amount of candidates you sit down with? How many companies have cost per hire as their prime measure? How many measure, say, performance of hires Vs cost over, say, three years? How many look and rank their recruiters based on longevity of service of their successful hires, or the number of promotions?
In fact, giving your recruiter a quota can waste time, instead of getting closer to the right person. SPE Resourcing do things differently. By taking an executive search on its own terms, we don’t spread ourselves too thin – there are usually no more than a handful of roles we’re working on at any one time. All of them are retained and exclusive and we will truly understand the nature of your business due to our deep immersion in your brand and culture.
Instead of tossing out a wide net, we go headhunting with a sharp, precise sense of who and what we want. All we need is for you to agree dates, times and ‘people spec’, we will do the rest.
Often, in-house hirers are so busy with the day job, and set up with KPIs that are not set to deliver quality at senior levels. Come to us with your requirements; we will learn who you are, what you represent, and where an outside point of view, and twenty years’ plus experience, may benefit your brand.
