A comment, often heard within the recruitment industry, is that employers are simply too picky in their candidate selection process.
In our experience, there is no simple “yes or no” response to this statement. DSML Executive Search has successfully completed hundreds of searches and, although there have been times when the “must have” list has been quite demanding, overall, we find our clients are fairly reasonable in their expectations.
Sometimes preconceived notions, based either on experience or subjected conjecture, can influence the selection process. For example, DSML Executive Search clients, who range from startup subsidiaries of European or Canadian owned companies in the US to more established mid-size companies up to $800M in annual revenue, hold some common preconceptions, such as:
- Occasionally not initially open to candidates from Fortune 100 companies as there is a notion that they may be too expensive or that they may not come from a “hands on” work environment
- Infrequently a client may advise us that they are not interested in candidates from certain companies as the client had, at least on one occasion, a previous bad experience
- More common is the natural tendency to prioritize industry experience over certain skills
- And, of course, cultural considerations are of maximum importance for our International clients
Our role, as Executive Search consultants is to bring the best candidates, based on experience, competencies, motivation, agility, cultural adaptability, and potential for growth to the table. This includes occasionally challenging our clients on preconceived notions.
Our experience, in assisting clients to identify the specific requirements of an “ideal candidate” we create a Search Specification document that we prepare during a client stakeholder meeting at the launch of every mission. This document allows both our team and the client to truly envision what the candidates will bring to the table in terms of educational history and employment experience.
The stakeholder meeting is extremely important in determining the “fit” factor and the numerous considerations, such as candidate career growth, career stability, leadership/successor potential, levels/years of experience, customer connections, cultural adaptability, availability to travel, etc. In addition, it is during this initial call that the DSML team discovers things such as reporting structure, the “who, when, where” factors of the interview process, and the little things that are either overstated or even overlooked on a typical job description for the role.
In summation, our team at DSML Executive Search seldom finds that the clients we engage with are overly finicky in their candidate selection requirements.
DSML Executive Search is a US based boutique search firm with offices in Chicago and Boston, specializing in General Management, Sales, Marketing, and Operational Management positions in within a variety of industries. We work throughout North America.
If your company is seeking to recruit for a key position, such as CEO, COO, President, VP or other Senior level role, have a conversation with DSML Executive Search to ensure your search includes a “thorough” process and a “success based” strategy.