Our Process: We Understand the Specs More Thoroughly

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At the very beginning of every search assignment, we spend considerable time asking the right questions, being good listeners, and seeking to truly understand your organization and its needs. Our account managers work with you to develop a strong understanding of what the position responsibilities really call for, now, as well as in the future. In discussing the open position with the hiring manager, we delve into the detail in understanding exactly what skill sets are needed for the position. We strive to accurately understand the “ideal” candidate profile in terms of both technical and qualitative skill sets. Our strong technical knowledge coupled with many years of recruiting experience means that we understand the specs more thoroughly than most of our competitors.

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As busy as most hiring managers are, we like to remind them that a little extra time spent tightening up the specs at the very beginning of a search will definitely result in a faster and more productive search. More time spent up front means less time spent later interviewing the “wrong” candidates. As such, from the very beginning, our account managers really focus on understanding and clarifying job specs and skill sets, because whether they relate to specific industry experience, technical skills, or qualitative attributes, these details are absolutely critical to an efficient and successful search.

Part of our focus is also on making sure that the job description is up to date and also that the hiring manager is accurate in their assessment of the role and the skill sets respective to the grade level of the position. This assessment includes an accurate appraisal of compensation in light of current market conditions. One of our account managers can aid in this process and provide insight on current market conditions, external compensation surveys and benchmarks.

This initial dialogue and discussion with the hiring manager often brings to the surface any revisions that may be needed to the existing job description as well as any other questions or issues that would likely come up once the search gets underway. After this process is complete and all of the specs have been discussed in detail and well understood, the compensation range is once again revisited to make sure that we are in a proper range in light of current market conditions. The “next step” after this involves our targeted candidate recruiting and identification.

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Targeted Candidate Recruiting

Once our account manager has completed the process of defining exact position details and search parameters, our targeted candidate recruiting begins. This starts with a meeting with all of our recruiters to share the details of the search assignment. Next, our staff begins identifying potential candidates from our existing candidate pool and database as well as through existing relationships, networking, leveraged sourcing, and cold calling. As candidates are identified, skill sets are evaluated, both technically and qualitatively. This includes assessing communication skills as well as any other relevant qualitative attributes. The open position is then presented to candidates that we have thoroughly evaluated and deemed to be a strong potential fit on all levels.

As candidates are presented to our client and interviewed, we maintain a continuous feedback loop so that we can simultaneously share mutual feedback from both parties. As the process moves forward and finalist candidates are identified, we actively work to understand and help manage expectations regarding compensation and any other relevant elements of the interview process. This includes identifying any possible competing offers as well as anticipating potential counter offers, as often occurs with a very strong candidate. We have considerable expertise in helping our clients navigate through competing offers and counter offers, and, ultimately, in achieving a successful result.

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After the Hire

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Once a hire is complete and the candidate starts the new position, we continue to solicit feedback from both parties to ensure that the transition goes smoothly and that both parties are fully satisfied on all levels. Our focus at this point is primarily in ensuring that expectations created in the interview process have been met and that the parties have successfully integrated.