What to Consider When Hiring an Executive Search Firm

In the aftermath of the Great Resignation, the hiring frenzy at all levels has employers tearing their hair out. It is expensive and time-consuming to find candidates who have proven they can deliver your specific desired outcomes.

Moreover, hiring for senior-level roles requires greater expertise to recruit the right leadership. Hiring the wrong person for a leadership position is costly, and often downright disastrous. Most people simply do not have the training, tools, experience, or bandwidth to tackle the intensive process of a high-stakes search.

This is where partnering with an executive search firm can add tremendous value, as they manage the difficult work of candidate research, engagement, and vetting.

However, you need to be vigilant when choosing a search firm. The firm must be worth the investment - proven in their processes, tools, how they represent their clients, and in their outcomes.  Ultimately, do they deliver a diverse pool of proven leaders who are a good fit for your organization, its culture, and the skills, experience, and personal attributes the role requires for success?

Here are the top considerations when selecting an executive search firm.

Is the search firm invested in understanding you?

You cannot identify candidates that are a fit for your organization if your search firm does not fully understand the environment into which the candidate must successfully fit.

When a firm invests in discovering the unique aspects of their client and a role, they know the type of candidate to look for on behalf of their client. This is why the best search firms spend time conversing with stakeholders to understand the nuances of the role and the culture of the organization.

Make sure the firm you are considering is providing you with a search plan that includes a “getting to know you” phase. Once completed, ask them to share with key leaders the information they have collected to ensure accuracy.

How much searching will the firm actually do?

Is the firm you are considering recycling candidates from an established database or are they conducting fresh candidate research based on each client’s unique profile and requirements?

Delivering the same shortlist of candidates for similar roles does not require much effort. To make your investment pay off, partner with a search firm that entices candidates you would not have been able to bring to the table on your own - individuals you may never have dreamed would consider your opportunity.

The best candidates for a position are likely happily employed and not looking for a new role. Skilled firms use their expertise and a broad network to identify these hidden gems and pursue them on the organization’s behalf - convincing them to engage in the interview process. 

Does the firm build trust with the candidates?

Good executive search firms look for candidates who meet the stated qualifications. The best executive search firms are genuinely interested in candidates and their success.  The best executive search firms perform many rounds of holistic conversations to build rapport and develop trust - allowing candidates to reveal their true selves, aspirations, challenges they have encountered as leaders, the candidate’s needs, or challenges an organization would have to overcome in order to make their hire possible.

Is your search firm investing the time to make each promising candidate feel comfortable? Are they building authentic connections with key candidates?  Once a foundation of trust is built, the search firm is able to probe into performance history, discuss uncomfortable circumstances, and ask difficult questions that often deliver the most valuable insights.

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Selecting a search firm as a partner is an investment. It is essential to be discerning about the firm you choose. The more attuned the search firm is to your organization and the role, and the greater their emphasis on identifying and meaningfully vetting candidates, the better they will be at providing a pool of leaders who are aligned with the needs of your organization and the outcomes you require.

If you’re looking for phenomenal candidates who match your team’s energy and enrich your organization, be certain you select a search firm based on these recommendations.

3 Things to Look for When Hiring Faculty for Your University

The post-pandemic era has changed the hiring landscape for colleges and universities.

Employees at all levels of higher education are leaving jobs in the wake of the Great Resignation. This means that colleges and universities are left with the difficult work of quickly hiring an influx of new faculty.

Despite the sense of urgency, university hiring teams need a strong succession plan that looks beyond simply replacing people who left during the pandemic. Now more than ever, higher education leaders must be prepared to hire the right faculty members - those who will advance the organization. 

There has been a great deal of discussion about reinventing university life post-pandemic. Students are wondering: What is the return on their investment and how can they maximize it? To keep up with the demands of evolving student expectations, the skills and attributes of university leadership and faculty must change, too.

So, what should institutions look for when hiring the right leaders and faculty members? What are key attributes that make a candidate invaluable in this new climate?

1. Bridging the gap between faculty and administration

In higher education, tension can arise between faculty members and administration. This might be due to differing opinions on how to best run an institution or simply because communication is limited or siloed between colleges, departments, or individuals.

When hiring faculty members, particularly those in leadership roles, look for candidates who are skilled at genuinely listening to and acting upon the interests of a variety of stakeholders. Their experience should demonstrate that they strive to acknowledge and understand the challenges and opportunities that exist for various constituents. 

This skill set helps build bridges and ease tensions across the institution, which leads to more rewarding experiences for students and other stakeholders.

2. Bringing people to consensus

Candidates must have strong experience in cooperation and team building. 

Faculty members may not have had extensive experience in collaboration or developing cooperative programs unless they have actively sought out opportunities. Faculty members who have assumed a leadership role and who have successfully brought people together and inspired them to work toward a common goal will be great assets to your organization. 

These candidates are more likely to initiate the creation of connections between groups of people, programs, disciplines, and colleges—connections that are becoming more essential to the success of colleges and universities.

3. Integrating across programs and disciplines to offer more value to students

With so many competing institutions offering virtual and in-person education programs, universities must be very mindful of what they can offer that will entice students to enroll despite the rising cost.

In this new integrated world, prospective students realize that expertise and skill in a single discipline no longer make them competitive. This is why faculty who value interdisciplinary work, whose experience demonstrates collaboration across colleges and campuses, and those who engage in programs offering dual degrees, are particularly invaluable. 

Make sure candidates are willing to consider how their program or discipline can be coupled or integrated with others. Those candidates who understand their responsibility to add value for students will bring the most value to your institution.

In Conclusion

The landscape of higher education is changing more rapidly than ever before, and both administration and faculty must evolve in order to operate on the leading edge. 

While the rush to hire new faculty to replace people lost in recent years may tempt leaders to cut corners, it is important to thoroughly research and connect with candidates to ensure their experience elicits the traits vital to success in this new environment.

Hiring key leaders is an important task. It takes time, energy, and the resources necessary to identify the individuals who will be a great fit for your institution. Dreading the impossible task of searching for, vetting, and evaluating the fit of hundreds of candidates? Visit www.leadexec.com to learn about how LeadExec’s targeted and thoughtful executive search strategy can make the process simple and successful for you.