Do you want to expand your leadership team? That's quite the task. Nowadays, there are many C-level positions. Examples include the chief executive officer, chief operation officer, chief financial officer, chief information officer, chief sales officer, chief revenue officer, chief customer officer, and chief communications officer. If you're looking for one (or more) of these C-level executives, you will want to run an executive search. But that's no easy feat. In today's job market, most top executives already have a job. How to spark the interest of people who feel pretty comfortable in their current positions?
Usually, an executive search firm or headhunter agency is a prerequisite for success — that is, if they allow you to work with well-versed C-level executive recruiters. Good executive headhunters (or, senior headhunters) know how to run a successful senior executive search because they have a ton of experience recruiting C-level talent. If you work with them, you'll save yourself a dragging, time-consuming, and often frustrating C-level executive search process. The question is, where to find the executive recruitment agency that can fill your C-level vacancy fast and efficiently?
C-level executives are quick-witted and short on time. So, a job description should be concise and to the point. They won't read long chunks of text. There's no need to explain the nuts and bolts of your C-level position. Whether you're looking for a chief executive officer, a chief operating officer, a chief business development officer, or a vice president, they'll understand the bottom line and get a grasp on the details fast. Here's a question they do want you to answer, though: What makes this job more appealing than other jobs? Don't beat about the bush — tell them straight away!
Also, don't fail to explain the employment terms, including fringe benefits. C-level candidates want you to be honest and transparent. It's their job to talk about budgets, so money isn't a sensitive topic. In fact, they expect you to be open about it and call a spade a spade. On top of that, your job description should clarify the scope of the position. How many FTEs and countries will they be responsible for? How much revenue do these represent? And to whom do they report?
When assessing a candidate's qualities, don't just pay attention to hard-and-fast facts. Soft skills (or, people skills) are crucial, too. Executives always have to deal with people, so they should be able to adopt a bird's-eye-view, have good listening skills, and connect people. If candidates possess skills like these, it's more likely they'll fit your company's culture — which is essential to long-term success.
You can't bring in a new C-level executive overnight. If you want to achieve success and speed up the process, it's wise to work with senior C-level executive recruiters. But where to executive search firms that work with the seasoned experts you need?
SalesSupply provides a solution! Each of our recruiters has worked in C-level management and sales positions. With more than 20 years of experience, they know exactly how to go about executive recruitment.
We don't adopt a by-the-book approach. First, we gain the candidate's trust. Usually, they're a busy senior professional who knows the ropes. So, we like to kick off the conversation by showing them we've done our homework and can communicate at their level. Bringing up the vacancy right away is an absolute mistake! We start by building a relationship of trust. We show the candidate we're genuinely interested in getting to know them. After all, they need to understand we're not just sitting down with them because we want to fill a vacancy. We're looking to find the right match, so we want to know everything about their situation and (aspired) career path.
Our approach makes the difference: candidates who don't talk to other recruiters often do take the time to talk to us.
Usually, they're the ones who bring up good reasons for changing jobs: they tell us what would make them consider a switch. Some attach great importance to employment terms and growth opportunities. But most value other things more, such as opportunities to tackle challenging tasks, make an impact, have a bigger say in things, and increase the scope of their work. On top of that, C-level talent often assumes the remuneration will match the weight of the job and can compete with their current employment terms. As headhunters, we listen carefully to understand how we can convince a candidate that a switch to your company will benefit them.
During our conversations with a candidate, we figure out what they'd like to change about their current job. They might want to be more in touch with employees, expand their global reach, or tap into an interesting new market that offers growth opportunities. We talk to the candidate to determine what they're looking for, only to match their professional needs with your vacancy. If we believe they're a good fit, we take the next step: we pitch your vacancy to them!
Before you ask — yes, pitching falls under sales. The thing is, today's recruiters should have sales skills, since recruitment has turned into sales.
Our recruiters are well-versed management and sales professionals. That's why they don't accept generic and shallow answers. If a candidate beats about the bush, we'll continue to ask (uncomfortable) questions until we get to the bottom of things. We also measure the above-mentioned soft skills to see if a candidate fits your organizational culture. Needless to say, we schedule several interviews with one candidate to get a good idea of who they are. While talking to them, we use our extensive knowledge and 20+ years of experience to assess them. This approach minimizes the risk of a(n) (expensive) mismatch!
That's a guarantee if you decide to work with SalesSupply. Do you want to know what a collaboration with SalesSupply might look like? Or are you ready to join forces with us?
