As your business grows, it can be tough to keep up with the constant challenge of attracting, recruiting, and hiring new employees – especially those employees who are going to be game-changers for your company. Even growing companies have likely not invested heavily in their human resources departments, since many times resources go to sales, product development and marketing first. That’s why an executive recruiter can be a strong ally.
Skilled, well-connected executive recruiters can help you pinpoint and attract key talent. But, there are some essential elements to working successfully with a good recruiter and at DSA we want to ensure that our recruitment process is easy and efficient. Here are five essential elements you should consider:
Person specifications. Job descriptions are important, but a person specification can help you further pinpoint the perfect candidate for your role. Think about the specific skills, attributes and experience you need to take your company where it needs to go. This goes beyond the responsibilities of the job and gets to more specifics about the person you want to hire. Do you plan to quickly grow your company? Then, you might be looking for someone who’s managed the challenges of scaling quickly and attracting new investment.
First-year charter. If your new hire started tomorrow, what would you expect them to accomplish within the first year of working for your company? Discussing these roles with a recruiter will allow them to understand the expectations you have, as well as giving further insight into the skills a person will need. At DSA, we work with you to get the best fit for your business; so by understanding what you want, we can fulfil all your needs.
Failure inventory. Look at the last five people who haven’t worked out at your company. Why was that so? Taking a look at why people don’t succeed at your firm will give you an idea of the personality types, work styles, and skill sets that don’t work or aren’t a good fit. This helps your recruiter better understand which candidates are going to work well for your firm.
Compensation package. In some cases, firms need to be realistic about their compensation packages in order to find the right fit. But compensation isn’t just base pay or packages. Think about all the value your company provides to your employees, including bonuses, commissions, benefits, perks, flexible work environments, and culture. A recruiter can understand what a candidate’s priorities may be, and how they weigh up the different options available to them. We have honed this insight over 10+ years of business at DSA and have the experience and expertise to find the right candidate to fit role.
Other challenges. May appear during the recruitment process and one challenge may appear if a client isn’t truthful. Do you have a second-in-command who can be volatile and difficult? Is your company facing a downward turn in business and you’re looking for a true rainmaker to help turn things around? Being straightforward with the recruiter enables him or her to help you find solutions and people who will be able to deal with those challenges and possibly even overcome them.
Entrepreneurs need to get up every day and believe in their companies, no matter what the challenges. Sometimes, though, they need to really step back and be honest with themselves – and with their recruiters – so we can find the right people.
Contact DSA about any recruitment needs on 01675464060. Or email us at info@dsaexecutive.com.
Gwen Moran, The Entrepreneur
10/05/14