How do you rate Executive Search Services?

How can clients measure the effectiveness of executive search firms or headhunters?

The UK Recruitment Industry is fragmented and diverse. The service proposition has become commoditised through competition, lower barriers to entry and the growth of on-line recruitment portals

The Executive Grapevine, the bible of the industry, annually releases statistics of the key industry players. Ranked by revenue there has been little change at the top in the last few years as established headhunters reinforce the assumption that ‘biggest is best’.

Whilst large headhunters have helped to develop the art of search as a well-honed and valued service, the perception that quality and size are linked, is not proven.

The concept of the Service Level Agreement is not new. It is used extensively in IT outsourcing. So why not apply it to recruitment?

The answer depends on the degree to which client and recruiter are prepared to work in partnership to define a quality of service approach. To be effective there are a number of factors that should be considered namely:

1. Setting goals and targets for completion of assignment(s)
2. Relating cost and value to service execution
3. Assessing candidate quality based on a measure of effectiveness after a period of employment or at staged intervals
4. Cost of recruitment investment versus return on investment.

This last point is difficult to determine but one could measure value on the basis of the candidate’s performance against the primary goals and targets of the role

In moving to an effective model one has to consider standardised measures. For example some headhunters will include cancelled assignments in calculating their completion success rate.

As clients think more about service, the best search firms will be quick to adapt and implement a process centric approach through a professional service ethos where knowledge and best practice is shared with the client.

Meanwhile, as industries evolve, consolidate and converge, search firms need to think and act smarter in finding people with new skills. The best headhunters will be the ones that are aware of change and can use the knowledge to find the right people.

Michael Atwal Director
Promoveo Ltd

Visit us at: www.promoveo.co.uk

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