Answering executive search FAQs with InX Manufacturing research lead
What is executive search; and what’s the difference between executive search and recruitment? It’s a question that we’re sure many people have put into Google over the years (and now into ChatGPT) to get a better understanding on what service they exactly need.
Well, we did just that, we asked ChatGPT the difference and the first line really stood out to us – “Executive search focuses on senior-level positions and targets passive candidates through proactive networking and research.”
The word research really jumped out as at InX we believe the power of our researchers allow us to stand out from the crowd. With the April InX Connect newsletter shining a spotlight on the Manufacturing team, we sat down with Sam Sheppard, research lead to ask more frequently asked questions (FAQs) and hear about his day-to-day as a researcher.
Are all searches the same or do they differ client to client?
We approach all our searches completely differently depending on the client to ensure we provide a bespoke service.
We see ourselves as partners with the client so it’s so crucial for us to understand exactly what they want so we can successfully deliver and provide a good search. This is why we like to have a lot of interaction with the client before the search begins so we can properly understand what is going to be a good match specifically for them.
For example, a lot of our clients are large global organisations so when we’re told the job title for the search, it’s important we fully understand the client’s requirements of that role rather than just jumping straight in. An HR business partner in a multi-million global manufacturing business could be very different role than in a domestically owned automotive business. This is similar for most industries, but especially relevant in manufacturing and automotive.
What is the typical executive search timeframe?
This can vary depending on the type of search, the interview process, and the client, but generally end-to-end we aim for 4-8 weeks. This is from finding the candidate to an offer being made.
For the first stage, we work towards a two-week turnaround, in which time we can have a catch-up with the client showing them the progress report and go into further detail on all the conversations we’ve had. This report might be 200-500 names however this is then reduced to a longlist of 5-7 candidates for us to formally put forward to the clients.
What is the executive search process?
Once we’ve sat down with the client to establish the search requirements and search strategy we will begin to attract and evaluate candidates.
We do this in a variety of ways:
Utilising our own personal and immediate networks who we think match the requirements. As I work across the whole team and we are passionate about our partnership-approach, we share our networks with each other so it isn’t just one talent pool but a whole team with decades of experience in the industry.
Explore our candidate-rich internal database who hit the key criteria. Using highly specialised searches we can identify individuals in our internal network.
Expand our search to LinkedIn to broaden the scope. While we have strong personal networks and company data, we believe it’s always essential to expand our search to those who could be ready for the next step up, ready to relocate, ready to explore a better opportunity.
Proactively seek out and headhunt highly qualified candidates with the desired skills and experience who may not be actively looking for a new opportunity
Throughout this process, we’ll be having calls with individuals to learn more about the market to ensure the requirements are correct for the role; as well as always staying in touch with the client to update on progress.
Following the longlist we present; the client will then decide if they would like to progress anyone to the interview stage with any of the individuals and will provide feedback relating to how the search is going so far and how we may tweak it.
In the manufacturing sector, the interview stage can widely differ between clients and roles; from short two stage interviews to longer six stage interview including psychometric testing. (This is something we offer our clients, putting them in touch with trusted partners for these personality tests, just to add that extra level of screening to ensure the right fit).
This then leads to hopefully a job offer for our candidate and completing the search.
What makes a good executive search firm?
There’s a lot of factors people should consider when selecting a search firm, but I always say to our clients you need teams who will go above any beyond the essential requirements.
As a team we make sure we stay on top of industry trends as these external factors really do impact searches. For example, as we work with global organisations, we are keeping our fingers on the pulse on the market growth in Europe right now, but we’re also watching what’s happening in the US right now with the election coming up to see how that will affect manufacturing trends and recruitment trends.
Why InX manufacturing?
All of the above! However, three key reasons would be:
Being driven by our partnership approach, we utilise all the networks and resources available to us to ensure the best outcomes - whether that’s the InX manufacturing personal contacts or the candidate-rich database of The IN Group via our other brands, Investigo, Definia, BioTalent and Caraffi.
This year, we have also diversified our client portfolio as a team. Historically we have mainly focused on automotive and electronics, however now that’s now opened to food and beverage, FMCG, packaging containers and pharmaceuticals.
We are passionate about ensuring diversity in all our searches. With the manufacturing industry driving change in their leadership teams, we are proud to work with our clients to develop DEI in their organisations from the top down.
It’s it has been a busy start to 2024 and one we see continuing. So, if you would like to talk more about your search needs, reach out for a chat.