Search & Selection for those who don't already know, is the process of proactively approaching chosen individuals who have been selected for their suitability for a given job description, based on who they work for and what they do for that company. This process of sourcing candidates is more commonly known as "Headhunting".
Contingency recruitment on the other hand, is a model employed by generalist recruitment companies, whereby continuous advertising throughout the year, results in a vast amount of CVs being saved on a database, thus when a new job comes in, the hope is that there will be a relevant CV already "registered".
But which model best fits your recruitment needs? Whereas contingency recruitment is a volume-based recruitment model, search and selection or headhunting is a more targeted approach widely used by employers who seek to recruit a specific skillset to their business - normally a particular industry background or market affinity. As much as you wouldn't want to headhunt for a very generalist position, you certainly wouldn't wish to consider a contingency approach to recruiting a very specialist role for your business. Where contingency recruiters and database agencies fail to fill, is that they can only fish from a very limited pool of applicants... i.e. the ones who just happen to be on the market or even just registeredwith that company. Headhunting opens up possibilities across the entire market and enables the employer to benefit from talking to their direct competition.
But how can headhunting find the right "cultural fit" for my business? Good question. The answer depends on the Consultancy. Whether recruiting for a Commercial Director or a Project Manager, the recruit process absolutely relies on the consultancy engaging with the shortlist. Whilst it sounds basic, this primarily involves meeting the candidates face-to-face. You'd be amazed how few consultancies fail to complete this mandatory part of the vetting process. It stands to reason really, that if you're to call someone out of the blue about a new role, then to gain any real interest and commitment to the application, a meeting is essential.
The meeting is important not only for vetting purposes, but also to build rapport and engage with the applicant. A recent example of how important this is, came to light in the final stages of the appointment of a new MD for a major client in the ************ industry when after verbally accepting the offer on the Friday afternoon, the Collingwood Consultant called the candidate on the Saturday morning to check they had received the emailed offer letter. Talking things through, it became blatantly apparent to the Consultant that the applicant had some underlying concerns since accepting the offer the previous day. What had actually happened was that the candidate's wife had raised concerns about the size of the organisation which had clearly influenced his decision-making. Fortunately Collingwood were able to feedback this reticence to the client and advise another meeting and after a meal between the employer and employee and their respective partners, all was smoothed over and a successful appointment was made.
It was only due to the close relationship that the Collingwood Consultant had gained with the candidate, that he was able to spot the signs early and make for a simple resolution. Client happy, candidate delighted, and Collingwood is now their exclusive search partner. And it all started with an in-depth meeting with the candidate. Collingwood take time to really get to grips with the candidate's personal circumstances, their drivers and ambitions, their real reasons for moving and what they can offer. Contingency recruiters just can't offer the same level of detail when their model is so volume-driven.
In addition to getting to know the candidate personally, Collingwood also help clients to ascertain the "cultural fit" by supplementing our detailed interview notes with the results of a DISC based Behavioural Profiling test, designed to highlight potential personality mismatches or unwanted character traits. This is something we do with every candidate as a standard part of our service.
So, when deciding which model is best for you, ask yourself this... "Do I want quick CVs, or do I want accuracy in the selection process to find the best person for the job?" If it's the latter, then talk to Collingwood for an initial consultation and see for yourself why headhunting is the right choice for your business.
To help you recruit the right person for your role email Rob McKay or please call Rob on 01829 732374.
