The one reason we need executive search firms

I read an interesting article this morning that can be found at the following link -- The real reason why we need recruiters

It was titled "The real reason we need recruiters" and I tweaked my blog title accordingly to provide more thorough analysis.  There are indeed a myriad of reasons why our clients decide to engage with us for a variety of searches.  But what is the one universal reason why they do?  Because they can.  Yes, it is that simple.  No rocket science.  No profound post for this morning.  They simply do it because they can.

I suppose we could now argue the definition of "need" as often times we are defined as the "necessary evil".  That has a different connotation that the Webster's definition of "need".  I have been recruiting for nine years now and am hopeful that most of my clients would say that they were satisfied by the services we provided.  Whether it was actual placement of a candidate, providing advice on a project, working diligently on an opening only to not place the candidate, or staying in touch over time through emails, blogs, webinars, and much more.  But I am doubtful that the majority woke up one morning and said "I NEED an executive recruiter today and I can't wait to pay a fee for those services."

Which goes back to my reasoning of why our clients work with us -- because they can.  At some organic level they all recognize that we can provide value to the process.  We are like a bullhorn on pro-active searches to help tell our clients' stories.  We can provide a healthy pipeline of passive candidates to our best clients that want to know about talent even when they don't have an active opening.  We can provide outsourcing services when they have to eliminate a position, but don't want to just kick the employee to the curb.  We can provide valuable insight into an effective way to compensate a new producer without breaking the bank.  We can provide competitive intelligence regarding key trends in certain geographies.  We can think outside of the box and help bring in an account manager for a new producer that is transferring a book and wants to know there is immediate support for a smooth transition.

You see, we are not a hammer and our clients are not a nail.  In conclusion I will add to the idea of clients working with us because they can.  It is not a universal statement.  It is a proud declaration of what services Capstone provides to our clients.  So you don't NEED an executive search firm on every occasion when you need to hire an employee.  But a true partnership with an executive search firm that knows your industry can prove to be an invaluable tool for many reasons.  Most importantly, because you can.

Does culture matter?

I thought this was an intriguing article for a number of reasons-->

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/05/when_choosing_a_job_culture_ma.html?goback=.gde_164686_member_112577132

We talk all the time with our clients and candidates about finding the right "culture match".  Are we really trying to dig into that or simply use a catch phrase that can be thrown out without any true consideration?  My boss just reminded me of this the other day when he asked if I remembered being recruited to come work for Capstone nearly ten years ago.

Culture was undoubtedly the number one reason I made my move.  I think back to how I dug into the culture and the little things really did matter.  I wanted work/life balance, I wanted my boss to know and care about my personal life, my kids are important to me and I needed that to be important to my colleagues, I wanted to work in an entrepreneurial setting where I was empowered to make decisions that my bosses would stand behind.  I could go on and on.  But I also wonder how many of our candidates are really asking these questions and additionally are they getting the answers they need?

I also just hung up with a longtime client who admitted that he does manage his employees with the human side of the equation.  Each of us has personal matters that carry over to the job.  Is that a good thing?  Is that a bad thing?  How does that impact our work performance?  It is a fine line, but I would argue that the most engaged employees are ones that feel their employer cares about culture match, going all the way back to the initial interview process.

Would you agree?