The Real Time it takes to run an Executive Recruitment Process

The executive search and select process is both exact and thorough, and as such, both hiring managers and candidates have certain expectations around the length of time the recruitment process should span.

With many executive recruitment firms roughly permitting three or four months for the average recruit, it’s difficult to grasp why some isolated incidents take so much longer, particularly in light of the very real danger of losing sought-after candidates in such an scenario.

Unfortunately, the longer the recruitment process, the greater the likelihood of candidate disengagement but also, organisations run the risk this way of earning a bad reputation as this information is shared within the talent pool.

So, just what exactly makes each executive recruitment so unique, and what should hiring managers and candidates bear in mind when embarking on the process?

The realities of an executive search

The very purpose of the search and select process for senior executives is to ensure a great fit for both client and candidate. It’s precisely why specialised recruitment firms offer highly trained staff to run through a meticulous procedure to gather, present and then assess the best shortlist for each vacancy.

That said, the danger can lie within hiring managers hesitating when it comes to crucial decision points. The cost of a bad hire is never far from the collective consciousness of HR departments and business leaders, and this can have a negative impact when it comes to the crunch which slows down the process, and disengages top talent.

The benefits of a professional touch

The other commonly cited reason is a lack of direction throughout the recruitment process. Again, the fastest and surest way of avoiding this easy pitfall is to use a recruitment agency with extensive experience of recruiting at the relevant level, and within the right field to keep things moving in a professional and timely manner.

The main difficulty with setting an exact time against an executive recruitment is that every set of circumstances is completely unique. Seasonality, sector, the economy and demand for specific talent within the market can all effect the individual nature of each hiring experience. Maintaining insightful expectations and sharing these with your candidates is the surest way to keep things on track.

At the end of the day, the main aim of running an executive search is to get the best person in place at the right time. So the key is to simplifying that as much as possible, and ensuring that the search process is managed professionally, candidates are dealt with as transparently as possible, and the process isn’t elongated without good reason.