Using executive search consultants to fill a high-level vacancy at your company is an excellent way to pre-screen the applicants who may or may not be a good fit. If you’re going to use a consultant to help you hire an executive, make sure you understand what to expect. It’s also important that you communicate all your needs and requirements to the consultant. Otherwise, valuable time, money, and other resources will be wasted.
Decide on the specific scope of the consultant. Do you want them to gather resumes and talk to references? Perhaps you’ll want them to do everything from research to early interviews. You need to decide how involved you want to be in the beginning of the search. Some companies want to know who is applying at all times, even if a search consultant is working on their behalf. Others merely want to be presented with the top three or four candidates.
