When to retain us

When a position requires a high level of competency and leadership skills: 
Understanding the position's technical skills, competencies and leadership skills as well as the organizational culture is crucial to being able to qualifying, screen, interview and reference qualified individuals. We have the experience to mastermind the recruitment strategy, define the criteria for selection, exercise judgment in selection.... and then negotiate with favoured candidates.

When advertising and on-line job boards are not enough to source all of the best candidates: 
Responses to advertisements are extraordinarily random; the responses require substantial time for processing and at the end of that time it is still not clear whether or not you have recruited one of the best candidates in the market. In a lot of cases, the best candidates don't apply, as they are happy with their current employer and are not actively looking to make a career move, or they simply don't see the advertisement because they are not actively looking for opportunities. Another reason potential candidates don't respond to advertisements is the fear of a breach of confidentiality as they are not in control of who will see their resume! The advantage gained in initiating a proactive search is immeasurable compared to writing an advertisement, whether online or not, and waiting to see whether a big fish replies. It also provides considerable competitive advantage.

When careful screening, interviewing and referencing is paramount:
Determining a short list of candidates is a complex process, which involves screening and qualifying of the candidate's skills, competencies, and experience as well as personality and leadership traits. In-depth interviews and reference checks are performed before a candidate is presented on the short-list. 

When costs are a major factor:
Over the long term, an external recruitment campaign will usually be more cost effective. Proactive search requires smart and focused work with one clear goal - make sure that the very best potential candidates are tapped on the shoulder and that our client receives the best that their money or opportunity can buy.

When specialized skills are needed:
The more senior the position, the more complex and specialized the skills set that is required of the candidate. It also means the more complicated the recruiting process becomes. We have had the experience recruiting at most levels within organizations and can quickly appreciate the complexities of the position to enable us to be successful in the recruiting process. 

When time is of the essence:
Reducing the company's burden in recruitment time should not be underestimated. It is better to free up key internal resources for other important work, which makes sense in today's economy. Time is money and the advantage of retained search is that the client has on his or her side an experienced partner used to "identifying the tallest ships and then bringing them into harbour" (Gerry Roche). It's more difficult and much more time consuming than many people imagine. We take care of all screening and initial interviewing of candidates, including documented reference checks and rejection letters.