Podcast: How to Engage with Search Firms

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Podcast: The Executive MBA

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Podcast: Introduction to Executive Search

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Podcast: Wall Street In Crisis

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Podcast: How to Build Your Executive Brand and Visibility Online

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Podcast: Executive Search and Your Career 2009

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Podcast: Effective Interviewing

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Podcast: Executive Network Building

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Podcast: Collaborative Salary Negotiation

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Podcast: Extreme Time Management

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Observing that organizations during tough economic conditions become extremely internally focused. One means for senior executives to keep an external focus is to raise their profile externally, perhaps via speaking at a conference, or setting up a cross industry forum which arranges to meet regularly to share ideas for addressing challenges, and presenting your view in the media.

With the increased number of senior executives available in the market, it’s even more important to get smarter about presenting your details to executive search firms so that your details stand out. For example, people who come through a referral of someone already known to the firm are more likely to be successful in getting to meet with the search firm.”
www.kerridgesearch.com

Simon Childs, Managing Director, CDS Executive (Japan):
“How senior executives can be more proactive in making themselves visible to the executive search community:

Networking, including social networking, is critical to increasing your visibility. Social Networking Sites (SNS) are regularly visited by the research teams and consultants of leading executive search companies. It is vital to keep your network alive and updated and a positive, visible online presence is critical if you want to proactively manage and stimulate your career. Your information needs to be accurate, consistent and up to date or your credibility will suffer if search consultants cross reference.

Senior executives should seek out opportunities to present to industry groups, chambers of commerce and be proactive in contacting the media for opportunities to write and speak. Increasingly these days what we do in our private lives, whether that be our hobbies, sports or the support of charity events, reflect who we are and what we are passionate about and again the executive search community will take note especially where candidates are able to stand out and differentiate themselves from the pack.

Search firms like to be updated but not hounded by their candidates so make your contacts with them count, remind them of what you want and of any significant changes in your employment status and where you can, refer business their way.”
www.cds-executive.com

The Bridgespan Group:
“Seeking a senior nonprofit position during trying economic times makes it critical that executives highlight particular strengths that are helpful in facing uncertainty. Managing through influence, being able to work with a variety of disparate stakeholders, managing with minimal resources, and the ability to work in a consensus-driven environment are highly important to a nonprofit in a trying economic environment, said Karen DeMay, Senior Director of executive search for the Bridgespan Group.

In addition, according to DeMay, getting “back to basics” and clearly illustrating strengths and achievements through metrics can help raise an executive’s profile in the candidate pool. “If you oversaw a cost-cutting program, give details on what you did and how much it saved the organization,” she said. Underscore experience in reducing costs or tightening an organization, as well as experience in adapting and leading in a changing and/or uncertain environment–both can demonstrate nimbleness and risk tolerance. “[Show that you’re] someone who is accustomed to working in an ambiguous situation and even embraces ambiguity and challenge,” DeMay added.

Lastly, executives should not be shy about sharing any nonprofit board experience. Executive directors and chief executive officers are thinking about cash flow and revenue projections, DeMay said, and demonstrating any experience in fundraising and/or cash management can catch the attention of nonprofits leaders crunched for time and thinking about their organizations’ futures.”
www.bridgespan.org

Juerg-Herbert Baertschi, Vice President Operations, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Korn/Ferry International:
“The current job market is undeniably challenging but in the executive ranks, lengthy job searches are not confined to poor economies. It takes time to find the right candidate for each position. The silver lining is that this presents executives with an opportunity to truly assess their career goals and prospects. In the same way that businesses are expected to make decisions based on values, long-term vision and sustainability, executives should take time to consider the quality of their career moves. We counsel our candidates to be patient in the search process and to consider factors such as cultural fit, intellectual challenge and work-life balance over dollars and cents. Whether you are employed or not, this is an excellent time to assess your current status, your options and your true-to-heart goals.”
www.kornferry.com

Dominic Ubamadu, Desir Group Executive Search:
“As the economic slowdown continues, we will all feel the effects in different ways. For those saddled with unemployment, it is not the end of the world. But for some, it becomes harder as time passes to take another step, review that same job boards - again, check in with some of the same contacts – again, etc. Weeks may drag on to months and still no luck. Some may even get the occasional interview only to finish second or third – again. However, the true mark of a winner is the one who gets knocked down but gets up swinging, poised for the next opportunity. When we see such an individual, it is refreshing and you find yourself wanting to do all that you can to get them to the next step in the search process.

However, the opposite can also be true, when a great candidate, who has been beaten up by too many, seemingly, fruitless phone screens, interviews and travels makes a bad showing; they hurt themselves as well as those trying to help them. Hiring executives are expending resources in hours and dollars because they are likely looking for that new dynamic, energetic, enthusiastic addition to their team. We suggest giving them your cheerful best from the time you step out of your home, till you return – as you may never know who you will run into on the plane, in the taxi, car service or at the reception desk when you have your despondent face on…leave it at home. During the interview, even if you learn that this position is a bit below your last position or might not the best financially /politically, finish on a high note. Acknowledge the job offer, evaluate it, counter - if warranted, and then turn it down if a compromise can’t be reached. We think this is a much better scenario versus falling flat at every stop along the way, disappointing your hosts – to the point that they wonder how you made the cut, and your search consultants - to the point that they may not want to present you for another position. Remember your performance is being evaluated: high energy enthusiasm or anemic, sub-par – “just going through the motions.” Both have multiple, side effect, and we recommend the one most likely to lead to an offer sooner than later.”

Alan Kaplan, President & CEO, Kaplan & Associates, Inc:
Senior executives are under more pressure today than ever before. In addition to the challenging climate, there are downward pressures on compensation, capital constraints, layoffs and revenue shortfalls. As a result, this is a time when careers are made or destroyed!

How you handle yourself in this environment can make all the difference for your career!
- Be a calming influence, not an alarmist
- Be candid all the time
- Challenge and stretch your people and yourself…opportunities abound
- Be a team player; not a time to toot your horn
- Be very thoughtful about potential job changes before moving; do not make a move out of desperation, or appear desperate for a position (even if you are). This never enhances your chances.

On a personal level, learn to more pro-actively manage your career by:
- Becoming a More Valuable Asset to your Organization:
- Create a Personal Development Plan
- Develop stronger and more varied technical skills
- More training in “soft” skills
- Seek out a Mentor or Personal Advisory Board

Build Your Relationships & Networks
- High Visibility with clients and key prospects
- Join a key industry group, non-profit board, or both!
- Develop stronger ties with outside business leaders
- Develop broader connections within your institution

Collectively, these actions should enhance your prospects for a continued role within your company, and better position you for the next opportunity that arises.

The Chinese symbol for Crisis ends with a character that begins the symbol for Opportunity.”
www.kasearch.com

Kevin Day, Principal, Day & Associates:
“The 7 Musts for Landing a Senior Executive Position in a Downturn:

1. Look outside the box. If you’re in a “down” industry, look to greener pastures in other industries that require skill sets similar to the one in which you are an expert. Look at ailing, if not failing companies. In 2008, there were 64,000 bankruptcies in the U.S. Many of these companies are having hard time retaining and recruiting top talent. They may be a target-rich opportunity source in a downturn.

2. Keep your options open. One way to do so: Develop 2 very different resumes, one which features your technical and industry—your “content”– expertise, the other your process skills—your ability as a strategic thinker, problem solver, leader, high-performance team builder, etc. This should open up a wider array of options.

3. Position yourself as the “Results Brand.” During downturns, the focus is on visible, measurable results. Spend less time on the “What” and “How” and more on the “How Much” you’ve achieved. Wherever possible monetize your accomplishments.

4. Pay attention to language. In a downturn resumes pile up on the desks of executive search firms by the hundreds. Use “hurray words”—those than commend eye-ball attention, especially during tough times. For example: “problem solver;” “turnaround specialist;” “cost-management focused;” “revenue producer;” “works well under pressure:” and “creative opportunity generator.”

5. Network like never before. Cast the net far and wide. Go through your data base. Who have you “touched”—and how can they be enrolled in helping you “land?” Go beyond your current contacts to make new contacts. For example, there are a number of high-level networking groups; attend industry meeting; attend meetings on senior management topics sponsored by key management associations.

6. Read the business press. There is always turmoil in the executive ranks. Even during boom times. Another executive’s resignation may by your next opportunity. Also look for trends and opportunities to update your resume accordingly.

7. Keep to a search routine. Searching for a position, especially a senior executive one, during a downturn can by touch and discouraging. Avoidance behavior can become a deadly addiction. Keep to routine—and stick to it. Each day, devote a bloc of hours to your search. Set daily mini goals for yourself—the number of resumes you will send out, the follow-up calls you will make, the networking meeting you will attend, the research you will do, etc.”
www.DayAssociates.net

And also, search job postings only for jobs as VP, or EVP Quality or Chief Quality Officer, and forget about the rest. Would you agree?

While it does make sense to develop relationships with recruiters who specialize in your field, you should also be sure you are taking a broad enough approach to your search. Recruiters that do not specialize in your field may be asked by their core clients to fill a variety of roles, which may include those in your field.

Research shows that 80% of jobs are found through networking, so in addition to networking with recruiters, you will want to reach out to everyone in your own professional network as well as use social networking sites to expand your network. You also should also take a broad approach to the job boards. If there is a company you’re interested in working for, but the job posted is not at the appropriate level, reach out to the recruiter and send your resume anyway. The company may be hiring for other positions that are not posted, as a large number of available jobs are never publicly posted but rather are filled through networking and other means.

Your best approach may be to temporarily move to the region and conduct an in-depth job search from there. This is less risky than making a permanent move before securing employment, but you should consider the worst case scenario (making the move temporarily but not being able to find employment) and decide whether it would be acceptable to you and feasible financially.

If you do decide to make a short-term move, you should begin your search well before your move. Begin talking with recruiters and employers and let them know you will be there in a few months, and arrange as many meetings as possible.

Most global search firms (e.g. Korn/Ferry, Spencer Stuart, Boyden, Stanton Chase) have an Asia-Pacific practice or division, so you should also reach out to the local offices of those firms and ask that your information and resume be entered into the appropriate international database and/or forwarded to recruiters in the region. Good luck with your new job search!

Could you offer some guidance regarding this search?

Your first step should be to find out which search firms are used by the firms for which you have worked and by other top companies within your industry, and contact those firms. Reach out to all of the top search firms, even if your industry is not listed as one of their areas of expertise. You should also do some research to discover niche firms that specialize in the Building Materials industry. BlueSteps offers the Executive Search Firm Directory service (for Gold and Platinum members) that allows you to search for retained executive search firms that specialize in particular practices within geographic locations specified by you. When contacting these firms be sure to ask for referrals or recommendations of other firms relevant to your search. Also, remember that, even though a firm may not have a position in which you’re interested, you may have contacts within the industry that could be helpful to them, so approach your conversations with these recruiters as an opportunity to build relationships with them. They may become aware of positions that are a good fit for you in the future.

At the beginning of this year, I was removed from my then position (Operations) and moved to a newly created back office position with a promotion.

The other issue which is even more important than the above is how to inform the CEO of my intention, knowing what he has done for me in the last fifteen years. I am seeking some advice to help me in making this decision and on the next steps to take.

The question of whether to work for a start-up or an established company is largely answered by understanding your own appetite/tolerance for risk. Of course, in the current economic climate, a start-up organization is not necessarily inherently more risky than an established company. To determine the level of risk of a particular start-up, it is important to research both the industry whether it’s growing or shrinking, the potential market share, and the specific company in terms of the strength of their current financial position. Also, how robust is their business plan? What type of past record does the leadership have and how much risk does the compensation package, including salary and equity options, compromise you.

Your conversation with the CEO should be guided by the relationship that you have built with him. If the relationship is solid, you should trust that the conversation should go well. Begin the conversation on common ground, mentioning some of the things the CEO has done for you, how much you have appreciated the opportunities, and how much you have grown and learned in your time there. Be honest by telling him that you have received an interesting offer that is very appealing to you, but that it is still a very difficult decision to leave the company. There is a good chance that the CEO will respect your openness and will understand and support your decision, even though it may be sad for him personally to see you leave the company.

An excellent resource for becoming more comfortable in high-stakes or difficult communications is Fierce Communications: Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time by Susan Scott. Good luck with your new endeavor!

Electronic cover letters should follow the basic format for cover letters:
Paragraph 1 - Opening: State your objective, mention a personal referral, or the immediate benefit to the person, or refer to the employer’s job posting if relevant.
Paragraph 2 - Introduce yourself and present your key accomplishments - whenever possible, link them to the specific needs of the company and specific requirements of the position.
Paragraph 3 - Close - discuss follow-up steps, make clear how they would benefit by meeting you.

The objective of a cover letter is to entice the reader to look at your resume. You can encourage this by not only including your resume as an attachment, but also copying and pasting the text of your resume into the body of the email, below your cover letter. However, that alone does not guarantee that your resume will be read, so be sure your cover letter highlights the reasons your background and experience would be of interest to the person.

Particularly in the current economic climate, recruiters and hiring managers are inundated with emails and resumes. Have an answer to the question: “what is unique about you”?

If you are contacting a recruiter, you should clearly communicate why the person would benefit from contacting you. As previously mentioned, if you are interested in a specific job, make clear the fit between your skills and background and the requirements of the role. Regardless, be clear about how the relationship could be mutually beneficial. For example, if you have a strong network in the recruiter’s area of specialty, let the person know that you would be willing to introduce them to clients who are hiring or candidates for roles that are not a fit for you.

If you are contacting an employer directly highlight what the employer may find unique about you, perhaps depth of experience or knowledge within the industry or experience working for one of the industry’s most well regarded companies. Do you have a common link? You may want to research the person through professional networking sites to find any shared background or contacts.

Don’t be afraid to show a little personality and find a balance between a formal business letter and a more personal communication. A clever, well crafted cover letter can be an impressive marketing tool. I know a recruiter who once said, “I didn’t have a job for the candidate but called him because his cover letter was so good!”. Be creative and stand out from the competition to get a good response!

Could you please advise on how best to get my resume and background noticed by an executive search firm - I have had 2 experiences with search firms; one that contacted me about a position and one that I contacted regarding a specific position. I have posted my resume on BlueSteps and am wondering what more I can do.

The following are some ideas to get noticed by an Executive Search Firm:

1. Ask friends of yours who are top level executives what search firms they use and who their contact person is and if you could use their name.
2. Use professional networking sites for people who are recruiters from these firms and contact those in your specialty area and see if they are working on searches where you might be of help.
3. Do you know anyone hiring? Recruiters love to get good leads.
4. Attend seminars where recruiters will be on panels. BlueSteps, alumni associations and trade associations often have speakers from search firms.
5. Do something different. Send an article that might be of interest along with your resume.
6. Call during out of work hours when they might be at their desk.
7. Get referrals from people you know who might have been placed by a search firm.
8. Check to make sure that the key words are on your resume that would be picked up from a search firm via the internet.
9. Are there any alumni from your school that are in recruiting?
10. Look for specific job postings on the firms’ websites and on the BlueSteps Opportunities page and respond specifically to those relevant. When calling to follow up ask if there is a Senior Associate you can speak to dedicated to your specific area. Sometimes it’s easier to get an Associate on the phone than a consultant/partner of the firm.

I am in Los Angeles, and entertaining the notion of searching/subsequently securing an expatriate position in Europe. Do you have any pointers as to search firms that SPECIALIZE or hold strong history in the placement of US-based execs into overseas companies, especially in the EU?

Below is a list of some search firms that are global. BlueSteps has a more comprehensive list on the website. Seek out consultants from these firms that focus on your area of specialization within the European market. Target 4 to 5 initially and contact them directly to introduce yourself and begin the networking process.

The Amrop Hever Group
Boyden
Gow & Partners
Heidrick & Struggles
Korn Ferry International
Penryhn
Ray & Berndtson
Russell Reynolds
Signium International
Spencer Stuart
Stanton Chase
TRANSEARCH International
The Whitney Group

Approximately 16 months ago, I left a VP position at a major retailer where I had been an associate for 17 years, the last 8 of which achieving outstanding success in the area of e-commerce. The reason for my departure was due to a change in business direction. I left the company in good standing, was treated well and was fairly compensated ($350K). Since my departure I have worked as an independent consultant focusing on retail e-commerce thought leadership. Unfortunately, due to the nature and duration of these engagements, I miss the team dynamic and the opportunity to develop leaders, relationships and see the strategies faithfully executed. Last month I decided to begin looking for a senior leadership assignment and have informed several colleagues that I am currently available.

1. I am in my mid 50’s and do not hold an academic degree. (severe family calamities rendered this objective impossible).

2. My decision to do independent consulting instead of going directly into a similar position. (I thought I would enjoy the freedom… I miss the intense action of day-to-day engagement)

I would appreciate your perspective on how you would view a candidate of similar circumstance, what questions you would need answered and how I should respond to provide sufficient explanation.

1. Usually candidates of your tenure have already proven themselves without degrees. Say what you just stated as the reason why you never got one. If this is troublesome to you, take some certification courses at your local university so you can put something on your resume. However, it sounds to me like you have had great success without it.

2. I think your instincts are correct on this one. Say what you just wrote in the interview. What gets most people in trouble is when they try to cover up or formulate responses to questions instead of telling the actual real story of what happened. Most hiring managers can respect someone who has tried something new and then changed their mind. It’s not in the changing that is the issue but rather, how you view it, what you learned and what you are doing about it now.
If you come across as sincere and concentrate on your successes at your retail position, this is where the prospective employer will focus. What new things have you learned in consulting that you can bring to a new firm? What is it about the day to day action that you miss? What issues does the potential employer have that you can help fix? What keeps the CEO of the company awake at night? What are their needs and what experience/credentials do you have that could meet those needs? This should be your focus. In the end, the company is more concerned about what you can do for them and the more you spend time figuring this out, the greater chance you have of capturing their attention.

I began a job search about 3 months ago, as a current executive in an automotive supplier. My question regarding search firms is: What is the best way to initiate/develop a relationship with a search consultant?
My current strategy is to let them know I have an interest in a new opportunity, send them my resume, and wait to hear more. In your mind, is this too passive?

Yes if you wait to hear more, especially in the current market climate, you may never get a call. I have always told my clients to first get a referral from someone you know who has been placed by someone in a search firm. Then, call the recruiter and use the person’s name so there is a reference point to start the conversation. Introduce yourself by saying that you would like to both learn about opportunities and help the recruiter network with people you may know that could fit open searches that they are working on. Developing a relationship with a search professional is always more successful if it’s a two way street.

Also if possible, talk to the executive search professionals before you are in the market looking for work. That way, when you are looking, you already have a list of consultants already known to you to call. Keep in touch by sending relevant articles that may be of interest in their field of specialization and when you get a call, if you are not suited for the role see if you can help by offering referrals.
If you do not know anyone who has been placed or who has a relationship with a recruiter you can email your resume. A couple days later, follow up with a phone call to see if they received it. Remind them who you are and when you sent the resume. Then ask when is a good time to follow up. You can always ask, “how should I best communicate with you”. Should I follow up with an email? If I don’t hear back, may I call you?” Ask if there is anyone else in the firm that would be a better fit for you to speak with.

Despite the busy schedule of a recruiter, its hard to turn someone down who is offering to be helpful so always ask if there are ways that you can be helpful as well. Good luck