Company strategies for recruiting executives
13 April 2012
Read by 2060 persons
Most often, companies use internal promotion or cooptation when it comes to filling an important position. The direct approach is the most reliable method to avoid leaks.
Recruiting a senior executive is not easy. Given the responsibilities that must be entrusted to him, a casting error is much more serious than for support positions. In the past and even today, many companies opt for internal promotion. In addition to saving the financial costs inherent in external recruitment, the advantage, emphasizes an HR director, is that the chosen person is already well integrated, knows the workings of the organization well and is easily accepted if their skills are recognized by their colleagues and collaborators. This internal recruitment is sometimes done by call for applications, a step that is necessary to ensure total transparency. But in some cases, cooptation remains essential. One chooses a particular person because they are closer to a member of the board of directors or the CEO, if it is a position one step below.
When the profiles do not exist internally, it is necessary to find them on the market. Here too, cooptation is used. But in this case, it is more discreet and more judicious to go through specialized intermediaries so as not to create unnecessary conflicts with the competition. Today, companies are increasingly tending to use these firms to find senior executives because, in principle, they are better able to reduce the risk of errors. It is therefore not for nothing that Michael Page, a globally known firm in this field, has set up in Casablanca or that AT Kearney plans to make Morocco its second African location, after South Africa, for its headhunting branch.
But it is difficult to quantify the number of recruitments concerning this population. According to Essaid Bellal, CEO of Diorh, "the senior executive market is very cyclical". He estimates that around fifty senior executives are recruited each year, five times more if we include central directors, department and division managers. As for Philippe Montant, CEO of the Rekrute.com portal, he believes that the market remains promising. To illustrate his point, he announces that Executive.biz, a portal for senior executives that he opened a year and a half ago, "has issued more than 100 advertisements, which amounts to an average of 5 or 6 advertisements per month". A significant figure, according to Mr. Montant, who points out that companies are starting to use the portal's services for this type of recruitment. The choice of specialized portals makes it possible to make a first selection, allowing for more precise targeting of profiles corresponding to the position to be filled and, ultimately, limiting the risk of making a bad choice because the consequences are much higher than if it is an employee or a middle manager without major responsibilities. However, these specialized portals remain databases that recruitment firms can also draw on. The services of the latter are all the more in demand as they are able to carry out a mission in the strictest confidentiality because, for very important positions, only a handful of insiders should be aware of it in the company, the top management for example.
At Diorh, an average of one hundred senior executives are placed each year by direct approach, during peak periods. "Generally, recruiters have the advantage of having a large professional network. Their knowledge of the field is also proven and their CV database is quite large," says the CEO of the firm. Thus, their approach and their tracking system facilitate the building of trust with executives, even if the economic situation would not encourage them to change jobs. "Sometimes, when we approach them, they first want to get to know us without really wanting to change. Others may call back after six months to change their minds," says Mr. Bellal.
Interviews conducted in complete confidentiality
Those initially targeted are generally those who are best known, first of all personally. Thus, to facilitate identification, an executive will first of all ensure that they are listed in the alumni directory of their school. Even if these documents are not widely listed, they nevertheless represent a pool of information on local skills for recruitment firms. The latter even target Moroccan skills abroad known through their association, all in complete confidentiality.
"We constantly ensure the confidentiality of interviews. This is why reception rooms are often personalized to ensure prospects the utmost discretion," emphasizes a recruitment specialist.
The process is however quite long. Between the start of the search and the conclusion of a contract, including the various interviews, it can take at least three months. The reason is that it is necessary to ensure that the candidate is highly motivated to take up the challenge. It is also essential, especially if they are less well known, to understand their managerial and human qualities as well as their technical skills. However, even if some managers with proven professional experience agree to undergo a skills assessment, in order to detect new motivations, the recruiter, or the panel of recruiters, will refrain from carrying out the same psychotechnical tests and other simulations. Several headhunters point out in this area that some senior executives may not appreciate the firms' approach to their interview process. Asking a manager with more than 20 years of experience to take psychotechnical tests can sometimes prove difficult. It is, in a way, questioning their professionalism.
Besides guarantees on career prospects, the hardest part in recruiting a manager is determining remuneration. This is simply because poaching has a cost. It is indeed difficult to convince a senior executive to move to another company if they are not offered more than what they currently earn, without counting an acceptable package and motivating objectives.
Philippe Montant - CEO ReKrute.com:
"We place 5 to 6 job offers per month for senior executives."
"The senior executive market is experiencing significant expansion, even if it is difficult to obtain statistics or recruitment frequency data for this population. But, we know that companies are looking for new responsive, open-minded leaders who can rely on a strong network. This is why, a year and a half ago, we launched Executive.biz, a portal dedicated to senior executives, which responds to an increasingly mature demand in the employment market. The expectations of senior executives are particular and require VIP treatment. This is what the new portal aims to provide. In this respect, it should be said that senior executives wishing to give a new impetus to their careers rarely go through the classic recruitment channels, specialized firms in particular, or do not dare to talk about it, because they feel that these firms do not meet their expectations.
Since the launch, we have issued more than 100 advertisements, which amounts to an average of 5 or 6 advertisements per month. This is significant.
For their part, companies are starting to use the portal's services for this type of recruitment. It is therefore no longer only networks or cooptation that are used to recruit such profiles.
The site has changed the minds of recruiters and has positioned itself as an alternative for senior executives who can find the best offers relevant to them, as well as the possibility of developing their business, all in one place. Which is, in itself, a small revolution in the Moroccan market.
On the other hand, with the portal, we can feed the platform by going to find the executives where they are, via social networks, our foreign partners...
I would add that our approach is above all to approach these executives to integrate them into our database and to provide them with all the employment opportunities that arise. Then, it is up to them to apply or not. So far, we have more than 6,200 profiles receiving our newsletters, which allows them to remain on alert about the job market. It must also be said that the recruitment process is longer than that of a classic profile. With us, for example, the posting of an advertisement lasts three months.
Our approach also involves sourcing on behalf of companies. After a month, we provide them with a multitude of applications, it is up to them to choose the right candidate."
Brahim Habriche.
Lavieeco.com
Published April 11, 2012.
Posted online April 13, 2012.
Recruiting a senior executive is not easy. Given the responsibilities that must be entrusted to him, a casting error is much more serious than for support positions. In the past and even today, many companies opt for internal promotion. In addition to saving the financial costs inherent in external recruitment, the advantage, emphasizes an HR director, is that the chosen person is already well integrated, knows the workings of the organization well and is easily accepted if their skills are recognized by their colleagues and collaborators. This internal recruitment is sometimes done by call for applications, a step that is necessary to ensure total transparency. But in some cases, cooptation remains essential. One chooses a particular person because they are closer to a member of the board of directors or the CEO, if it is a position one step below.
When the profiles do not exist internally, it is necessary to find them on the market. Here too, cooptation is used. But in this case, it is more discreet and more judicious to go through specialized intermediaries so as not to create unnecessary conflicts with the competition. Today, companies are increasingly tending to use these firms to find senior executives because, in principle, they are better able to reduce the risk of errors. It is therefore not for nothing that Michael Page, a globally known firm in this field, has set up in Casablanca or that AT Kearney plans to make Morocco its second African location, after South Africa, for its headhunting branch.
But it is difficult to quantify the number of recruitments concerning this population. According to Essaid Bellal, CEO of Diorh, "the senior executive market is very cyclical". He estimates that around fifty senior executives are recruited each year, five times more if we include central directors, department and division managers. As for Philippe Montant, CEO of the Rekrute.com portal, he believes that the market remains promising. To illustrate his point, he announces that Executive.biz, a portal for senior executives that he opened a year and a half ago, "has issued more than 100 advertisements, which amounts to an average of 5 or 6 advertisements per month". A significant figure, according to Mr. Montant, who points out that companies are starting to use the portal's services for this type of recruitment. The choice of specialized portals makes it possible to make a first selection, allowing for more precise targeting of profiles corresponding to the position to be filled and, ultimately, limiting the risk of making a bad choice because the consequences are much higher than if it is an employee or a middle manager without major responsibilities. However, these specialized portals remain databases that recruitment firms can also draw on. The services of the latter are all the more in demand as they are able to carry out a mission in the strictest confidentiality because, for very important positions, only a handful of insiders should be aware of it in the company, the top management for example.
At Diorh, an average of one hundred senior executives are placed each year by direct approach, during peak periods. "Generally, recruiters have the advantage of having a large professional network. Their knowledge of the field is also proven and their CV database is quite large," says the CEO of the firm. Thus, their approach and their tracking system facilitate the building of trust with executives, even if the economic situation would not encourage them to change jobs. "Sometimes, when we approach them, they first want to get to know us without really wanting to change. Others may call back after six months to change their minds," says Mr. Bellal.
Interviews conducted in complete confidentiality
Those initially targeted are generally those who are best known, first of all personally. Thus, to facilitate identification, an executive will first of all ensure that they are listed in the alumni directory of their school. Even if these documents are not widely listed, they nevertheless represent a pool of information on local skills for recruitment firms. The latter even target Moroccan skills abroad known through their association, all in complete confidentiality.
"We constantly ensure the confidentiality of interviews. This is why reception rooms are often personalized to ensure prospects the utmost discretion," emphasizes a recruitment specialist.
The process is however quite long. Between the start of the search and the conclusion of a contract, including the various interviews, it can take at least three months. The reason is that it is necessary to ensure that the candidate is highly motivated to take up the challenge. It is also essential, especially if they are less well known, to understand their managerial and human qualities as well as their technical skills. However, even if some managers with proven professional experience agree to undergo a skills assessment, in order to detect new motivations, the recruiter, or the panel of recruiters, will refrain from carrying out the same psychotechnical tests and other simulations. Several headhunters point out in this area that some senior executives may not appreciate the firms' approach to their interview process. Asking a manager with more than 20 years of experience to take psychotechnical tests can sometimes prove difficult. It is, in a way, questioning their professionalism.
Besides guarantees on career prospects, the hardest part in recruiting a manager is determining remuneration. This is simply because poaching has a cost. It is indeed difficult to convince a senior executive to move to another company if they are not offered more than what they currently earn, without counting an acceptable package and motivating objectives.
Philippe Montant - CEO ReKrute.com:
"We place 5 to 6 job offers per month for senior executives."
"The senior executive market is experiencing significant expansion, even if it is difficult to obtain statistics or recruitment frequency data for this population. But, we know that companies are looking for new responsive, open-minded leaders who can rely on a strong network. This is why, a year and a half ago, we launched Executive.biz, a portal dedicated to senior executives, which responds to an increasingly mature demand in the employment market. The expectations of senior executives are particular and require VIP treatment. This is what the new portal aims to provide. In this respect, it should be said that senior executives wishing to give a new impetus to their careers rarely go through the classic recruitment channels, specialized firms in particular, or do not dare to talk about it, because they feel that these firms do not meet their expectations.
Since the launch, we have issued more than 100 advertisements, which amounts to an average of 5 or 6 advertisements per month. This is significant.
For their part, companies are starting to use the portal's services for this type of recruitment. It is therefore no longer only networks or cooptation that are used to recruit such profiles.
The site has changed the minds of recruiters and has positioned itself as an alternative for senior executives who can find the best offers relevant to them, as well as the possibility of developing their business, all in one place. Which is, in itself, a small revolution in the Moroccan market.
On the other hand, with the portal, we can feed the platform by going to find the executives where they are, via social networks, our foreign partners...
I would add that our approach is above all to approach these executives to integrate them into our database and to provide them with all the employment opportunities that arise. Then, it is up to them to apply or not. So far, we have more than 6,200 profiles receiving our newsletters, which allows them to remain on alert about the job market. It must also be said that the recruitment process is longer than that of a classic profile. With us, for example, the posting of an advertisement lasts three months.
Our approach also involves sourcing on behalf of companies. After a month, we provide them with a multitude of applications, it is up to them to choose the right candidate."
Brahim Habriche.
Lavieeco.com
Published April 11, 2012.
Posted online April 13, 2012.
