The Importance of Ensuring Momentum in a Search Process

As search consultants, one of the key roles we play in the service industry is to manage expectations between our clients and our candidates. Nothing excites us more than to take an interesting, complex, and challenging role to market, and our goal is to always identify untapped talent in the market. After all, isn’t this why clients pay for a retained search service? In today’s competitive job market, to secure top candidates, employers need to maintain momentum throughout the search process. While we appreciate that the legal landscape has changed since 2021 from a hiring perspective, the caution around making decisions when it comes to hiring, the lack of prioritisation from hiring managers and key stakeholders diarising time for interviews, debriefs, candidate feedback and finalising the offer letter and employment agreement cannot be understated.

Where search firms are expected to deliver a short list within 4-6 weeks of engagement, companies in hiring mode need to set out and keep to an equivalent timetable to attract top talent.

To ensure this time frame is met, we recommend the following:

1. A weighted scorecard that assigns comparative importance to substantive hard skills (table stakes) and emotional intelligence
2. Early identification of key stakeholders for individual or panel interviews—and ensuring their availability
3. Prompt debriefs which are shared with the search firm—and candidate—coupled with next steps
4. Pre-agreed upon banding for compensation and job titles to provide for flexibility to close the negotiation with the successful candidate

Armed with these preparatory tools and the commitment from both the GC and key stakeholders, this will convey a favourable message to candidates that they are truly sought after and prompt them to feel a part of a high-performing and corporate culture.

Life happens, and processes slow down; it is inevitable in this day and age to experience setbacks in momentum. But where it is within our control, our advice would be to not become complacent when it comes to hiring, because regardless of how exciting your role and organisation may be, there are others out there that may be equally compelling and will aim to pull out all the stops to attract top talent.