Why clients should start the recruitment process with their “little black book”

We recently secured a new client who was looking to appoint a Group Sales Director. Usually, the starting point for us in this situation is a face to face meeting with the relevant people to discuss the brief. The brief is the starting point. It is critical to the recruitment process. That brief is the most important document we produce. It is the agreement between ourselves and the client of what they are looking for and the type of individual we must identify. It’s from the brief that everything else flows. Every effort is taken to prepare the best possible picture of what is required to find the right individual for the role.

Do you want candidates with sector experience?

For good reasons, our clients will sometimes prioritise sector experience, they are looking for skilled individuals who will add immediate value to their business, and quickly deliver a return on their investment. Whatever sector you work in, potential employers often specify candidates who can demonstrate understanding of their industry, products, service, competition and customers. Sector experience indicates that you are in tune with their market needs, that you can come in and hit the ground running, sometimes critical, particularly at the senior executive level.

Of course there’s potential problems with recruiting within your sector. It could be viewed as the safe option, and of course there can be significant advantages from looking outside of your sector that are worth serious consideration. However, that is why you’re paying us. We will identify the best candidates based on that agreed brief. If sector experience is critical but we identify a candidate from outside your industry that we think is a great fit for the role, then we will have that conversation with you.

Who do you know in your sector

Once we have an outline brief agreed, if sector experience is a key factor, we will often start by saying, “Who do you know in your sector?”. Speak to people in your industry that you know already. Why pay if you already potentially know the right person for the role? Speak to your senior management team, who do they know? This is what we did with our client who was looking for a new Group Sales Director. I know what you’re thinking, we have just talked ourselves out of a potentially lucrative contract? And on this occasion we did. They made contact, the rest is history. There is no value added by introducing the client to people they already know and can access.

Yes, we are in recruitment to make money. We are all in business to make a living. But long-term relationships are equally as important to us. We want our clients to see us as a ‘trusted advisor’, somebody they can speak to and know that we’ll always give them clear and impartial advice based on our experience. Our clients tell us that not all advisers are the same. It might sound like such a simple thing to say to a client, reach for that “little black book” and see if you already know the right candidate, but sometimes busy people just overlook the obvious. We all do it. But this could save you time and money. Plus, if you don’t need Barron Williams this time, we know there will always be a next time. A time when the “little black book” is not the solution.

Integrity is critical in recruitment

That little word, integrity, it is so important to us. Trust and integrity are what drives positive results for our clients. It is front of mind throughout every executive search process we conduct. We want to ensure that we give our clients the results they’re looking for. And recruiting with integrity for Barron Williams means providing a thorough honest and professional search for our clients. Leaving no stone unturned. Clear channels of communication. Ours can be a rewarding profession, as a business we get to help connect people. We help people. Do things in the right way, offer that professional level of service, and people will come to you, they will use your services for the long term.

With most of the clients we work worth, their ‘brand’ is incredibly important to them. And rightly so! If they hire us, we become an extension of that brand. We are representing you to potential new employees. We must incorporate your organisations values, culture and personality into our brief. This means that we sometimes can’t work with clients whose or culture don’t appear to fit with ours. That high level of integrity also extends to our candidates. If you’re looking for a new role, you want to be represented by people with integrity, knowledge and professionalism. Someone who will support you in achieving your goals rather than just seeing you as a potential fee.

The Billionaire, Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has lived by a set of values and principles that he directly links to his unbelievable success. When it comes to hiring the right people for your organisation he states that “Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you”. That word integrity. So, if that means we can help to solve your problem via your “little black book”, that’s OK. You might think kindly of us in the future when you need to work with a partner you can trust.

If you’re looking for your next role, then please feel free to Upload Your CV or Call Us for an exploratory conversation. If you’re looking for a senior executive for your organisation, please use our Client Upload Form or Call Us now.