UNDERSTANDING THE COMPANY :
Executive search is a partnership process. We work to understand a client’s organisation, its business strategy, markets, values and culture. This phase allows us to gather essential data and to represent the client effectively.

ASSIGNMENT SPECIFICATION :
As in any partnership, we take an active role in defining the responsibilities attached to the position and the necessary candidate skills and experience to succeed. Often our experience and perspectives as consultants help clients assess the demands of the position, the qualifications of the individual best suited to the position and the client’s expectations in light of the market place.

Following our discussions, we prepare an assignment specification, outlining the organisation, detailing the real scope of the responsibilities, reporting lines, global package and other fringe benefits. From there we define a profile of the ideal candidate in terms of specific experience and qualifications, as well as leadership and other personal requirements.

IDENTIFICATION :
A critical component of our success is the ability to systematically identify target industries and companies that currently employ potential candidates. For each assignment, we formulate the strategy most likely to identify a candidate population matching the job description and the person profile.

Complementing the technical resources of our research team, our consultants cultivate personal contacts with top executives in industrial, distribution, financial and other service companies. These contacts allow our consultants to maximise every opportunity to search for the most qualified candidates for each assignment.

Our consultants respect rigorous ethical procedures in approaching potential candidates. All conversations are processed in absolute discretion and confidentiality, without revealing the identity of our client, unless otherwise agreed.

PROGRESS MEETINGS :
We believe it is essential to work closely with the client at every stage of the assignment and therefore, in addition to keeping our client appraised of major developments, we schedule a progress meeting at which we discuss the candidate population we have identified and profiled. This enables the research strategy to remain focused and for us to present our reasons for interviewing the long-list of potential candidates.

SELECTION PROGRESS :
Each candidate is personally interviewed to appraise how he or she matches the approved profile. In this phase, we analyse in depth the candidate’s experience, personality and professional goals for the future.

PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATES :
This phase is very important in our operating methods. We personally present a confidential report for each of the final candidates. Initially meetings between client and candidates can take place either at the client’s site or at our own offices. Our offices are discrete and, by meeting there, we can assure adequate protection of our candidates, until a final mutual decision is agreed.

REFERENCE CHECKING :
When the preferred candidate has been identified and both client and candidate have expressed an interest in working together, we contact referees able to comment in depth upon the candidate’s leadership ability, integrity, technical competence, achievements and personal characteristics to support impressions gained during interviews. The candidate will be informed in advance that references are going to be processed and local laws regulating privacy will be respected. These references supplement the professional evaluation of our consultants and they represent an additional guarantee to our client that the candidate fully matches all the requirements.

FINAL NEGOTIATIONS :
We frequently help our clients in the final negotiation process, structuring an adequate remuneration package and other fringe benefits, in order to attract the selected candidate. An important item in this negotiation is the definition of a detailed job description, establishing areas of responsibility, performance objectives and evaluation guidelines.

INTEGRATION :
Our consultants will continue working with the client and the candidate, to ensure successful integration. Over the next six months, we maintain dialogue with the client and the successful candidate to avert any problems in adjustment.

ENSURING QUALITY :
We genuinely seek to measure our performance against client expectation and we ask our clients to complete and return a Quality Evaluation Questionnaire so that we may provide an even better service during the next assignment.