Executive Recruiters

Executive Recruiters

Executive recruiting firms are most interested in people who have a large amount of relevant experience for the position they are trying to fill. Therefore, these firms will be a useful tool if you're looking to make this sort of change. If you do not have a lot of relevant experience, it's likely to be more profitable for you to use networking and direct marketing as your principal methods of job hunting.

Headhunters and How to Use Them: A Guide for Organisations and Individuals by Nancy Garrison Jenn

This guide provides a clear overview of the executive search market, the leading global firms and specialised niche firms, together with the consultants who work for them and the sectors they cover. To order your copy...

Executive Recruiters: The UK recruitment industry explained

There are three main ways companies use recruitment firms:

• Database Search - A company pays a recruitment agency to search their database of candidate CVs that match their open position (typically used for lower level positions).

• Advertised Selection - A company retains a recruitment firm to place an advertisement for them in a relevant publication (used at all levels for positions with salaries of up to about approximately Ј100,000).

• Retained Search - A company retains a recruitment firm to directly approach (e.g. "headhunt") individuals (typically used for senior positions, sensitive appointments, or for skills that are difficult to find). The individuals approached are usually well known within their industry or are identified by researchers working for the recruitment firm.

Most search firms tend to specialise by function (e.g. IT, marketing, finance) and then each consultant within the firm will specialise in certain sectors. The following are examples of internal search firms that cover a range of different functions and industries.

On average, recruiters will receive approximately 400 speculative letters & CVs per month. Don't forget that most recruitment firms don't enter your details in a database, so you have to continually re-apply if you see something of interest.

The "Big Six" International Search Firms

• Heidrick and Struggles: http://www.heidrick.com/

• Korn/Ferry Intl: http://www.kornferry.com/

• Spencer Stuart: http://www.spencerstuart.com/

• Egon Zehnder International: http://www.zehnder.com/

• Russell Reynolds: http://www.russellreynolds.com/

• Whitehead Mann Group: http://www.wmann.com/

Executive Grapevine - The International Directory of Executive Recruitment 2004-2005 is available at the London Business School Library in reference.

The Top 10 Search Firms in the UK

• Whitehead Mann Group: http://www.wmann.com/

• Spencer Stuart: http://www.spencerstuart.com/

• Russell Reynolds: http://www.russellreynolds.com/

• Korn/Ferry International: http://www.kornferry.com/

• Egon Zehnder: http://www.zehnder.com/

• Heidrick and Struggles: http://www.heidrick.com/

• AT Kearney: http://www.atkearney.com/

• Saxton