Executive recruitment: put your best foot forward in attracting executive-level talent.

• Author: Caswell, Jillian
• Position: MANAGEMENT

Identifying and attracting competent professionals for crucial positions is always challenging for business owners, and seeking executive level talent can be an even more daunting mountain to climb. With the local and national economy in a climate of flux, many companies are seeing increased staff turnover and less longevity from their staff, and senior leadership is no exception. With current job market trends showing no indications that people are again remaining with employers for the long haul, we can expect to see more turnover up through executive and senior levels. This trend means that business owners need to be prepared with a strategy to draw the interest of top-level talent before being caught off guard and scrambling to fill the gap left by a departing leader. With every company's unique business needs, ideally your strategy will be suited to your goals, mission, and vision; however, there are some basic strategic elements in appealing to executive-level candidates which can be included for many unique approaches.

Confidentiality Is Critical

Accomplished, successful executive-level talent will almost certainly require discretion and agreements for provision of confidentiality during the recruitment process. These senior leaders will undoubtedly have broad professional networks established within their industries, and while they may be considering a new opportunity for all the right reasons, gossip can wreak irreparable damage both within their industry and at their current work place. In a state such as Alaska, this need is doubly emphasized by our small-town connections. Even your fellow fisherman in Carhartts and XtraTufs may be a C-suite executive who knows someone who knows someone. If it becomes known to the wrong party that the talent you are targeting is considering new opportunities, it may prove detrimental to your candidate's career. Confidentiality will often make or break a candidate's interest in pursuing a new opportunity, so address your ability to offer total discretion at the very beginning of the recruitment process--in your job postings or announcements and in your first conversation with the candidate.

Showcase Meaningful Growth Opportunities

Once a candidate has reached the senior leadership level in their career, some companies do not consider the need for meaningful growth to retain and attract future executive candidates. A generous compensation package may not be enough to appeal the high-quality...