With the pandemic greatly impacting working practices, the need for a cohesive, team-oriented approach underpinned by communication and strong relationships has never been so important. Remote working has indisputably led organisations to ‘reset’ their expectations of employees’ behaviours and skillsets, requiring trust in their capacity to deliver challenging business targets despite the lack of an office environment. This in turn requires employees to be more agile, self-sufficient, and motivated while placing increased emphasis on presentation, people, and relationship-building skills. Consequently, the ‘war for talent’ has intensified further, particularly in competitive markets like Intellectual Property and Legal where such skills are paramount in addition to the required technical expertise.
We sometimes encounter an indifference to search, resistance even, in favour of multiple agencies in the belief that this will derive a greater volume, variety, and quality of candidates. Indeed, there are times when this approach may be better suited to an organisation’s needs, such as for more ‘generalist’ or less technical positions where sufficiently large candidate pools may exist. However, in sectors where candidates are less readily ‘in the market’, typically those that are more restricted in numbers and conservative in nature, the ability to access the right talent becomes far more challenging. This is where search becomes a compelling proposition.
There are several reasons to utilise executive search. Firstly, a true search expert will ensure complete market coverage, combining both its comprehensive network with research to directly headhunt and present only the most suitable, fully screened candidates; secondly, the adage that the ‘best candidates are rarely looking’ rings increasingly true in a market where employers more than ever are rightly focused on talent retention; thirdly, interest in the opportunity, once gained, is typically exclusive, thus precluding competing offers; fourthly, search enhances the importance of the role and the credibility of the hiring organisation. A search partner, through the closeness of the client relationship, should gain a deep knowledge of the position and the company culture, which they can, in turn, utilise to target only the most relevant individuals; finally, the level of commitment between the hiring company and the executive search partner to achieving the best outcome should be absolute, given the time, money and resources invested into the process.
The cost of the wrong hire can have far-reaching and damaging repercussions for a business. Therefore, commitment to making the right hire through a calculated, targeted, and well-executed search strategy should ensure a successful, long-term placement.
If you are looking to develop and grow your IP and Legal departments, we would be delighted to assist. Whether you are looking for your next career opportunity, help expanding your team, or assistance with mergers and acquisitions, contact us today for a confidential discussion.
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