No matter how much self- awareness we feel we possess, there is always something new to learn. As the courage of my own convictions grows, I find it ever easier to articulate my observations and realisations. Though I am happy to concede that these may be controversial and at times naive, to me they are passionately held and therefore must be stated.
As a head hunter I have always tried to do my best for clients and candidates, credibility, trust and honesty being my watch words. My network of clients and candidates seem to recognise this, and certainly appear to think of me in those terms. Why then when considering who to retain to deliver a mission critical search, is there often a tendency to opt for one of the bigger firms?
Do they not believe in my ability to solve their problems, are they ruled by a procurement driven one size fits all concept, or are they merely erring on the side of caution because ‘nobody got fired for using a tier one firm’?
I do not ask this question in isolation, I’ve spent many hours puzzling over this conundrum with other head hunters who like me, left a more traditional environment in order to pursue an infrastructure that fosters a values driven approach.
In 2000 I was part of a team that established a second generation executive search firm called Augmentum Consulting. Over a 12 year period we built a brand that resonated with clients and candidates for its freshness of thinking, attention to detail, competitive pricing, and quality assurance.
A values driven approach
In 2012 we sold our business to a global player that wanted to embed our culture into its European operation. At the point of sale, Augmentum had acquired many accolades, not least of these being the fact that we were one of two key suppliers to IBM’s European Consulting and Outsourcing businesses. We launched other initiatives which are still considered as ground breaking today. Hard work and attention to detail won through, and we were proud to have built a successful challenger brand.
A values driven approach is key to creating a successful business and if you keep chipping away at the fabric of established behaviour success will follow. Never again will you meet a candidate who found themselves on a shortlist for a search having not met the lead partner on that assignment.
What is my point?
A word of advice, to all users of executive search; before embarking on a working relationship with a search firm, I encourage you to try to align your personal and corporate expectations. If you trust someone like me with your personal career dilemma, ask yourself what is holding you back from commissioning the same person to resolve your corporate need. Imagine how this will help the second generation executive search consultant do their bit to make our industry more bespoke. Don’t allow yourself to be held hostage by traditional usage of a larger firm because it has always been thus. Let your relationship with the individual help you take a leap of faith. There can be no doubt that this will result in a much more carefully tailored service, leading to a far better outcome.
New opportunities
In 2016 the focus of my working life shifted from Search to Executive Coaching. This gave me the opportunity to appraise my old profession a little bit more objectively. I still enjoyed access to the same network, and I continue to adopt a values-based approach. For me, people and their wellbeing have always been my priority, so coaching has thoroughly engaged me, but something is missing, so I have decided to have a crack at blending coaching and executive search. I am therefore re-entering the ring in collaboration with Minerva Search and look forward to doing great things with them that will continue to chip away at established thinking.
It’s not unfair to say that many of us habitually transact in the workplace without applying any form of thought to why we do what we do. Although I am not recommending an egalitarian state where everyone’s uppermost thought is about supporting the welfare of others, I am trying to encourage users of executive search to consider the qualities of an individual and the benefits you are likely to enjoy by retaining their services.