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Home » HR Processes » Recruitment and Selection » External Recruitment » Direct Search: The premiere external recruitment service

Direct Search: The premiere external recruitment service

The direct search (sometimes called headhunting or executive search) is a premiere and expensive way of the external recruitment. The direct search companies usually use the expensive and luxury office spaces to show their difference from the database driven recruitment agencies.

The direct search companies do not use a database of the potential new hires on a daily basis and they look always for the right job candidate directly on the job market. At least, they say they look for the every potential job candidate directly. In reality, they use a complete mix of methods to search for the best job candidate on the job market.

How the direct search works?

The direct search company does not accept every single position. They usually declare to search for the middle and top management position and positions with a high specialty. The main reason is the aim and cost of their service. The direct search for a Team Assistant position can be very costly for the organization and the number of the candidates to be processed with a very unsure result.

The direct search company usually uses the following approach with the client to get the best potential new hire:

1. The direct search company never accept the job position just by the email. They require a meeting to ask a lot of questions about the position and the environment around the position and goals and KPIs of the position.
2. The direct search company makes a summary and a proposal for the approach in the search of the best candidate. This summary of the meeting is very important as the direct search company will follow it. The invoice for the 30% of expected fee is usually issued at this stage.
3. The direct search company starts to target potential targets at the companies and makes the research. The excellent researcher is key to the success of the direct search organization.
4. The direct search company prepares a long list of potential candidates and the client has to approve the final list.
5. The direct search company then continues with interviewing and motivating the candidates to go for the job interview to the organization. The candidates have to be motivated as they do not feel the need to change the current employer.
6. The direct search company prepares a short list with few selected candidates, who can fit the organization, meet the requests and there is a full corporate culture fit. When the short list is accepted by the organization, the next installment of the payment is issued.
7. The organization makes the job interviews with selected candidates and selects the best candidate for the job position and issues the job offer.
8. The direct search company issues the last invoice.

How to contract a good direct search company?

The good direct search company does not offer just a placement of the best candidate, but it makes a follow up of the placed candidates to make them motivated to stay with the organization. The direct search company does not target its clients for several years and it is very important for the organization to make sure, the direct search company does not have a lot of clients in the competing market sector.

The good direct search company does not make promises, it delivers real results and provides the organization with the correct and honest feedback.