Talent sourcing is critical in executive search. It is the head-hunter’s responsibility to find high-calibre senior executives for their client companies. And using executive recruitment software is going to get head-hunters more help than anything else.
Executive search is designed differently than other types of recruitment. For starters, the candidate base is senior and C-suite executives. Candidate sourcing is also dissimilar here.
Talent sourcing and executive search
Head-hunters invest time in researching and seeking out various executives. It is less the matter of reaching out to who they already know but trying to find the best-qualified individual in the market. This includes both active and passive executives.
So, head-hunters need an executive and passive candidate sourcing software.
Now, what exactly are active and passive candidates? Executives who are keen to find new job opportunities are deemed active candidates. They are enthusiastic about searching for new roles and are extremely likely to be responsive when approached by executive search firms.
On the other hand, passive candidates are content in their current roles and do not look for other opportunities. They are also likely to be unresponsive to head-hunters unless it is an exceptional offer. The challenge with finding passive executive candidates is knowing where to look and how to approach them.
Role of executive recruitment software in candidate sourcing
Executive search software is indispensable for head-hunters and executive search. It is especially critical for candidate sourcing because finding the right executive requires executive recruitment software.
Recruitment software for executive search will have powerful research functionality. It does not simply focus on going through executive CVs and profile data. Finding the highly skilled and the best candidates is more than just using a few keywords to find executives who meet the criteria set by the client.
Head-hunters need a software system that can do more. They need executive search CRM software that can search people on the internet and across various social media channels to hone in on those that are suitable for the position. In this way, both active and passive executives will be identified and brought to the head-hunter’s attention.
Executive search firms will find out that executive recruitment software plays an integral role in talent sourcing executives. It is especially important to note these two factors and how the recruiting software contributes to candidate sourcing.
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There’s more to research than just LinkedIn
When it comes to research and social media, LinkedIn is typically the first point of entry for research. With over 700 million users, it is to be expected that recruiters will turn to this platform to initiate their search for talented executives. However, there are limitations to relying only on LinkedIn. C-suite and senior executives are extremely busy. They do not use social media platforms as frequently as others do. Even if recruiters send messages, the likelihood of them responding immediately or even replying at all is very low.
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Regular and clear communication is vital
It is well-known that executive search takes up a considerable time from start to finish. It takes approximately 90 days to fill an executive position. And keeping the competitive disposition of executive search in mind, head-hunters must be at their A-game if they want to keep the best executives engaged for the entire recruiting process. Regular interaction is essential to build a relationship of trust. Clear and transparent communication is also needed. Using executive recruitment software helps head-hunters gain the confidence of their executive candidates. And even if the candidates are not selected at that particular time, they will be more open to talking with the head-hunter when the next opportunity comes around.
