More than Executive Search
Executive search is at the heart of what we do. But finding and appointing an executive is often only one part of a much wider conversation about leadership, talent and the needs of a business.
Often that conversation starts before a role has been defined. A client might be considering a new appointment, questioning the structure of an existing team or trying to understand what capabilities it will need in the future.
In other cases, the challenge is more immediate: finding out who is available in the market, testing the realism of a brief or identifying the right people to support a particular project or period of change.
All these steps are vital before committing to a hire, let alone to engaging a search firm – but that doesn’t mean there is no benefit to opening a dialogue with a firm like Hunter-Miller, or its competitors.
Understanding the market
Before an engagement we help clients develop a clearer picture of the executive talent market: where relevant experience sits, which organisations are developing the strongest people, what capabilities are becoming harder to find and how realistic particular hiring ambitions might be.
Getting the brief right
The job description isn't always the best starting point. We help clients challenge their assumptions, define the capabilities they really need and consider how a new appointment will complement the existing leadership team.
Working alongside internal teams
We regularly work alongside internal HR and Talent Acquisition functions, bringing specialist market knowledge, external perspective and access to senior talent. That might mean supporting a particular appointment, providing an independent view of the market or helping an internal team reach candidates beyond its usual networks.
Considering different ways to access talent
A permanent executive appointment isn't always the right answer. The cost of getting a senior hire wrong – even if an individual candidate is excellent – is usually too much for an organisation to bear, particularly in today’s competitive landscape.
Depending on the circumstances, an interim executive, a fixed-term appointment or specialist leadership support may be more appropriate. Due to our network we can help clients consider the options and, where relevant, identify the best people - especially those who have typically built their careers in permanent positions but are now open to more. These candidates may not be obvious to a firm or practice specialising in interim appointments.
Assessing leadership capability
Identifying potential candidates is the easy part: any hirer will know that an AI-powered search today throws up an astonishing number of seemingly perfect applicants.
Clearly, this is not enough.
Understanding what people have actually achieved, how they lead and whether they really have the experience and judgement to succeed in a particular environment requires its own kind of judgement and experience – and time. A firm like Hunter-Miller, through its years of face-to-face interviewing experience, its vast network and its commitment, can provide assurance that other solutions cannot.
This is what we do. We meet people, we reference people, and we tell you whether investing in someone is a decision you risk more by ignoring than by taking.
And this applies to existing teams, whom we can independently assess and support, as well as external and incoming talent.
It starts with a conversation
Not every conversation needs to lead to a search assignment. Sometimes it's useful simply to compare notes, discuss a business challenge or get a better understanding of what's happening in the market.
We're always happy to have an informal conversation about the leadership questions facing your organisation, whether you have a specific appointment in mind or are still working out what you need.
If there's something you're thinking through, we'd be pleased to talk.