Running a senior recruitment campaign is challenging, particularly if you want ensure it is thorough and does not cost the earth. As a busy hiring manager struggling to find the time and budget to support headhunting for a key senior role, you may decide to reach out to a recruitment agency or search and selection firm to help you. But choosing the right one is no easy task.
Many agencies have a track record of delivering successful senior recruitment campaigns. However, their rates can be out of budget for many SMEs and third sector organisations. In a competitive candidate market attracting top-tier senior talent can be challenging both in terms of reach and cost.
However, a smaller recruitment budget does not mean you need to sacrifice quality. It often means your candidate shortlist needs to be even more ‘on par’ to optimise your hiring process.
Unfortunately, some bigger, less personal agencies, can lack the regional intel needed by an employer to find the talent required. As an organisation that needs a reliable and knowledgeable recruitment partner, specialist experienced agencies like Sitka will be your best bet for ensuring you receive quality senior candidates, because we take an agile, flexible and individual approach to every new role we take on.
So here is our best advice for an organisation of your size:
Avoid relying solely on search and selection or a database search for key strategic roles. In an incredibly tight labour market, combining headhunting and traditional recruitment methods is essential to secure the right talent, especially as the UK’s hiring boom is expected to continue into 2023.
For higher-level hires, taking your time to get to the heart of your needs will simplify your shortlisting and decision-making after interviewing. As the stakes are higher, senior recruitment is a lengthier process during which you should ask yourself:
Showing you know where you stand will significantly help improve the candidates’ experience, which according to the IBM Smarter Workforce Institute, could make them 38% more likely to accept a job offer.
Whether it’s finance, marketing, or HR, our experience in multiple business areas allows Sitka to understand the relationships between your different functions, which is the pillar of our consultative senior talent acquisition approach.
Understanding what drives your senior-level candidates to apply will help position your organisation as a first-choice employer. Don’t hesitate to add a more personal touch to your communications or to aim some questions at understanding their expectations.
For instance, senior candidates frequently look to connect with their next professional endeavour, especially as they will be an inherent part of reinforcing your company culture. So, make sure to showcase it and keep your message consistent at all stages: from the first engagement through to onboarding.
Through transparency, responsiveness, and communication, we provide our clients with an unrivalled service that leads the best talent in Wales into the heart of their organisation:
“The recruitment process was seamless. The candidates have already made such a difference to our business”
Kath Chadwick, Director, Frontdoor Communications
“As a stand-alone HR manager, my input was minimal, and I felt confident Ita understood the brief and our business. I felt I was in a really safe pair of hands and the communication was good – I was never left wondering. A lot of work goes into what Sitka do.”
Linda Brockway, HR Manager, Intelligent Ultrasound
“The process was thorough and very individual – time was spent finding out about our culture and style of the organisation. Sitka work well with candidates to find the best fit for both employer and candidate. There is a sense of strong relationship building”
Rhian Jones, CEO, Drive
Ready to talk to us about your senior recruitment needs? Contact us at info@sitka.wales or call us directly on 029 2048 4520.
Sitka was honest all the way through and went above and beyond to make me feel prepared and ready for the interview. Everything went really smoothly and I had regular communication from Ita who made sure I knew everything I needed to along the way. I felt equally as important to the agency as the client and knew I could trust Sitka to represent me as a candidate.
I just want to say a big thank you to Ita for believing in me and being so supportive from the first LinkedIn message until I started my first week!
We liked Karen’s personal approach to finding the best candidate. She spoke to them in depth, matching the person to the business and vice versa, rather than just advertising the role to an existing database of job seekers. The process was very efficient and well-communicated from start to finish.
The experience of working with Sitka has been fantastic. They provide an excellent service with a professional and friendly approach. Karen kept me informed every step of the way, even sending through interview technique tips.
Ita took the time to understand my objectives and needs as a candidate also – something unusual for a recruitment agency.
Information was provided quickly, in full and was very clear. Ita also took the time to follow-up post interviews to understand how things went and confirm next steps/timeframes. She has also gone the extra mile of checking in with me since starting in my new role.
Ita approached every stage of the recruitment process in a professional, honest and open manner. It was clear she was committed to finding the right candidate for her client
The recruitment process was thorough and straight forward, and the quality of candidate provided was very good to say the least. The best thing about the recruitment process was, apart from explaining the job role and what we were looking for, I had little to do but to interview!
The recruitment process was seamless. From our initial meeting, when we thought we wanted a certain person, Ita guided us through the type of person we needed initially, and who we would ideally like to recruit for the development of the business. She found us both in quick succession.
Ita’s communication skills are second to none. She kept us informed at every step. I would definitely recommend Sitka.