How a partnership model and a national “Exchange Program” lead to successful executive placements
By, Jeff Herzog, President, FPC National
Your company is about to initiate a search to fill a senior-level vacancy. You’ve assembled a search committee, defined the requirements of the role, and engaged the services of a professional recruiting firm. But how can you be sure that these steps will lead to a successful hire?
Ultimately, the effectiveness of your executive search will depend on the capabilities, experience, network, and reach of the recruiting firm you’ve enlisted to spearhead the project. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to increase your chances of finding the perfect candidate for your vacancy.
Partnership Model
Let’s face it: Building your executive team is one of the most important drivers of your company’s growth. The task of recruiting a senior leader or key player should not be left to a hands-off recruiting firm. To ensure a successful placement, it is important to work with a strategic recruiting partner who takes the time to understand your company’s mission, objectives, challenges, and culture.
Any recruiting firm can send candidates who fit a general job description. But critical roles in your company need to be filled with professionals who are more than merely “capable”; they must also be a strong cultural fit, and aligned with your company’s vision, mission, and business model.
Your relationship with your recruiting agency should not be transactional; rather, it should be a partnership where your recruiter is your trusted advisor and strategic staffing consultant. At FPC, genuine partnerships with our clients form the cornerstone of our relationships.
Collaboration and “Exchange Program”
“Exchanging candidates and jobs is an excellent way to create or strengthen relationships. Knowing what others are doing in the system increases the likelihood of a great candidate being found, whether it be for your client or your exchange partner’s. We are in the service business. FPC’s team and brand has been built over many years. We have learned a lot about ourselves and the industry during that time. One thing is for certain: the highest producers believe in exchange. It would be a shame to have access to some of the best talent in the recruiting industry at our fingertips and not tap into it.” – Steve Hicks, FPC of SW Indiana
When a company works with a single agency office, the talent pool is limited. The recruiter or office is only able to tap into a limited group of candidates. But when you work with a larger executive search firm with a national network of offices and recruiters, the professional network increases exponentially. This is especially true when it comes to diverse markets, industries, and specializations. The larger the network, the greater the pool of available candidates.
At FPC, we have developed a unique initiative called the “FPC Exchange Program,” which provides clients access to the full breadth of our nationwide network. With a significant footprint in key markets throughout the U.S., FPC is able to leverage the experience, network, contacts, and resources of 65+ offices and more than 150 recruiters, who have expertise in a vast number of specialties.
This broad coverage allows FPC recruiters to collaborate internally to expand the talent pool to ensure clients are matched with ideal candidates. This is a significant advantage over individual recruiters or single offices, which can only draw from a small pool of local talent.
“FPC’s Exchange Network greatly supports my business goals each year. I regularly use the network for three reasons – Respond faster to client needs, present the highest quality candidates, and improve FPC’s national brand recognition. I aim to generate 30% of my annual production through exchange partnerships. Work smarter, not harder.” – Shelly Blackman, FPC of Bellwood
Real Results
In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, FPC recruiters have relied on our network of partners more than ever to ensure their clients had timely access to the most talented professionals in their field. Exchange placements are up a staggering 62% year over year. A win-win for both our clients and our job seeking candidates.
With FPC, clients enjoy the benefits of working with a strategic partner, an expanded network from our unique Exchange Program, and a relationship-driven approach to recruiting. From the initial engagement onward, clients experience first-hand what it means to partner with an agency with the motto, “It’s all about the people.”
