Since I work hard to attract top performers to a position, I like to have a clear idea of why my client company is an appealing place to work. Knowing what differentiates an organisation from its competitors is important for promoting it to prospective employees.

As a consultant I want to find out what the points of difference are for my client company. Do they do fantastic science that saves lives? Are they leaders in their field or a rising star? Are they technology innovators? How loyal are their customers? Why do people love working there?

When I visit a client’s location I get a sense for the buzz and feel of the place. I am always interested to see how the hiring manager is selling me on the particular company and role. In her article on recruiting talent in a competitive environment Kimberley Bishop recommends every hiring manager have an “elevator pitch” at the ready, search consultants also need a pitch.

This early investigation is in the first stage of the search process. To find out more about the full process and discover how search consultants find top talent, read my newly released book: “The Executive Search Process: A Step by Step Guide to Finding the Right Candidate”, sample pages can be found at http://www.shireendupreez.com/books/executive-search-process.html

Article for reference: http://kimberlybishop.net/pdf/recruiting-talent.pdf