About one year ago, I conducted an interview with Sharon to get a look behind the curtain of the internal recruitment process of a major organization. I received very positive feedback to the interview and decided to help shed light on another mysterious aspect of the hiring process: Executive Search Firms.
I have interviewed Willie Hochman, CEO of the Joel Paul Group . My relationship with Mr. Hochman and the JPG group allowed me to solicit and receive candid answers from Mr. Hochman to shed light on the world of executive search firms. As it is a long interview (and attention spans on the internet tend to be short, I've broken the interview into two parts. Here is part I:
What type of positions do you look to fill?
Our clients are in the non-profit sector. We assist our clients with Executive positions (see our website, www.joelpaul.com, for the extensive list of job titles we have filled), but from time-to-time, we assist them with any hiring needs, where they require our services.
People often confuse the term 'recruitment': what is the difference between an internal recruiter (one who works for the company) and what you do?
In most instances, an ‘internal recruiter’ is reactive to jobs they post. We “search for talent”. Our approach, for the past twenty-five years, has been to identify uniquely qualified and eligible candidates through a well devised national networking process. Of course, we also maintain a comprehensive database of thousands of qualified candidates. Where applicable, we also ‘partner’ with internal recruiters.
Does the employer create the job description/requirements on their own or do they work with JPG?
It is usually a collaborative effort; however there are organizations that require us to use the job description they provide.
What is the advantage for a candidate to apply for a position through JPG?
Confidentiality is of paramount importance – to both clients and candidates. In addition, job seekers benefit from JPG’s strategic counsel in the following areas: Resume preparation, consulting on “personal brand positioning”, coaching on presentation skills and interviewing techniques, understanding the nuances and success factors for working in the hiring company’s specific cultural climate.
Another process we pride ourselves on is providing status to the candidate. If the client is not interested in the candidate, we let them know. When a candidate applies directly to an organization posted job, many times they do not receive a “’status’ reply – that is unacceptable to us.
What is likely to make a candidate stand out?
The resume is only the initial point of entry after receiving it, we meet with every candidate before submitting them for a specific job. Their relevancy, including passion for the organization’s mission, appearance, presentation skills and their ability to “convince us” that they are the ideal candidate. For example, for a Director of Communications position, we received a relevant work experience resume, but the quality of the message of their cover letter made us question their ‘superior writing skills’ – a requirement of the job description.
If someone is out of work, are they less desirable as a candidate?
Yes and no. First, the “no”. In today’s job market some very good professionals were downsized for economic reasons.
Yes – for example, someone responsible for raising funds – if they were meeting or exceeding expectations, would not have been let go. That said, a fundraiser who does not meet expectations, may be the perfect candidate for another organization and ‘down the road’ may exceed expectations.
Stay tuned for part 2!