The pillars of success – 5 tips for the direct search process

Is your company planning a direct search to find your next employee and wondering how to prepare for the upcoming recruitment process? In this article, we’ve put together five pillars for a successful recruitment process. We hope these tips will help your organisation get one step closer to successful recruitment.

1. Defining criteria

Successful direct recruitment is supported by planning, clarity of role objectives and real-time knowledge of the changing candidate market. It is important for both the client and the direct search project team to identify the starting points of the recruitment situation and the factors that influence the success of the role. For this reason, the setting of recruitment objectives and requirements, i.e. the definition of criteria, is done at an early stage of the process. In addition to a description of the role, the criteria definition also includes the current state of the organisation and any changes that may occur.

The criteria for the role are reviewed with the direct search project team and compared with our knowledge of the job and candidate market. At Avila, we want to map the market situation of the role to be applied for early in the process, so that the role description, its requirements and remuneration are as realistic as possible, including the expectations of potential candidates. In this way, we avoid situations where candidates do not activate a direct search because of unrealistic requirements.

During the initial interview, the objectives and requirements of the role are fully discussed, but we also focus on the background of the recruitment, the working environment and the client’s drivers. Our aim is to give candidates as clear a description of the job and the role as possible. When the expectations and requirements of both the candidate and the employer are clear from the start of the process, we are one step closer to a successful recruitment.

2. Commitment to the process

When the direct recruitment process starts, a project schedule is defined and the steps of the process are agreed. While the direct search process should be as stress-free as possible for the recruiting manager and other stakeholders, it is important to recognise that the presence of the client company throughout the project is one of the pillars of success. In practice, this means that during the process, the client company maintains open communication with both the direct search company and the candidate, and contributes to the process within the timeframe. Clarity and straightforwardness in the process and during interviews increases the sense of trust among the direct search candidates.

It is important to understand that candidates activated through a direct search do not necessarily have a compelling need to change jobs, so a reliable and transparent recruitment process is also a reference for the candidate. Some candidates may be involved in more than one interview process, so being prompt can also be an important factor in successful recruitment.

3. Designing communication

At the contact stage, recruitment consultants will ensure that the candidate is interested in the opportunities the company has to offer, and that they are adequately informed about the role and the working community. The consultant will also support the employer image of the client company and communicate in line with their values and policies. However, the client company should be aware that the communication and interview structure of the direct search process should be different from a normal advertisement recruitment process.

In the case of direct recruitment assignments, during the first interviews the communication should be mainly inviting and informative from the side of the recruiting company. In particular, passive jobseekers, who may not have been actively looking for new opportunities, may not be fully engaged in the process from the start of the recruitment process, as they review and compare the role and working environment with their existing job. In these situations, it is very important that the hiring company knows how to sell the role and the working environment to the candidate.

As the interviews begin, the employer should focus more on what the company and the role have to offer the candidate, not the other way around. This will also build a positive employer image, no matter what the outcome of the recruitment is. Direct search is a two-way selling and selection process for both the employer and the candidate.

4. Interviews

The interview process for candidates who have been activated through a direct search is designed to confirm the candidate’s interest in the role, and to explore in a conversational way the candidate’s substantive skills and how their experience fits in with the requirements for success in the role.

It is therefore important to maintain a conversational and open atmosphere during interviews, as candidates in direct search may not necessarily need to change jobs. It is a good idea to start the interview with a relaxed conversation, followed by an introduction to the company and a more detailed discussion of the role. Questions aimed at the candidate should start with the easier ones and move naturally towards the more challenging topics.

The framework and structure of the interview should be thought out in advance to ensure a positive interview experience. It is also easier to assess candidates against each other when the same structure is used for the interviews. It is advisable to leave plenty of time for questions to avoid situations where the candidate’s thoughts could not be discussed due to time constraints.

It is advisable to leave any tasks and aptitude assessments to the final stages of the interview process. By then, the candidate will already have gained sufficient knowledge of the role, the company culture and the working community.

5. Candidate experience and employer image

Candidate experience is one of the most important aspects of direct search. Bad experiences in interview processes spread quickly between candidates. Even an ideal candidate may, with a very low barrier, reject a job offer on the basis of poor candidate experience, even if the job itself meets all the requirements. However, the interview process is the candidate’s first introduction to the culture, working methods and communication style of the company in question.

It is therefore worth bearing in mind that each recruitment process can either help or complicate future recruitments. In the best case scenario, even those candidates who are not selected for roles will spread the word about the recruitment experience or recommend the company to colleagues and friends. This is a unique asset for the company.

Here at Avila, we are working towards higher quality recruitment and have completed over 300 successful direct hires in the last year. We would be happy to discuss with your company how reliable and efficient we can be as your recruitment partner and help you find new employees.