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Why Social Networking Won’t Replace Good Search Consultants
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Charley Polachi is founder of Polachi & Co., an executive search firm. I met a prospective client last week to discuss a search they need to fill for an important position. In the course of discussing the job and what they had done to fill it, the CEO told me that he had posted the listing on a social networking site and received over 800 responses!
He went on to tell me that he had to hire two contract recruiters to go through the responses and they still weren’t sure if they had any candidates, which is why he called me. On the ride home I got to thinking about what has happened in the last 20 years… 1989 Then they waited for a postcard, a letter or phone call to let them know about the status of their application. Sometimes they heard back, more often than not they did not receive any acknowledgement of their interest. And so they waited for the following week’s issue to come out and started the process over again and often got the same result. This happened whether they responded to a CEO ad or something else. I was busy in 1989 as an executive search consultant helping to fill CEO and C-level jobs for clients ranging from startups to large public companies who were experiencing dramatic growth during the Reagan economic boom. Clients appreciated my Rolodex, the search process and the value adds of in-person interviews, written evaluations, reference audits and compensation negotiations. 1999 I was very busy in 1999 as an executive search consultant helping to fill CEO and C- level jobs for clients ranging from dot com startups to large public companies trying to become “e” savvy. Clients appreciated my “proprietary database,” the search process and the value adds of interviews via video, the evaluations delivered by email an hour after the interview took place to anywhere in the world, and the web searches conducted for background information/due diligence. Drafts of offer letters and compensation term sheets now flew around the globe at the click of a mouse. 2009 I am extremely busy in 2009 as an executive search consultant helping to fill CEO and C-level jobs for clients ranging from startups to large public companies trying to reposition, regain momentum or survive these difficult times. I use the internet, search engines, and social networking sites as part of my daily work. I also draw on over 30,000 interviews and experience gained from working with hundreds of clients. I try to apply that knowledge to provide objective counsel and advice as I help clients to focus on selecting someone based on “good fit,” not just because he’s a “good person” or has a “great resume.” I also work hard at identifying new people for every project and then I actually call them, meet them, assess them and recruit them for my clients. Clients like that! It occurred to me that no matter how the media for job listings and tools for recruiting have evolved, the value adds of an experienced search consultant have remained consistent – to provide objectivity, expertise, guidance and counsel. Last time I looked no computer, job board, website or social network made phone calls. I don’t think they do interviews either, yet. Charley Polachi is founder of Polachi & Co., a provider of executive search services to high-tech companies and their investors. He previously was managing partner for the Rt. 128 office of Heidrick & Struggles, which had acquired a search firm that Charley had co-founded called Fenwick Partners.
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July 29th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Come on, could you be more obvious that you’re trying to hawk business without paying for an ad! This kind of bald faced self promotion is what gives recruiters a bad name.
July 29th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Charley, I’m sure that I’m biased since I share your profession, but this article truly inspires me. It reminds me that all the tools out there will never replace the actual service that a competent search consultant provides. I think the key is in the word “consultant” and this is inherent in the “value adds” you listed. The “finding” part of the search process is only one aspect — there is so much more to a successful search than identifying a candidate. I wish more people understood this — whether using a search consultant or hiring on their own. I also wish more recruiters understood this. It saddens me to see so much poor hiring happening out there because of a truncated or myopic view of the process. But, a truly elegant search process resulting in a successful hire AND transition, now that is something beautiful to behold!
July 30th, 2009 at 11:01 am
“Last time I looked no computer, job board, website or social network made phone calls.”
But Google’s working on it…
July 30th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I call it the LinkedIn effect. I know a VC that thinks LinkedIn has replaced recruiters. He has his portfolio companies post the job listing, say for a VP of Sales and has the CEO send the replies to him. He picks out 10 or so and has the CEO interview them. Generally the CEO is a finance person or technologist. Great use of resource eh?
The point that is hard to get through to many potential clients is that to do this correctly, it takes a focused effort and much work. To get through the candidates, it takes more than looking at a resume.
Thanks for the article. I tweeted and facebooked it!
Jim
July 31st, 2009 at 9:48 am
This article is interesting but it makes me wonder about how selective people are being when choosing a social network. I personally use Zovue.com to connect with my friends. The reason I like this site is that I can actually use Zovue’s remote webpage sharing feature to show clients a presentation. We can actually shop online together without being in the same room. This is quite a time-saver. The site is new and is expected to continue to add features.
Zovue says that it is a family-friendly website for professionals. The security features are customizable and I can make it that no one sees my information. I like that because I can use it with my clients by setting them up an account and adding them as a friend. I use Facebook for my personal network but it has become so overrun with friend requests and game applications I seldom go on now.
My point is this: with careful adding and editing of your professional network, a social network can provide services you can use in your consulting business. I can advertise on Facebook, but I use the features of Zovue to interact securely with my clients. People should “shop around” social networks for the features that they require. As I said, I like Zovue but other people may find a feature they can use on another social network and incorporate that into their marketing.
August 3rd, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Hi Charley,
I noticed that you snuck “meet them” into the 2009 section. That seems to be a paradigm shift from the traditional value proposition that you offered before.
So if social networks woln’t replace good search consultants, do search consultants need to meet candidates to stay competitive? With so many candidates, how do you pick the ones you meet?
September 10th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Hi Scott,
I think you bring up a good point. Direct contact and interaction is certainly a asset to consultants over online social networking. That’s why I brought up Zovue.com because on it you can interact directly with clients using that remote webpage sharing feature. This goes beyond chat and is no more complicated than using just a social networking website. I can control the session of let the client control it.
February 26th, 2010 at 10:44 am
OMG, I have been searching for this information. Technology always gets the best of me when I need it most.