A boutique can deliver more personalized service because of a lighter volume in assignments, some feel. Belchers says the search consultant he works with checks in with him regularly, even when there isn't a search going on. That gives the consultant an understanding of the company that helps him present the most appropriate candidates when the need arises.
Ultimately, though, users agree, the quality of the search doesn't hinge on the size or reputation of the search firm but on the efforts of the individual recruiter. While Doyle worked with Spencer Stuart, a major-league search firm, he advises: "Make sure the people you interview are the specific recruiters on the search." When they do such interviews, experts say, they should look for certain qualities in the recruiter:
Industry experience. You want a search partner who understands your company and your business and has a comprehensive pool of contacts.
Original thinking. Belchers notes that he doesn't want a recruiter who will bring him only the usual suspects from within his company's industry; he likes a recruiter with ideas for fresh prospects. Fresh ideas and an address book to match are, after all, largely what you're paying a headhunter for.
Good references. These should be checked out even if the prospective search firm is a big gun. "Don't just rely on reputation," warns Jonathan Schiff, who runs the Institute for Finance Training and Development. Have the recruiters really completed the searches they claim, or are they exaggerating their experience?
Top-quality service. Wasko say the three key measures of service quality are "timeliness, response, and organization of response." Musts to avoid, on the other hand, are recruiters who wait for clients to call for an update, are passive and not proactive, and are not fully engaged in the search. For example, says Belcher "I would not hire a recruiter who doesn't ask to meet the rest of the management team."
A firm grasp of the client's culture. "A good recruiter discerns what's not on paper in the job description; he's a good judge of fit in the intangibles of the search," says Wasko.
No conversation about finding the right headhunter is complete without mention of networking. "Ask around," says Belcher. "It's important to find someone who's a good fit for you." He should know about networking for a search partner. The recruiter he retains is the same one who placed him in a previous CFO position.
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