There's an ambiguity to the title of "executive recruiter," which sometimes makes it tricky to infer what an executive recruiter is. Is "executive" a level, like the "senior" in senior recruiter, or is it someone who recruits executives? The answer is the latter: an executive recruiter is someone who finds candidates to fill executive roles within a company.
Whether you've asked this question because you're looking to hire one or because you're thinking of becoming one, we've got answers to all the most frequently asked questions about executive recruiting.
An executive recruiter focuses on filling the highest positions in a company. These may include vice presidents, chief executive officers (CEOs), chief operating officers (COOs), managing directors—basically anyone with "chief," "president," "director," or even "executive" in their title will likely fall under an executive recruiter's purview.
Would a regular recruiter not find candidates for the top members of an organization? Not necessarily, but finding such individuals is likely not their specialty, either.
If you're looking for an executive recruiter, your approach depends on whether you're looking for someone in-house or out-of-house.
If you're looking for someone on the outside, there are multiple executive search firms out there. Take a close look at their testimonials and see if you can review case studies or contact previous companies they've worked with. It's always good to have solid proof that they really are good at filling executive positions before giving them your business.
If you want to hire an in-house executive recruiter, you'll want to do a similar review of their work. Reach out to their previous companies to see how well they filled the roles they were assigned. Finding qualified executive candidates isn't exactly like finding candidates for other roles, so you'll want to make sure that the executive recruiter truly is good at their specialization.
Giving a blanket estimate of a position's salary is always tricky because there are so many variables to account for. Where is the job located? Is the position in-house or at an agency?
However, we all know what the impetus of this question is: Does an executive recruiter make more than a regular recruiter? And the answer is yes.
Executives almost always make more money than the people they manage. Agency recruiters make their money based on the salary of the people they offer as recruits to different companies. So an executive search firm recruiter will most likely, by default, make more money off successful recruitment than regular recruiters.
If the executive recruiter is in-house, it's likely that they are in a more senior position than other recruiters. After all, you don't exactly want the newbies to recruit the heads of your company. So no matter what, an executive recruiter is almost certainly making more money than their non-executive counterparts.
Getting into executive recruiting largely involves proving that you have the knowledge necessary for such a role. First of all, while most recruiters really only need a bachelor's degree, it's recommended that an executive recruiter have an MBA. After all, if you're in charge of recruiting the highest members of an organization, it helps if you can understand the qualifications.
You'll also need industry experience. Get a job as a recruiter, either in-house or at an agency, and start working your way up. Even if you have your MBA before starting as a recruiter, you'll likely be starting at the bottom, but you'll have better prospects for advancement.
Finally, you'll want to constantly be working on your networking skills and building connections. Executive recruiting is a lot less about reviewing applications than it is about reaching out to contacts and finding out who's mentioned wanting a change. With business knowledge, recruiting experience, and a proven network of contacts, you'll have a better chance of getting an executive recruiting position.
Of course, an executive recruiter is only as good as their tools. If you're looking for the best recruiting software out there, look no further than hireEZ. We make it easy to review applications, source candidates, reach out to prospects, and access your recruiting metrics.
Book a demo today to learn more.
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