We find that the Executive Search Process is vitally important in achieving the desired outcomes and exceeding our clients’ expectations. At The Carter Group we utilize our Proprietary Process, called Dimensional Search®, which was developed soon after the inception of Sanford Rose Associates International® in 1959 and it has been continuously optimized and refined since then. As depicted in the diagram below (Dimensional Search® Methodology), ours is a multi-dimensional process that looks for a match by aligning the Client Company’s needs and requirements with the experience, attributes, and skill-sets of the candidate:
We find that process is vitally important in achieving the desired outcomes and exceeding our clients’ expectations. With Dimensional Search®, The Carter Group assesses the following criteria from the first time we talk with the candidate and throughout the continuum:
Expectations: The Client’s position and expectations with those of the candidate, such as title, compensation, relocation and amount of travel…we have found candidates who appear to be a “perfect” match (with respect to the other criteria), but there can be a major “disconnect” with respect to an “expectations gap” – with respect to title, travel or some other item that must be identified and resolved as early in the process as possible.
Technical Fit: “Technical” requirements, such as education, relevant industry experience and managerial experience with the candidate’s relevant background and experience…we clearly want to understand the “must have” requirements versus those that are “important” or would be “nice to have”.
Culture: Cultural fit of the company with the candidate’s experience and success in similar cultures and/or his likely adaptability to the company’s culture…we have found that some firms interchangeably mix “Culture” with “Chemistry”. We believe that Culture relates more to environments and organizations, while Chemistry relates more to the fit between hiring executive and candidate.
Chemistry: The chemistry between the candidate and hiring manager as well as the candidate’s attributes to the subjective traits required in the Position Profile…this is why we feel it essential to meet with the hiring executive, if possible, prior to initiating the search.
Experiential Translation: How “translatable” the candidate’s experiences and capabilities are to the company’s expectations with respect to responsibilities and major projects….this attribute largely relates to the ability of the candidate to translate and scale from the past to the future.
Leadership: For most of the executive search assignments, we find that this is the most important of all the search elements, as well as the most difficult one to assess. Therefore, in The Carter Group the Principals do not delegate any of the steps during the entire process, so that we are constantly evaluating the top candidates for Leadership qualities during each and every phase of the search.