Before starting Shortlist 7 years ago, I had limited exposure to executive search — and to be honest, my impression of the industry wasn’t that great. As a client, it seemed you were paying headhunters to just give you some candidate profiles — and often a lot of money, at that. As a candidate, it sometimes felt like being processed in an assembly line rather than being understood and heard.
But when executive search is done well? Boy was I wrong!
Search sometimes gets a bad rap. And goodness knows not all headhunters are created equal. But now I have such a richer appreciation for the importance of a hands-on search process and the significant potential value of having a reliable executive search partner.
I was confused, in part, because I assumed search was mostly about getting a good candidate list. Why would I pay someone so much money for something I can find myself with a basic understanding of Boolean operators on LinkedIn, or an email blast to friends for referrals?
But a good search process gives you so much more: helping understand who you’re looking for and what talent is available in the market; running a responsible process to build a more comprehensive map and find hidden gems; figuring out how to access the candidates, vet them, collect lots of useful non-public insights and information; convincing your top candidate that this is an opportunity worth pursuing; and, of course helping getting the offer and acceptance over the line with credible market data and go-betweening. All while delivering a human and hospitable candidate experience that reflects well on your brand.
I’m now proud to be working with a brilliant team to build Shortlist into what we hope can emerge as Africa’s best executive search firm. We’re working with some of the most impactful and innovative organizations across Africa — hundreds of startups, investors, NGOs, foundations, and others. Thank you to so many on this list who have worked with us, trusted us, and given us tough feedback to make us better. We still have a lot to learn and many ways to get better, but we’re more committed than ever to being the best we can be.
Happy hiring,
Paul
Originally published at https://shortlist.net on July 11, 2023.
