ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With the speed and complexity of today’s labor market, businesses are seeking new tools, technology and specialists – from vendor management system (VMS) providers to HR outsourcers and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) solutions – to improve how they attract and manage their workforce. As a result, expertise in contingent staffing has become a sought-after business asset that consulting firms want to incorporate into their organizations. As the staffing and consulting industries converge, companies are recognizing that they need a new kind of leadership. Gerard Stewart Founding Partner Lisa Maxwell offers tips for hiring the dynamic senior leaders needed to stay ahead of the competition.
“Staffing and consulting have increasingly become more blended for many reasons,” comments Maxwell. “The blended model increases resilience to economic shifts and meets the needs of both workers who prefer a flexible work environment and companies with shifting demand for specialized skills. Consulting firms have increasingly recognized that staffing is a smarter, stronger and more strategic way to approach workforce management. And, the growth of staffing firms and their ability to offer employers a means to cost-effectively manage labor have made staffing an ongoing part of many companies’ workforce strategy.”
This trend of convergence continues to evolve as even more complex models and government regulations emerge. For example, RPO was in its infancy 15 years ago, but now companies such as IBM, ADP and Korn Ferry have become major players in that field via acquisition and organic growth. And, a recent CareerBuilder/Harris study reported that “42 percent of employers plan to hire temporary or contract workers in 2014,” up from 40 percent in 2013. It requires a strategic executive to navigate this changing industry.
Maxwell, who has guided top consulting and staffing firms on C-level hires for two decades and was recently designated one of the top 100 most influential people in the world of staffing for the second year in a row by Staffing Industry Analysts, offers tips for companies that are looking to recruit strategic staffing and consulting leaders:
1. Go beyond surface level. Make it your mission to learn everything possible about CEO or other C-level candidates before making an appointment. Board Directors should engage in the referencing process, especially if they have a personal relationship with the reference. They can share unfiltered information on how the candidate really leads. Dig deep to gather the hard data from the market to ensure the candidate is right for the job.
2. Learn the candidate’s biggest accomplishment and most memorable mistake, from sources other than the candidates themselves. While respecting confidentiality limitations, it’s critical to gain perspective on a candidate’s reputation and achieve a real understanding of his or her work ethic and style to ensure they blend well with those of the company.
3. Reach out to peers to determine the candidate’s level of humility, an essential leadership quality in the staffing world. C-suite executives must combine a consultative prowess with the ability to connect with all levels of an organization, both internally and externally. Candidates who possess this business acumen are better positioned to succeed in these roles.
In sum, companies must quickly filter through the facts and go beyond industry experience to determine the best senior leadership fit. For more insights from Maxwell and Gerard Stewart, visit www.gerardstewart.com.
About Gerard Stewart
As an international leader in executive search, Gerard Steward focuses on recruitment for leading outsourcing and professional services firms and senior level positions within the human capital industry.
The team at Gerard Stewart advises client companies on recruiting and retaining outstanding leaders and helps mitigate the risks involved with senior level appointments. The firm has completed engagements across the broad human capital landscape. Its prestigious client list includes firms in staffing, workforce management, human capital consulting, information technology services, vendor management software and human resources outsourcing. Gerard Stewart leverages deep industry expertise and an extensive network of human capital executives to ensure access to leading candidates in chosen markets.
