Partnering with an Executive Search Firm to Recruit Higher Education Leaders
November 11, 2024 – Executive search consultants continue to tell Hunt Scanlon Media that the competition for superior, senior leadership talent is fierce. With the general shortage of executive talent, exacerbated by the pandemic, higher education institutions appear highly motivated to retain effective current leaders making counteroffers more prevalent than ever, and in some instances, extreme in their composition and amount, according to a recent report from Buffkin / Baker’s Ken Carrick. “As with students, it is likely less expensive to retain the talented leaders currently on board as opposed to recruiting new leaders,” he says.
With this competition for talent, professional, relationship, and advisory-oriented search firms that represent the institution can be valuable partners to boards and search committees, the Buffkin / Baker report explains. “An executive search firm brings an experienced team of professionals to deliver the talent an institution needs,” it said. “Search professionals are experts in their field and can apply years of experience and knowledge to identify and recruit the best candidates.”
Reasons to Partner with an Executive Search Firm
Targeted Sourcing. The Buffkin / Baker report notes that organizations and institutions who choose not to engage a professional search firm for senior leadership searches will most often conduct passive searches. Generally, there is an exclusive reliance on job postings to generate the candidate pool, meaning the pool will be limited to individuals who read the posting and respond.
“An executive search firm has a broad network of contacts, meaning unparalleled access to the best talent,” the Buffkin / Baker report said. “Targeted sourcing provides proactive outreach to expand the candidate pool, increasing the opportunity for more diverse talent. Search consultants are always mindful of diversity when compiling a pool of candidates, knowing the breadth of talent, opinion, background, judgment, and experience benefits organizations and delivers a competitive advantage.”
Cultivation. Professional search consultants have a solid grasp of what is needed to fill senior leadership roles, the Buffkin / Baker report says. The firm notes that working on behalf of the client, the search consultant cultivates passive candidates through proactive sourcing, much like enrollment management cultivates prospective students. This cultivation, through good communication regarding the attractiveness of the opportunity, expands the candidate pool and increases the odds of attracting the best candidates.
Vetting. The Buffkin / Baker report also says that executive search consultants use a vetting methodology to expedite the recruiting process. “Starting with prequalification, professional search consultants have initial meaningful discussions to learn more about a candidate’s background, their consideration of the opportunity, relocation ability, and compensation expectations,” the firm said. “Prequalification conversations not only save time, but also allow the search consultant to move forward with the most qualified leaders.”
Discretion. Most searches require a level of candidate confidentiality and discretion. The Buffkin / Baker report says that effective search consultants help passive candidates and search committees understand when candidacies may become public, and help candidates feel comfortable that confidentiality is respected.
Related: Buffkin / Baker Recruits Director of Athletics for Middle Georgia State University
Experience. “Many committee members often have little or no experience in evaluating or hiring senior administrators, and it is a tall order to ask them to do so,” the Buffkin / Baker report said. “A good executive search firm has a proven evaluation process in place to help expedite the search. Professional search consultants use a vetting process, including a personal interview with all candidates presented to a client, that delivers valuable insights beyond the resume. As a trusted advisor, the search consultant also guides the client through the interview process as the search committee begins their evaluation of candidates.”
The High Demand for Higher Education Leaders Continues
With a new school year approaching, a number of top colleges and universities have announced they are seeking new, high profile leaders to take them into new eras of fundraising, digitalization, sports and, in some cases, globalization. Several universities haven’t changed leaders in years or even decades, and their boards of trustees and search committees are finding an entirely new and highly competitive landscape as they set out. It is another reason why they’re calling in executive recruiters to assist.
Engagement. Executive search firms maintain proper, ongoing engagement with multiple candidates during the process, the Buffkin / Baker report explains. As a representative of the institution, the search consultant continues to obtain insight for the client, as well as make sure that every candidate feels that they are valued and treated professionally.
Negotiations. “Effective search consultants, working on behalf of the institution, are skilled at assisting clients in negotiating compensation and presenting and accepting final offers,” the report said. “Not only can the consultant help manage candidate compensation expectations, but they can also inform the client of the candidate’s thoughts concerning compensation so that the client does not make an offer in a vacuum.”
Buffkin / Baker is a specialty boutique search firm composed of industry leaders in their respective fields and each has over a decade of retained search experience. Their focus as search professionals is to recruit leaders in digital marketing/advertising, technology, healthcare, media/entertainment, finance, higher education, and non-profit. The firm serves public, private, venture, and private equity-backed companies. Its office locations include Nashville, TN; New York; Washington, D.C.; and Winston Salem, NC, with affiliate offices in London.
Buffkin / Baker is a member of Panorama Search, an international federation of retained firms with 18 firms and over 30 offices globally. Buffkin / Baker formed in 2017 with the merger of the Buffkin Group and Baker and Associates LLC.
Related: Buffkin / Baker Assists Augusta University with President Search
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
