Needs Assessment is one of the basic starting points in the executive
search process. The process of Needs Assessment not only confirms that the hire
for a particular executive job is needed but it also determines how this hire
would be beneficial for the organization in the long run. Needs Assessment is very
important as it prevents unnecessary hiring. Once your hiring is justified, it
also helps in defining the type of candidate that is needed.
Being the Top Executive Search Agency in
Germany, or at least one of them, the one thing we always stress before
carrying out an executive search for any company is their Needs Assessment for
the particular search. It not only helps us in understanding their requirement
but it also helps in laying out a better recruitment plan before the executive
search.
Basic Parts of a Needs
Assessment for Executive Search
In order to lay down a needs assessment plan for your executive
search, the first thing you need to do is list down the current skills of your
organization and try to look for the performance gaps that might require an
executive position. Doing this would help you determine whether you need an
executive or not. This can be done for any position be it a brand new one or
the existing one. You can also use this analysis to identify new opportunities
and the same can be addressed as well during the ongoing hiring process.
Once you have sufficient reason for the job, lay out a job description
based on the needs you listed down. At this stage, you may be tempted to copy
from the past executive job description but as we discussed earlier, with time,
the requirements from even an existing post may change and hence writing down a
fresh job description might be a good idea. As all the top headhunting
companies in Germany make use of this job description in their executive
search, making sure that it lays down your requirements clearly can ensure an
effective and speedy recruitment process.
Executive hiring is very important so spend some time determining
exactly what experience and skills you are looking for. Also rewriting the job
description gives leaders an opportunity to run a SWOT analysis on their
previous job descriptions as well as the candidates that were hired on the
basis of that description.
Once you have the job description, it is imperative to determine the
urgency of filling the position as it will have an impact on the manner in
which the hiring process would be carried out. Here, the recruitment agency
comes into play and is especially helpful when it is a high-urgency hiring
situation.
Benefits of a Needs
Assessment
Working on Needs Assessment might take a little bit of time, but in
the long run, it will result in a more focused, less time consuming executive
search. It could save you thousands as the more time it takes to find the
perfect match, the more expensive your executive search will be. Also hiring
the right person in less time would mean more productivity as well as more
achievements in terms of organization’s goals.
Needs Assessment leads to a faster hiring process, as finding the
right person takes less time when the needs are properly identified. Also, once
the needs are clear in advance, the screening of candidates becomes faster and
the shortlisting of candidates happens faster.
