Executive Search

Unlike many firms, professional fees for services are based on a flat fee relative to the complexity of the engagement; this guarantees objectivity and focusing interest solely on finding the best organizational fit versus advocating the highest paid candidate.

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GibsonFisher’s searches are extensive and efficient. Engagements are conducted in four phases:

Establishing Selection Criteria
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In Phase One we will establish the requirements for the position. Precise criteria will enable us to avoid wasted time and excessive costs while including a large number of potential candidates. We will assure that the search process is focused to easily and efficiently identify candidates who can attain the organization’s goals, meet its leadership needs and prove acceptable to management.

We will gather information to identify specific organizational needs and the type of executive leadership required to meet those needs. Building on our existing knowledge, we will develop clear guidelines for the search and selection process.

The tasks to be performed in Phase One include:

Determine the Current State of the Organization: We will determine the current state of your organization, your existing problems, critical issues, and identified leadership needs. We will gather this information through meetings with the search committee, individuals involved in the search process, and Human Resources.

Identify the Organization Goals: We will work with the appropriate individuals to identify and clarify your organization’s goals for the successful candidate selected.

Define Qualifications: We will assist Human Resources in determining qualifications, traits, skills, requirements, proposed duties, and criteria for selection of candidates for the position. These discussions will include the organization’s goals and our perceptions of the market and the organization’s needs.

Determine Salary Range: GibsonFisher will assist your organization if the compensation structure for the position has not been determined. We will work with the organization in determining the salary range for the position during the engagement by providing market-based information on current salaries for comparable positions in similar organizations. Through selected contacts, direct recruitment, and surveys, we will gather the required information.

Compilation of Information: Based on the information gathered during the site visit, we will write a Engagement Assessment containing the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, skill requirements, and issues concerning the search. We will also write specific criteria for the selection process. These documents will be submitted to your organization for approval before we begin the search.

Recruitment and Search
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Phase Two consists of recruitment of qualified applicants. GibsonFisher’s recruitment approach is designed to support an aggressive campaign to actively seek and find the right candidates for the organization. While we will conduct national advertising for the position, our major thrust will not be passive. We will aggressively recruit successful executives who meet the requirements whether or not they apply for the position. The search will be national in scope in order to obtain as many qualified candidates as possible. The recruitment will include the following tasks.

Advertising: We will advertise in the appropriate healthcare related email listserves, professional publications, and newsletters describing the position and requirements.

Mail Solicitation: Once we target and identify individuals in similar positions, we will use direct mail recruitment to solicit applications and serve as an “ice-breaker” for subsequent direct contact.

National Leaders: We will personally contact leaders in the health field and national associations, describe the type of candidates we are seeking, and ask for recommendations.

Recruitment: We will make direct contact with potential candidates at national professional meetings, others identified through recommendations, and a search of our database files.

Screening and Qualifying Applicants
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Phase Three consists of a system to screen-out all applicants who do not meet the established requirements prior to the interview process. This process allows us to identify and interview only the most qualified candidates and to keep travel costs to a minimum. Our screening process will include these tasks:

Screen Applications: We will screen each application and resume based on the criteria established by the organization and eliminate those candidates who do not meet the criteria.

Telephone Interviews: We will conduct telephone interviews with the remaining applicants to gather further information and to conduct a second level of screening. If we determine in the telephone interview that applicants do not meet criteria established by the organization, these candidates will be eliminated.

Reference Checks: We will check references supplied by remaining applicants as well as other sources who may be knowledgeable about applicants. We will eliminate applicants who do not meet established criteria based on reference checks.

Research Report: After completing our market research, GibsonFisher will prepare a written summary of our findings, including the scope of our research and profiles of prospective candidates. The profiles will detail the candidates employment history, educational background, accomplishments related to the position, current compensation, motivation regarding employment transition, and reasons behind their interest in the position.

Personal Interviews: After the organization’s review and discussion of the research report with the project manager, the remaining candidates selected will be interviewed in person and face-to-face by our staff. We will travel to the interview sites (if appropriate). To save travel costs, we will cluster the interviews in convenient geographic sites, allowing us to interview several candidates with one trip. The interviews will be extensive, thorough and based on objective criteria.

Written Presentation: The candidates found to be acceptable in the interview process will be given an assignment used to further assess their skills and appropriateness for the organization and the position. We will present remaining candidates with a written summary of current organizational issues, determined by your organization, and ask them to submit to us a written work plan describing how they would approach the issues confronting executive leadership of the organization during their first three years.

Final Screening: Our staff will conduct a final screening based on all of the information collected. The screening will be an objective method of scoring each candidate on the criterion established for selection. This process will narrow the search to three or four top candidates.

Presentation of Candidates
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When we have narrowed the search to the top three or four candidates, we will present the candidates to the organization for final interviews and selection. All of the final candidates that we present will be highly qualified to serve in the role as identified. If none of the candidates are acceptable to the organization, we will conduct a further search until acceptable candidates are found.

We will present a written report to the organization that describes the process and results of the search process and provides, in succinct content and form, details about the top candidates including written reference checks conducted by our firm. Final interviews will be conducted by the organization.

Our tasks in the final interviews will include:

Written Report: We will provide a comprehensive report to the organization that describes the details of the search process. We will report on the numbers and types of candidates, the screening process including candidate references and the reasons for the final selections. We will present to the organization a complete packet of information for each of the top three or four candidates.

Meet with Search Committee: We will meet with the Search Committee to discuss each candidate prior to final interviews.

Assist Search Committee: Although the final interviews will be conducted by the organization, we will be available to assist in the interview process. We will provide consultation and guidance to the organization during its final selection process.