CS. Exec
What is CS. Exec?
CS. Exec is an executive search function which we have developed over the last 12 months and is solely focussed on senior management roles in the construction market. Given our position as a leading recruitment agency in construction, we felt the time is right to expand our offering as a business.
We have an extensive network of senior professionals which we have grown over the past 8 years, many of whom we placed before, and they have climbed the ladder and now become our client contact, so it made sense for us to utilise these relationships and offer a new approach to senior talent acquisition.
As CS. Exec, we have a comprehensive understanding of our market, and combined with a strategic approach and proven senior talent acquisition skillset, our goal is to become the partner of choice in construction executive search.
As opposed to the standard contingent recruitment process, CS. Exec operates on a retained basis only and covers the following positions currently:
positions
General Managers
State Managers
Construction Managers / Directors
Commercial Managers / Directors
Pre-construction Managers / Directors
Operations Managers / Directors
Regional Managers / Directors
Project Directors
Estimating/Cost Planning Managers
Senior Project Managers
Senior Estimators / Cost Planners
Contracts Managers
Senior Design Managers
How will this benefit you?
We have found that executive search is sporadically used in the construction sector, and only really for C-Suite roles. Our goal is to demonstrate the benefits of a retained executive search process to our clients, and how we can stand apart from other recruitment agencies in acquiring the best talent in the market for their business.
The very nature of an exclusive role drives interest and desire among candidates, as opposed to multiple recruiters all touting the same role on a contingent basis – this can be perceived that the client is desperate & is a red flag to any potential applicants.
By engaging us to work on a senior role in your business, you are making a commitment to a quality process which is beneficial for all parties, and ultimately stress free and enjoyable! You won’t have random recruiters hounding you each day with unsolicited CV’s, having to filter through irrelevant applications and waste valuable time. Our process is outlined below:
Stage 1
Once we have been engaged on a retained basis, we will conduct a comprehensive search of the market for the specific role, and compile a long-list of detailed candidate profiles that we deem to be suitable for the position. At this preliminary stage, we won’t engage with anyone; this is to demonstrate the calibre of candidates that we intend to approach for the role and why. The long-list will be presented in a table format highlighting the candidate’s current role, company, tenure & sector experience.
Stage 2
We will then sit down with the hiring manager(s) and present the long-list, working together to categorise each candidate. We like to implement a traffic light system; Green being the most preferred candidates, amber being backup options and reds being removed from the list.
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It’s important to remember that the initial categorisation is based on a high-level analysis and is likely to change once first round interviews have been conducted.
Stage 3
This is the first time we will contact the specific candidates; the headhunting process is highly confidential, especially with senior positions, so we want to ensure that the candidates are aware that they have been specifically targeted for the role by the client. At this stage we will be able to discuss availability, salary expectations & their interest in the role, which will help us define the shortlist further.
Stage 4
We will present the interested candidate profiles along with their availability to interview over the coming weeks & get those locked in. After the first-round interviews have been conducted, we should be down to our final 2 or 3 candidates, and will make arrangements for their 2nd round interviews. To ensure a smooth process, we will take x2 reference checks for each candidate and make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to salary, notice periods, upcoming holidays etc. prior to the 2nd interviews taking place. It’s important to remain agile and responsive throughout this process - momentum is crucial at this stage and demonstrates to prospective candidates that you’re interested in progressing. Time kills deals!
Seeing as these roles are senior management positions, we often encourage a meeting with the prospective team members or direct reports, which can also be beneficial if the client is splitting hairs between 2 candidates, as the team can make an informed opinion on who would be the better fit.
Stage 5
Selection of the candidate – we will be the conduit between client & candidate when negotiating the final salary and once this has been verbally agreed, we will coach the candidate through handing in their notice & what to expect, to ensure there are no last-minute surprises with counter offers.
Stage 6
Placement of candidate – Everything should now be in place for a successful transition into their new role. We will do our utmost to ensure things go smoothly and all parties are happy throughout their probation period, which is covered by our free replacement clause should things not work out for any reason. We conduct regular check-ins to make sure your new hire is settling in as planned, and address any concerns that may arise early on.