Reinventing Executive Search

What were the recruitment challenges you had for the EXEC SEARCH mission you asked PROFILE GROUP to assist with? As it was a high-level recruitment in Communication, we thought it would be best to get the assistance from an outside agency. The purpose of the recruitment was to replace a Communication person that had been in place for 17 years, but we felt that the level of communication in the organisation was very weak and not appropriate for an organisation our size. We therefore needed help to confront our expectations and receive practical support for this recruitment. We exchanged on the job description in great details, putting meaning behind each word. How has PROFILE GROUP answered these challenges? Emma has been our point of contact for many years. She knows us very well, she took the time several times to visit us in our offices, to take the pulse of the organisation, get a feeling of our corporate culture, understand what was important for us regarding the soft skills of the candidates. We were able to follow the different stages of the recruitment, from the launch of the ads to the reception of the candidates and the first screening. We know that when we receive the CV of a candidate, the person has been screened, interviewed in great details and that references have been taken. What appeals to you in PROFILE GROUP’s service?

Véronique succeeded in presenting us different personalities and news skills we haven’t been used to meeting with in the past. These new employees have truly proven being an added value for our organization. This implied a thorough understanding of our complex organization and a perfect match between people in a short period of time.’

Why do you like to work with us? I highly appreciate the personal commitment of the Profile Group (PG) expert, Hans, I worked with. He pro-actively contacted me regularly to ensure the efficient and successful recruitment procedure, he kept in contact with the long- and short-listed candidates and was helpful in discussing candidates’ suitability for the function in question. What were the recruitment challenges you, as head of the recruitment committee, had for the search for the new General Manager for EDFI? The job profile for the function was very specific, it was not like recruiting for a generalized function like teacher or bookkeeper, making it challenging to recruit and assess applicants. How has PROFILE GROUP answered these challenges? PG/Hans submitted a diverse initial long list to us. Because of our feedback PG/Hans gained better insight in the exact candidate profile we were looking for, which helped PG in its recruiting and initial assessment. What was it like to work with Hans in the search for the General Manager? Relaxed and informal in the best sense of these words. I could call him whenever I wanted, and he was almost always available. The informal character of the cooperation made it easy to quickly get to the point, talk frankly and progress well. What appeals to you in PROFILE GROUP’s service? It’s no-nonsense approach, efficiency, and quality. Why would you recommend Profile Group/Hans as Executive Search partner? Because such searches are always more complex in terms of profile sought and delicacy of process, and Hans is an excellent partner with the necessary capacity to listen to me as a client, patience, discretion, and tact.

It is essential that candidates are both interesting and interested, and this is exactly what Profile Group has achieved through its selection procedures and follow-up.

Véronique supported me while recruiting for some hard-to-fill roles, especially for our businesses related to life-science industry. She demonstrated a very detailed market knowledge and her candidates had the best suitability for our requirements. We could fill several positions due to her creative and pro-active sourcing. It was a pleasure to cooperate with her and I would be happy working with her again.’