The Art of the Intake Call
Mastering In-house Executive Search
Key Principles for Success
As we start our series on mastering executive search techniques, let us summarize some crucial principles to remember during your intake calls. At Morgan Taylor Executive Search, we have identified these key points to help you conduct professional, productive, and insightful conversations with hiring leaders.
Punctuality and Professionalism: Be on time for your intake calls. If an emergency arises, promptly reschedule. Present yourself as a “recruiting expert” by asking thoughtful questions and listening attentively.
Strategic Mindset: Approach intake calls as brainstorming sessions, not order-taking. Provide feedback and guidance if requirements or expectations seem misaligned with the role or market realities.
Time Management: Respect the hiring leader's time. Aim to keep the meeting within the requested 30 minutes, ensuring they feel their time was well invested.
Comprehensive Understanding: Never end the meeting without a clear grasp of:
Detailed day-to-day job responsibilities
Real challenges of the role
What makes it an opportunity, not just a job
The ideal candidate profile
True requirements and potential trade-offs
Differentiators between great and qualified candidates
Focused Attention: Avoid multitasking during the call. Dedicate your full attention to understanding the position, its challenges, and opportunities. This focus helps identify potential red flags early.
Prompt Follow-Up: Within 24 hours, email the hiring leader to thank them and share draft behavioral-based questions for candidate screening.
Relationship Building: Beyond understanding the role, focus on:
Building rapport with the hiring leader
Establishing your credibility
Setting clear expectations for the search process
By adhering to these principles, you will conduct more effective intake calls, laying a solid foundation for successful executive searches. Remember, a thorough intake call is your first step towards becoming a trusted strategic partner in the recruitment process. Our next few posts will dig deeper into how to ensure a successful and productive Intake Call.
Preparation is Key
The intake call is a pivotal moment in the executive search process. It is important to understand that thorough preparation sets the tone for a successful search. Here’s how to ensure you’re ready for this critical conversation.
Key Pre-Call Preparation Steps:
Review Job Descriptions: Familiarize yourself with any available job descriptions to understand the basic requirements and expectations.
Analyze Organizational Structure: Request, or look up, a copy of the hiring leader's organization chart to understand reporting lines and team dynamics.
Research the Hiring Leader: Use LinkedIn to review the hiring leader’s background, including their work history and education. This will help you build rapport during the call.
Examine Similar Roles: Look at profiles of individuals in similar roles within the organization and at key competitors to gauge market standards.
Conduct Initial Database Mining: Utilize platforms like LinkedIn to gather market intelligence, potential candidates, and target salary expectations.
Review Past Requisitions: Analyze similar requisitions previously undertaken to assess candidate flow and experience.
Prepare Expert Questions: Craft questions that demonstrate your industry knowledge, such as inquiries about competitors, industry trends, and relevant associations.
Clarification and Rapport-Building Questions: Always have follow-up questions ready to ensure you leave no stone unturned.
By investing time in preparation, you set the stage for a productive intake call that will guide your entire search process. Remember, this is your chance to showcase your expertise and establish a strong partnership with the hiring leader.
Beyond the Job Description
The intake call is not just about understanding job requirements; it’s an opportunity to uncover the true essence of the role you're recruiting for. We wish to emphasize the importance of a strategic approach to ensure all necessary information is gathered during this crucial conversation.
Key Components of an Effective Intake Call:
In-Depth Role Review: Go beyond the job description to identify true selling points of the position. Understand how it fits within the organization’s broader goals.
Logistical Information Gathering: Confirm salary range, location, relocation options, and interview processes. Discuss any previous recruitment efforts or interviews conducted so far.
Understanding Organizational Fit: Clarify where this position fits within the organizational structure and explore department dynamics.
Marketing Perspective: Use insights gathered to create compelling job marketing materials that highlight what makes this role unique.
Expectation Setting: Walk the hiring leader through the recruitment process, establishing a communication cadence (weekly updates) and setting expectations for timely feedback.
Addressing Potential Challenges: Discuss any disconnects between requirements and market realities, exploring flexibility on salary or job title if necessary.
Remember, your goal is to leave the call with a comprehensive understanding of both the role and the hiring manager's expectations. This information will be crucial for developing an effective search strategy and attracting suitable candidates.
Strategic Questions are Key
Asking strategic questions during an intake call can significantly enhance your understanding of the role and build rapport with hiring managers. We have developed a set of essential questions designed to elicit valuable insights during these conversations.
Key Question Categories and Examples:
Company Context:
“What are the most attractive aspects of your company?”
“How does this role contribute to overall business objectives?”
Role Overview:
“In a sentence or two, what is this person's mission?”
“What unique challenges or opportunities does this position offer?”
Day-to-Day Responsibilities:
“Can you walk me through a typical day or week in this role?”
“Is this more of a routine job or one where each day brings new challenges?”
Growth Opportunities:
“What kind of learning curve will this person face?”
“How much formal vs. on-the-job training is available?”
Success Metrics:
“Beyond duties & responsibilities, what would you like this person to contribute or accomplish?”
“How will you measure success in this role after six months?”
Ideal Candidate Profile:
“If not necessarily obvious, what kind of job might the ideal candidate be doing now?”
“How might this position differ from similar roles in other companies?”
By asking these questions, you not only gather critical information but also demonstrate your expertise and commitment to finding the right candidate for their needs.
Solutions-Oriented Approach
Even with thorough preparation, challenges can arise during an intake call that may affect your executive search strategy. It is important to view these challenges as opportunities to strengthen your partnerships with hiring managers by providing solutions-oriented guidance.
Common Challenges and Solutions:
Salary Misalignment: If salary expectations are too low for specified requirements, discuss flexibility on salary or qualifications required for candidates.
Overly Stringent Requirements: If requirements seem too strict, explore whether training could be an option for great candidates who meet most criteria but lack certain skills.
Misleading Job Titles: If job titles do not align with requirements critical for external postings, discuss options for adjusting titles to attract suitable candidates.
Location Limitations: If location constraints may limit candidate pools, explore remote work options or consider other company locations as alternatives.
Unrealistic Timelines: If hiring managers expect faster results than market conditions allow, educate them on current market realities while proposing strategies to expedite processes where feasible.
Lack of Differentiation: If there’s nothing unique about the role or company that stands out in a competitive market, work with hiring leaders to identify unique selling points that can attract top talent.
By addressing these challenges proactively during intake calls and offering practical solutions, you demonstrate your value as a strategic partner in executive search.
Post Call Action Plans — Setting the Stage for Success
After completing an intake call, it is essential to act quickly and effectively to leverage all gathered information into actionable steps for your executive search strategy.
Key Post-Intake Call Actions:
Synthesize Information: Organize notes from your call into actionable insights that can guide your search strategy moving forward.
Develop Search Strategy: Outline primary sourcing channels based on insights gathered during the call while identifying target companies and potential passive candidates.
Craft Marketing Materials: Create compelling job advertisements that highlight key selling points discussed during your intake call, while ensuring they align with market expectations.
Set Up a Communication Plan: Implement agreed-upon communication cadences (weekly calls or emails) so everyone stays informed throughout the recruitment process.
Initiate Sourcing Activities: Begin database searches and outreach efforts immediately based on insights from your intake call, while activating relevant networks for referrals.
Prepare for Challenges Ahead: Anticipate potential roadblocks based on discussions during your intake call, while developing strategies to address identified challenges proactively.
Align Internal Resources: Ensure all team members involved in recruitment are briefed on key insights from your intake call, so everyone is aligned moving forward.
Set Realistic Timelines: Establish clear milestones for each stage of recruitment, while communicating expected timelines back to your hiring managers effectively.
By executing these post-intake actions diligently following each call, you establish a solid foundation for successful executive searches while reinforcing trust with hiring leaders throughout their recruitment journey.
