The four main stages of an in-house executive search are kicking off the recruiting push; sourcing candidates; evaluating candidates; and onboarding. Improving each of these stages can speed up your search and make it more effective so you can find the executive hire you need. Here are some tips for improving all four stages of in-house executive search for a better return on your recruiting investment. Collaborating for the Kick-off The search kick-off includes the job description and making a plan for the search. Collaboration between HR staff, hiring team members and company leadership will ensure that everyone is on the same page as the search begins, allowing everyone to have input and shape the ultimate direction and scope of the search. Discussions about job requirements, responsibilities, and cultural fit as well as getting input from recruiting staff will give the most well-rounded approach and allow insights from everyone involved. Getting everyone on the same page at this first stage of the search is key to helping the subsequent recruiting stages go smoothly. Use All Available Contacts to Source Candidates The more candidates your search can yield, the better your chances of finding a top quality candidate to fill your executive position. The search team should ask all current C-suite members for as many referrals as they can give, and then ask the referrals for referrals if they aren’t interested in applying. The hiring team can give suggestions for referral sources such as finding candidates at professional conferences or organization meetings, charity events, or other face-to-face venues where executive candidates may spend time. Social media is another place to look for executive candidates, and it’s probably best to have a fellow executive from the hiring team or your company’s C-suite make the connection. Standardize Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Candidates Having standardized assessment criteria for resume screening and interviews has a key benefit: it encourages diversity in hiring by reducing possible bias that can unconsciously find its way into the recruiting process. Standardized criteria makes the process as fair as possible for all candidates, and should be put into place before the first interview is conducted. Another advantage to standardized criteria is speed: top candidates can be funneled into the process faster and evaluated faster when subjective standards are not an issue. Streamline Onboarding While Keeping the Personal Touch Onboarding a new executive should be as painless as possible, including off-site information gathering using online tools and plenty of face-to-face, low-key introductions and getting-to-know-you events. Helping new hires navigate an unfamiliar culture and learn the ropes is the best type of onboarding and will be of more help than any other efforts. Thrive TRM can help with all stages of an executive search with a platform that provides unified communications, data collection and analysis, and instant reports the entire hiring team can use to make decisions. The team can meet through the platform at each member’s convenience and limit time-consuming meetings, which will help the process move faster. Schedule a demo to see the full capabilities of this recruiting tool.