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understanding the client's business and interpreting organizational dynamics.
If a recruiter interrupts frequently during your initial conversation, or appears not to be paying direct attention, important facts about the position will be missed. Without the complete understanding which flows from active listening, the chances are that the search consultant will not interview properly. Select a consultant who listens attentively.
Interviewing
A significant amount of a search consultant's time is spent interviewing -- he or she must interview client executives to gain a thorough understanding of the essential success factors attached to the position, candidates to assess their abilities, and references to verify that the candidates have the necessary skills to succeed n the new position. Only with a highly skilled interviewer can you be confident that all the crucial facts have been gathered -- and gathered accurately.
Interviewing is part science and part art. Both aspects need to be well developed and, as with every other skill, training and practice are each very, important. As a buyer of the service, you have the right to know under what circumstances the consultant learned to interview and for how long he or she has been interviewing as a professional.
Just because an individual is well versed in the functioning of a particular industry does not mean he or she will be able to gather critical data from an interview. One should be careful that the selection of a recruiter is equally balanced between the required professional skills and the particular functional or industry knowledge which may provide a relevant backdrop for the process.
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