Using Executive Search to Attract Leaders to Small Markets

If your business is headquartered in a small or remote Canadian market, you’re already facing several challenges when searching for your next generation of leaders. Not only is your local talent pool limited, but now, thanks to hybrid and remote working policies, there’s more global competition for leadership talent. However, you can give your talent acquisition strategy a boost by taking two critical steps: embracing hybrid and remote ways of working and engaging with an executive search firm.

Pursue Leadership Talent Regardless of Location

Companies who insist on a return-to-office policy severely limit their pool of potential hires and potentially damage their employer brands by eroding trust among their employees. Recent research shows workers don’t feel a need to return to the office and, if new policies require it, they expect some kind of reciprocity:

• 59% of Canadians believe you don’t need to see coworkers in person every day to form strong relationships.
• 95% of Gen Z employees, 84% of Millennials, 71% of Gen X, and 61% of Baby Boomers would anticipate some form of salary increase if they are forced back to the office.

Additionally, companies may mistakenly think that in-person work means increasing productivity. In fact, hybrid and remote working arrangements may even help high-potential (and, really, all) employees feel less stress and more energy.

Commuting is expensive, in time, money, and impacts on a person’s health and their household. It is a huge weight off employees when they feel their employers care about their personal lives and wellbeing by helping them save time and costs for fuel, tolls, parking, insurance, and childcare.

According to a survey of Canadian hybrid workers, benefits of hybrid work arrangements include:

• 57% Less stress
• 53% Better sleep
• 52% Improved overall mood
• 45% More energy

When considering your next generation of leaders, cast as wide a net as possible. Just keep in mind many have become accustomed to the benefits of hybrid or remote work and are not willing to give up the flexibility.

Engage an Executive Search Firm

Companies located in small or remote markets need as much of an edge as they can get to attract and hire leadership-level talent. Sure, there’s an outside chance of finding your next-gen, transformational leaders through traditional job postings. However, there’s a much greater chance you’ll be buried hundreds of responses from unqualified candidates.

Since the market shifted from candidate to employer driven in late 2022, talent acquisition and recruitment teams have more inbound candidates than ever. Unfortunately, many are taking the “spray and pray” approach to their job search and hiring teams spend a disproportionate amount of time assessing them.

When you work with an executive search firm, you’ll work with a recruiter or team of recruiters with in-depth knowledge of your industry and your job market. They’re often instrumental in helping you craft your candidate profile. This profile helps them pre-screen candidates for alignment before presenting them to you.

Executive recruiting firms are not the same as staffing agencies. They focus exclusively on executive-level leadership roles and have in-depth knowledge of the current job market conditions for these candidates, including compensation and benefits package preferences.

Executive recruiters use a variety of sourcing methods to find your ideal candidates. Typically, they have databases of pre-screened and pre-qualified executive candidates culled from years of relationship-building and networking with top industry professionals. This provides access to a pool of “passive candidates”—professionals who may not be actively looking, but could be ideally suited for your role.

The best way to engage with an executive search firm is through a retained search. In a retained search, you’ll pay a fee to begin the search and another fee when it is complete.

1. You’ll meet with your recruiter or recruiting team and discuss your unique objectives and requirements.
2. They’ll begin the process of sourcing, screening, and qualifying candidates, scheduling your interviews, and helping you select your finalists.
3. Finally, they will help you negotiate the offer, which often includes base salary, bonuses or commission structures, equity/ownership options, and benefits.

If your business is headquartered in a small or remote Canadian market, it is critical to your future success that you are open to hybrid and remote ways of working and partner with an executive search team. These two approaches to talent acquisition give you a significant advantage in finding, assessing, and hiring future-focused leaders with experience, skills, and transformational leadership capabilities aligned with your success profile.

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