Cross Hill Partners only works on a retained basis. We structure our fees so that a portion is paid to us during the search with the balance paid only upon successful completion. We believe in being rewarded for performance

Search Process

• Introductory consultation and briefing
  

  During this meeting and before any assignment is undertaken, we will sharpen your working knowledge of the current market and competition relative to position being discussed. In addition to providing you with current assessment of the marketplace, during this meeting we discuss the personal qualities required to succeed within your organization.

• Drafting of Position Specification
  

  Once consensus is reached on the requirements of the position and the qualifications of the ideal candidate, we prepare a detailed position specification. The purpose of the specification is two fold. First, it serves to guide our research and recruiting efforts by defining the skills and abilities required of prospective candidates. Second, it serves as a marketing tool to position the opportunity appropriately to the market.

  A well-prepared position specification is extremely valuable in attracting top-flight talent and we put forward extra effort to develop specifications that thoroughly and attractively present the opportunity.

• Formulation of Search Strategy and Research
  

  Having "grown up" in the search business starting in research, we place great emphasis on the quality and strength of our research. In our experience, research and sourcing efforts can be serendipitous leading you in directions you hadn't anticipated and generating possibilities not otherwise considered. The ability to creatively apply our experience to the vast information sources of the information age sets us apart.

  The development of the search strategy begins when we prepare for our introductory meeting, is refined as we discuss the position and qualities of the ideal candidate in detail and, is adjusted as required as the search progresses. Effective search strategy combines past experience, current knowledge of markets and intimate knowledge of information sources and how to navigate them.

  While our network of contacts and sources is a great asset built over the course of almost 20 years, we recognize that a thorough examination of the market requires reaching beyond the network of people we know and therefore approach each assignment with an original research effort.

  We develop a target list of companies most likely to yield prospective candidates and thoroughly examine the management talent within them. In addition, we consult industry analysts, trade publications, associations, news sources etc., to identify the top performers in the targeted market(s). There are times when more than one target market will be pursued simultaneously.
• Sourcing and Developing Prospective Candidates

  A recruiter's role is to be a compelling advocate of his/her client. We conduct telephone or personal interviews with prospects during which we evaluate the qualifications, motivation, personal compatibility with the client organization and level of interest in the opportunity (more about assessment). With rare exceptions, the most talented and successful executives are challenged and well rewarded by their current employers. They must be convinced that the opportunity presented to them affords a better future than their current situation.

  Assessment:
  We have interviewed and tracked thousands of executives over almost twenty years. During this time, we have watched meteoric rises, spectacular crashes, slow steady ascents, stalls and declines. We have seen executives who have unfettered success in one organization fail in another and visa versa. This experience has taught us that there is no one formula that can be applied to predict success. Rather, our role is to assist our clients in understanding the qualities and abilities of the executives under consideration and to help them select the executive with the best combination of qualities in the context of their organization. While we seek to understand how executives react to adversity and setbacks, what motivates them and what they value both intrinsically and extrinsically, we recognize that it is our clients who are best able to predict success within their organizations and therefore we refrain from projecting our values and biases into the selection process.

  From the first phone call, we stay attuned to the candidate's articulated and tacit objectives, motivations and/or frustrations. These are the keys to bringing the candidate to the initial meeting and, ultimately, to your organization. The groundwork for later-stage search concerns, such as compensation negotiation and resignation issues/counter-offers, is often laid even before parties are face-to-face

• Status meeting and report

  Two weeks after launching the search, we hold a status meeting with you. During the status meeting we provide you with a report detailing every contact made thus far, provide you with feedback from the marketplace and introduce to you qualified candidates uncovered up to that point in time. The purpose of the status meeting is to provide with a "snap shot" of the progress of the assignment and enable us with the opportunity to calibrate and adjust our efforts as required.

• Introduction of Prospective Candidates

  We provide detailed resumes and summaries of our assessment of each candidate. We add the most value by presenting candidates who are fully informed about your organization and opportunity. Similarly, having you aware of far more than the resume of each prospect, allows you to spend your meeting time sensing and evaluating chemistry and taking the candidate inside your organization's philosophy and purpose

• Facilitate the selection process

  We facilitate interviews with prospective candidates and debrief candidates following each meeting. We review their feedback with you and participate in any following discussions to the degree you wish us to. Based upon the results of these meetings we move forward with finalist candidates and continue our candidate development efforts as appropriate.

• Help close the deal

  We provide assistance and counsel to both you and the candidate regarding compensation negotiations, the extension of an offer, the acceptance and resignation process. This is the culmination of the search process and often the most delicate part of our role. By maintaining a single point of contact with the candidate throughout the search, we are better able to avoid misunderstandings and protracted negotiations which always seems to leave both parties feeling somewhat let down.

• Pre-employment reference checks

  We recommend that any offer of employment be contingent upon successful reference checks. Once an offer has been extended and with the candidate's knowledge, we will conduct reference checks. In addition to discussing the individual with his/her references, we verify academic and professional credentials and employment dates with previous employers.

  References are sometimes viewed as an afterthought since they occur so late in the selection process and references provided by the candidate rarely speak negatively about the candidate. Not withstanding the importance of verifying facts about someone's work history and credentials, we have found references can be helpful in developing a better understanding the management style and personal qualities of the individual. This understanding can help in managing the transition of the executive into the organization and we encourage our clients to participate in the referencing process.

• Assist in the transition into the organization

  The first few weeks into a new position is stressful both for the executive and his/her new employer. We stay in contact with both the client and the successful candidate during this time to help ensure a smooth transition. There is a delicate balance between assisting in the transition and being meddlesome. In recognizing that this is stressful period, we are judicious in communicating feedback from each party.