A big challenge facing all companies in Indonesia is recruiting great C-Level Talent. The people that sit in the top 2-3 levels of an organisation structure. The Executives that lead, drive and improve a business – its “Professional Capital”.
Hiring at the C-Level is challenging because demand for such talent often exceeds supply in Indonesia. This is especially true for high growth industry sectors. Professionals are often being approached multiple times a month for new work opportunities.
So, when a company performs a C-Level Search in Indonesia, the quality of its hiring process will be critical to success.
C-Level Recruitment – Best Practices
Use an Experienced, Well Established, Jakarta Based Headhunter
- A Headhunter’s first job is to identify all the best people possible for your executive vacancy. After that, they must successfully market your business and role to potential candidates.
- The Headhunter also handles senior candidate queries and any concerns they have. They navigate any problems along the way.
- When an Executive Recruiter is located off-shore they will lack the depth of professional network that is needed locally.
- Whereas, a good Jakarta based Headhunter will immediately know all relevant talent. They will have the senior candidate access and also the skills necessary to approach and excite C-Level executives.
- On the other hand, an in-experienced or junior consultant will fail to make the strong impression needed. They will also lack the recruitment process skills that are required.
- Yes, it costs money to use a high quality Executive Search Agency. But making a great C-Level hire is critical to a company’s success.
- The right hire will add significant long-term value to a business. Therefore, the Headhunter fee is money well spent.
- Lastly, it is common practice in Indonesia for an Executive Recruiter to work on a Success Fee Only Basis. So if the consultant does not complete the hire, they do not get paid. The client has no up-front financial risk.
Do NOT use Job Board Advertising. It is very low cost but….
- Senior professionals, especially in Indonesia, find it concerning when a business relies on internet advertising to identify C-Level talent.
- Online job boards are incredibly public – there use does not present a good image at the C-Level.
- Also, your job vacancy will be far less visible to passive candidates, people that are currently employed. These professionals are not reviewing job boards. Because of this you will only reach active job seekers.
- Executives that work for your competitors will also be uncomfortable applying online, concerned about confidentiality.
- Lastly, you will be inundated with CV’s from people that are totally irrelevant, wasting valuable time.
Provide your Headhunter with a detailed briefing
- The more information that an Executive Search consultant has about your business and what you need, the better.
- This will help the Headhunter to effectively target the right type of people from the get-go.
- You should state the critical “must have items” and also the “nice to haves”. Provide the consultant with any non-confidential company information that helps to “sell” your vacancy.
Communicate with your Executive Search consultant frequently
- Once an executive recruiter starts talking about your C-Level opportunity with professionals, they will often have questions. Senior candidates will likely need further information.
- Headhunters rely on good quality communication with a client to help manage candidates throughout the hiring process.
Be open and transparent, state if anything needs to change
- If a Headhunter submits CV’s that do not match your needs, the sooner you tell them the better. They should be happy to edit and alter a candidate search as the process develops.
- An Executive Recruiter just needs a client to update in a timely manner, so they can manage candidates in the best way possible. This also ensures that a clients brand image is maximised.
Provide timely Resume feedback
- Once a Headhunter starts submitting candidate CV’s it is important to receive client feedback in a reasonable amount of time. We recommend within 3 business days.
- If a senior candidate is not of interest, a client should advise this, no problem at all.
- But if a C-Level candidate is of interest and left waiting, chances are high that they will lose interest. They will feel there is business inefficiency / that the hiring process is of low importance.
- Remember, Indonesia is still maturing in terms of talent pool depth. Often many businesses are looking to hire the same type of people at the same time.
- Therefore, if a top professional is open to a new role, chances are high that they are interviewing with other firms.
- If a business is slow to progress a good CV and arrange interview, excellent candidates will be lost to companies that are more energized in the hiring process.
Once interviews are confirmed, unless urgent, do Not reschedule
- When a company invites a C-Level candidate to interview and at short notice asks to reschedule, it presents a negative image.
- After all, the Headhunter has told the candidate that the hire is critical and worked hard to motivate the executive to explore.
- Cancelling at short notice indicates disorganisation / that the hiring manager has a low respect for the candidates time.
Treat Candidates as you would wish to be treated
- Its important to remember that senior candidates are often hiring managers themselves. They have certain expectations of a recruitment process. This covers areas such as communication, punctuality, feedback etc.
- Our advice – always treat candidates as you would wish to be treated during a hiring process. This will help you to maintain a positive image in the candidates eyes.
Tell your Executive Recruiter if any firms are Off-Limits
- Let your Headhunter consultant know if there are any companies that are “sensitive” and their professionals should Not be approached.
- For instance, your business may work with a company as a partner, or have a gentlemen’s agreement not to hire each others talent.
Provide a strong Initial Candidate Offer
- It’s important to make a good 1st Impression when at the Offer Stage in Indonesia.
- Locally, about 70% of recruitment processes go wrong at the offer stage.
- Make sure the Initial Offer takes into account all elements of the chosen candidates current compensation.
- In Indonesia compensation can be highly structured in comparison to more mature markets.
- Many companies provide executives with a large range of guaranteed cash and non-cash benefits.
- All elements are seen as “critical” by candidates and a money value attached.
- Professionals typically receive; basic salary each month plus fixed cash allowances (in essence salary). On top of this the annual THR Religious Holiday Bonus (some businesses pay THR as 1 X basic salary, some pay far more).
- Please see This Article for an overview of THR in Indonesia.
- Each firm has its own bonus scheme. Some provide annual / quarterly / monthly incentive plans (guaranteed or variable).
- Many companies provide additional “non-cash” benefits such as Car Ownership Plans (COP) or private medical.
- In general there are few “market norms” and compensation for similar jobs can vary greatly from one business to another.
- Finding “ideal” C-Level talent is the biggest challenge. So once that perfect person is located, interested and everything is positive, structure an offer that accounts for all elements of current compensation.
- This helps to ensure that an Initial Offer makes sense and a good impression made.
- Please see This Article for more advice on how to make a successful Candidate Offer in Indonesia.
While you are here, please have a look at This Article which gives a run down on the key differences between a Headhunter Firm and a Recruitment Agency. It is important to use the right type of “Recruiter” depending on the nature of the hire!
For Businesses that are looking to hire Executive Talent in Indonesia please submit your Enquiry Here. Or you can reach us through our Contact Details Here. A Consultant will respond within a few hours.
You can also View My Professional Bio Here or connect with me on Linkedin.
