The Pillar Search Process

Red Carpet Service: Pillar firmly believes that personal attention is key to a great result in hiring.  Pillar’s CEO, Cindy Joyce, will meet with you, as well as team members and board members to learn about what makes your organization’s culture unique, identify the experience and qualities that will set the successful candidate apart, and determine the best strategy for marketing the opportunity.  Regular check-in calls will be scheduled to ensure open communication and collaboration every step of the way.  

Leveraging Relationships: Pillar offers an extensive and very current national network of some of the most talented and influential leaders in their area of expertise.  

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Pillar strives to build a world where access to jobs with the best nonprofit organizations and human resources practices are fair, equitable, and inclusive. Pillar’s Founder, Cindy Joyce, is a Certified Diversity Recruiter and earned a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. Building diverse pools is an integral part of Pillar’s search efforts.

Customized Research: With an extensive network, Pillar will customize a list of target candidates for your search, including both active job seekers and those who may not be looking but are the ideal fit for your opportunity.

Candidate Identification: Pillar uses an innovative direct marketing approach to reach out to potential candidates and referral sources. Prior placements shared that while they receive calls from search firms and recruiters all the time, Pillar’s was the message they responded to!

Timing for Your Search: Timing is crucial, both to ensure that you have leadership in place and because the market for talent is so competitive. As a boutique firm, Pillar works with a very limited number of clients at any one time to ensure that your search receives the absolute highest level of care and attention.  The result: fewer candidates lost to other opportunities that come up in a lengthy search process, and jobs filled successfully in less time so that you and your organization can get back to doing what you do best!

Clear & Competitive Pricing:  As a boutique executive search firm, Pillar is able to offer pricing that is tailored to your needs.  Preferred rates are offered to returning clients and those wishing to engage in multiple searches.  

A “Less is More” Approach to Job Postings: Job postings work, but can be costly, time consuming, and over-reliance on them runs the risk of excluding passive job seekers or those not looking at all. Pillar will work with you to determine the most judicious plan for job postings to ensure that your job ads will generate the highest return on your investment.

Multiple Interactions with Candidates: Pillar believes that success comes from a rigorous search process, and will have multiple touch points with candidates to determine fit and suitability with both the role, mission, and culture. Those selected will then be interviewed in-depth prior to being presented to a client. This assures clients that each candidate they meet has been completely vetted.

Presentation of Candidates:  Pillar will meet with you for a confidential review of identified high-potential, high-caliber candidates. Prior to the meeting, resumes will be shared with the hiring manager, search committee, or board of directors. During that meeting, an overview of the candidates’ professional achievements and career trajectory will be reviewed, along with other key factors such as personality, culture fit, and salary requirements.

Interviews: Pillar will work with the client and candidates to schedule interviews and create the agenda for those meetings. Following the interview, Pillar will gather feedback from both candidates and clients and report back in a timely fashion.  Should you have interviewers on the agenda who are new to interviews or may want a refresher on how to best interview, Pillar will work with those individuals to discuss best practices, share tips, and help formulate customized interview questions.

In-Depth Reference Checks: Once the final candidate(s) are identified, Pillar will work with the client and candidate(s) to identify a list of appropriate professional references who have first-hand knowledge of candidate’s skills and abilities. Pillar will then provide a written overview of each reference to the client.

Extending the Offer: When the selected candidate is identified, Pillar continues to play a critical role, and will be flexible based on client practices and preferences. This can include working with you to structure the offer, extending the offer, serving as the intermediary during negotiations, and working with both parties to answer any questions.

On-Boarding: Once the offer is accepted, Pillar will work with the candidate during his or her resignation, offering counsel should a counter-offer arise, and ensure that a smooth transition occurs prior to their start date.

100% Guaranteed Search Success: Our commitment to our clients and placements extends well beyond the search. With the placement now on board, we will do the following to ensure that both parties are happy:

  • One-, three- and six-month check in calls to both the hiring manager and the placement
  • A one-year guarantee on all placements. In the event that a placement does not work out within one year, Pillar will conduct a replacement search for the same role.
  • Pillar will never recruit a placement, and will not recruit other candidates employed by the client for two years following the successful completion of a search.

Satisfied Clients and Candidates:  We could tell you why you should consider hiring Pillar if you want to hire the best executive search firm, or tell you why we are the best headhunter for nonprofits searches, find the best executives in philanthropy, and can ramp up hiring for your startup, but we’ll let our clients and candidates share their thoughts on why Pillar is the best professional search firm.  Read what our clients have to say on Pillar’s Praise and Accolades page!

 

Contact Pillar  today to learn more about hiring the best executive search firm for your open position!