Is There a Recruiting Season? Timing Your Executive Search

Does time really kill all deals? Maybe not, but, when recruiting senior-level management positions for your organization, figuring out the right timing for your executive search is essential to its success.


The ideal “recruiting season,” though, can vary depending on the specific role you’re recruiting for, for example, or where your candidates are actually coming from. 


Before starting your next executive search, consider these three factors that depend on timing and could impact your recruiting process.


Packing Up the Family

Pay close attention to timing when conducting an executive search that might involve relocation, particularly for candidates who have families. Making sure the search timing allows for a candidate’s family to move with him or her is important. A candidate who relocates alone may be apart from his or her family for a while, and the long-distance can put a strain on everyone. Moreover, there is a greater possibility that a candidate may ultimately decide to “return home” if the family does not all move at the same time.


Timing the recruiting process so that potential relocation takes place at the end or beginning of the school year can increase the likelihood of a successful search. You should aim for a start date either in May-June (end of the school year) or August-September (beginning of the school year) when considering relocating  a candidate for your position.


It’s Bonus Time

Early fall is also a great recruiting season, and a smart time to kick off searches. By September, many professionals have accomplished enough of their quarterly goals and objectives in order to receive their annual bonuses at the end of the year and are open to fielding opportunities that start in December-February, making bonus season a great time to reach out to candidates.


Recruiting Calendar

Waiting on candidates who need a few extra months to hit the bonus mark can also prolong your search; it’s much easier to set an earlier start date with a candidate who has already qualified for his or her bonus than a candidate who has several months to go.


Furthermore, taking the timing of bonus payouts into consideration can also save you money, as you won’t need to pay a signing bonus to compensate a candidate who forfeits an annual bonus by accepting your offer and leaving their current employer before bonuses are paid.


Most organizations distribute annual bonuses by March, so conducting your search between September and March will help avoid any delays based on annual bonuses.


It’s a New Year

We also see a spike in new executive searches after the first of the year, in the January-February timeframe. Starting your executive search at the beginning of the year could make sense for a few reasons.


It’s a New Year for Companies

Many companies complete their fiscal year budgeting, strategic planning processes, etc., in December, setting them up to make new hires when the New Year rolls around. Starting your executive search in January is a great first step towards reaching your organization’s goals for the New Year.


It’s a New Year for Candidates

Whether motivated by a New Year’s resolution or just ready for a change, candidates often consider new opportunities at the beginning of the year. This tendency can help you capitalize on this desire to make a move and help you recruit the ideal candidates for your open positions.


Musical Chairs

We also often see a “musical chairs” phenomenon happen in the first quarter of the year: Annual bonuses are generally paid out by then, so, as people move into new companies, their previous employers need to backfill those now-vacant positions with new people, producing a “musical chairs” effect of professionals switching seats.


Planning A Successful Search

Of course, any time of the year is a good time to kick off an executive search, so, regardless of the month or recruiting season, make sure to consider timing of holidays, annual sales meetings and other events when you kick off your search.


No matter what time of year it is, an executive search firm like 180one can help you set realistic expectations that help to ensure a successful search. Contact us today to learn more.

By Catherine Landgraf December 31, 2024
Senior Vice President of Operations ABOUT THE COMPANY A-dec is the premium leader in the dental equipment industry designing and manufacturing products that span dental chairs, lights, handpieces, furniture, air management, infection control and delivery systems found in dental offices and operatories. With over 1300 employees, and headquartered in Newberg, Oregon, A-dec’s familial culture and values have been attributed to their commitment to the Newberg community and its employees through various investments and programs. ABOUT THE POSITION The Senior Vice President of Operations is responsible for leading A-dec’s Manufacturing, supply chain, and planning functions to create a competitive advantage for the company for both existing and new products. Leading a team of Directors and Managers, this position ensures the continuing advancement of quality performance, cost effectiveness and safety of the manufacturing function while developing new ways to improve the service level for customers and meet the financial objectives of the organization. The Senior Vice President of Operations manages the manufacturing, supply chain and planning functions to ensure continuous improvement, employee engagement and talent development. DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES Participate as an active member of the executive leadership team providing the vision, leadership, and roadmap necessary to achieve the company’s strategic initiatives consistently and predictably. Define and communicate the vision for Manufacturing and visibly champion current and long- range objectives or programs to ensure successful implementation. Develop annual Manufacturing objectives and ensure tactical plans are executed throughout operations along with aligning metrics, employee goals, and visual dashboards to ensure business objectives are met within operational and regulatory boundaries. Define the skill sets and training programs required to produce increasingly complex products and maintain an effective talent base across the manufacturing, supply chain, and planning teams. Define and establish staff planning parameters necessary for effective operation of Manufacturing processes to include shift schedules, staffing levels, overtime limits, temporary employee ratios, etc. Provide direction, leadership and guidance to ensure relentless focus on delivering results and engage and empower team members to create a culture of safety, quality, continuous improvement, and personal development. Lead the development and implementation of the Manufacturing expense and capital expenditure budgets. Oversee the Manufacturing capacity plan and optimize utilization across Manufacturing while ensuring the production plan is achieved and meets the sales forecast in a timely manner. Lead Manufacturing Engineering in the transformation and optimization of Manufacturing areas to maximize quality, safety and operational efficiency. Lead the Supply Chain team on Production Planning and supply chain requirements to meet customer demands. Collaborate with cross-functional development teams to continuously achieve successful implementation of new or improved manufacturing systems and ensure utilization of capable, cost-effective production processes for manufacturing operations. Partner with Product Development and New Product Introduction (NPI) teams to ensure new product and innovation projects are executed as planned implementing manufacturing processes and testing to proactively resolve identified process capability conflicts. Work collaboratively across the broader organization to leverage corporate resources and align Manufacturing with top level initiatives. Mentor and coach talent across the business to ensure the organization is developing a pool of operational leaders. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES Ability to create and communicate vision as well as understand the big picture and translate to application Ability to proactively identify, anticipate and resolve problems and be comfortable relying on instincts to make decisions Ability to work cross functionally with all levels of the organization Ability to motivate and engage the workforce, create effective teams and build peer relationships Ability to create and implement strategies Ability to initiate self-development Comprehensive knowledge of quality management systems/ISO, lean manufacturing, and the product development process Advanced oral and written communication skills with public speaking experience EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE Bachelor’s degree in business or engineering along with relevant work experience required, MBA or M.S. in related field preferred At least 15 years of progressive leadership experience with 5+ years in a senior leadership position managing a similar scope and sized operations and manufacturing team. Experience in strategic planning for organizations of similar size and/or scope as well as managing the vision and purpose of a division and or business segment of an organization Strong project management experience Experience in mergers and acquisitions preferred Experience managing a vertically integrated operation preferred Experience leading corporate-wide projects or initiatives Medical device industry / dental or medical device fields experience preferred Experienced in establishing partnerships with other companies and external organizations preferred Interested in Learning More? 180one is a retained search firm and has been engaged by A-dec to manage this search. If interested in learning more about the opportunity, please contact Tom Haley / 503-334-1350 / tom@180one.com
By Catherine Landgraf December 30, 2024
We are pleased to announce we have recently been recognized as one of Oregon’s Most Admired Companies. The Portland Business Journal sent a survey to some 3000 CEO level executives asking them what companies they most admire in 10 different categories. 180one was selected as a finalist in the Recruiting/Consulting category and invited to attend the awards ceremony, where we stood out with the 9 th place spot. It was a great event to be honored at, and share the moment with our clients who were also recognized in the Top 10 of their respective categories such as A-dec, Hyphn, Salt & Straw, Leatherman, Columbia Sportswear, and R&H Construction.  When we started 180one in 2007, our main mission was to help Portland businesses grow and thrive by providing them the access to the executive-level talent they deserve. And do it in a way that allows us to truly partner with our clients and build relationships with them outside of any of the searches they engage us on – since we work and live in the same community as our clients. 17 years later, to be recognized today as a Most Admired Company by our clients is a testament to our team’s professionalism, how they’ve partnered with our clients, and the work they’ve performed on our clients’ behalf. Thank you to our clients for your support over the past 17 years, and we look forward to being your search partner in the years to come.
By Catherine Landgraf December 18, 2024
180one is pleased to announce our recent partnership with VSG and the resulting placement of their new Vice President of Sales and Business Development! Dover’s Vehicle Service Group is the global leader in designing and manufacturing vehicle service, collision and automotive OEM equipment. It is one of the founding companies of Dover Corporation, an eight billion dollar diversified global manufacturer. VSG consists of fifteen leading vehicle lifting brands (Rotary, Forward, Blitz, Ravaglioli etc.), collision repair (Chief), wheel services, diagnostics (Butler, Rotary, Chief and Ravaglioli) and tier-one automotive brands (WARN Automotive) with operations worldwide, including regional business operation centers and large manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Congratulations to VSG!
More Posts
Share by: