In an initial briefing, we prepare an individual offer with questions that are then detailed in a second meeting. Once a client commissions us, our consultancy team provides a list of pre-identified firms which our search will initially focus on. In addition to drawing on existing contacts from previous searches, we work with clients to prepare a list of companies where we suspect to find suitable candidates.
Our proven GAIN Position Profile is the core tool in our creative, cross-border search strategy. Working in close cooperation with our clients, we design a requirements and suitability profile that covers personality, career development, insights and abilities. This enables us to perform critical assessments of candidates during the management search.
In this step, our team scans target companies for potential candidates. Thanks to our strong contacts in the industries, we also receive valuable tips about suitable people at other companies. As a result, the list you receive contains not only people we already know, but new candidates who match the position profile too. Naturally, we also consider candidates you suggest yourself. This enables us to sharpen our view of your ’ideal candidate’ even further.
Next, we call potential candidates by phone to determine their general willingness and conduct a preliminary suitability check based on the defined specifications. In our experience, this process takes about three weeks per search.
After a period of research, we provide a substantial list of several candidate profiles in order to check whether our search matches your expectations. Next, we interview the candidates you approve from this list. If our consultant still believes a candidate ’fits’ after the interview, we prepare an exhaustive report on his or her personality, relevant expertise and abilities. In an extensive – and confidential – report, we then use the position profile we drew up together to evaluate these shortlist candidates.
Are you a potential candidate and would like to submit a CV? Please get in touch. Absolute confidentiality is assured.
After you form a first impression of the candidates from the confidential report, we arrange for you to meet them in person. If you wish, we will then invite candidate(s) to a second meeting that may include team members, or might take place at a specific location that could be of interest for their future position or activities. Naturally, we coordinate all meetings – including the travel arrangements.
For the final candidate, we recommend a personality analysis. This offers clients insights into their personality and abilities, and also how they would mesh with the vacant position and the corporate culture. Our GAIN Profiler assessment procedure combines a personality test based on GPOP (Golden Profiler of Personality) with a 360° references check. Matches to and/or deviations from the ideal profile can be evaluated, rendered in visual form and reviewed if necessary.
The GAIN Profiler is also suitable for candidate and team evaluations, assessments of existing management qualifications, further development of management skills or staff, reshuffles or replacements, individual career planning and other coaching activities.
Interested in the GAIN Profiler? Ask us for details – or order an anonymized example.
This phase of our search process involves negotiating contract parameters between client and candidate. On the one hand, we advise candidates on how realistic and appropriate their demands are for their future employer.
On the other hand, we also advise clients – for example by telling them whether their ideal candidate requires either a higher salary or other benefits due to market conditions, their previous salary or previous position. Here too, we are glad to act as sparring partners for candidates and clients.
It is no coincidence that our client relationships are defined by trust, loyalty and duration. Even when a search mandate has successfully been completed, it does not mean our job is done. To ensure we meet our clients’ expectations – and in the interests of internal quality control – we are interested in a constant dialogue with clients during the first twelve months after a placement, and maintain our relationships beyond that period too.
For clients, we offer a guarantee should they terminate the employment of a candidate we proposed within six months of placement. We also promise not to contact any of their own executives in connection with other search processes for a period of one year after clients have placed an order. For candidates we place, we offer lifelong candidate protection. This means we promise not to contact them as potential candidates for other searches.
With GAIN as your professional personnel consultant, everyone benefits. We save clients time and effort in their search for candidates and source the ideal person to support their long-term success. And rather than simply giving candidates short-term placements, we offer them career opportunities that will enhance their professional development sustainably.
From Executive Search or Executive Audit to Interim Management or other services from our broad portfolio, our chart provides an overview of how a professional search process delivers individual, tailor-made management solutions that match the specific needs of clients and candidates alike.
Like more details of our search process? Click the terms that interest you.