Position Summary
As Research Associates at O’Neill Consulting, we work as integral members of a search or new business project team to connect closely with candidates and sources to help our clients discover and engage senior leaders who can make a meaningful impact on their business and culture. Our project involvement typically spans crafting position specifications, unearthing vital industry information, spotting emerging trends, and developing a highly qualified slate of candidates to the consultants. While the majority of time is spent identifying, sourcing, screening, and interviewing candidates, Research Associates also play a direct role in managing client projects from kickoff to candidate presentation, participating in client calls, and ensuring project milestones are met.
Position Responsibilities
- Work with the Client Partners and hiring managers to learn, prioritize, and execute critical executive searches
- Develop search strategies and target company lists for assigned engagements utilizing various tools, databases and online research
- Help to compose and maintain job descriptions and other documents such as candidate profiles, scorecards, and search progress reports for client review
- Takes part in client calls throughout the engagement to stay abreast of the role
- Identify and contact candidates/sources directly (via phone) and brief candidates on the opportunity and client value proposition for the role
- Actively engage in the development and qualification of targets into candidates for assigned search engagements
- Use and maintain the company’s database, managing the candidate flow in assignments, ensuring data integrity, and providing recommendations for improvements and system optimization
- Develop and narrow down a pool of 20-25 longlist candidates
- Coordinate all candidate interviews from initial phone screens to final interviews, including working with client’s HR personnel and client’s executive teams
- Coordinate candidate travel as needed unless there is a Project Manager to do this
- Assist in managing the candidates in all aspects of the recruiting process, ensuring candidate expectations are being managed and constructive feedback is given in a timely manner, optimizing the candidate experience within specified guidelines for a range of roles and levels
- Issue and monitor the completion of candidate surveys and assessments, such as Topgrading & McQuaig
- Work with Client Partners to ensure that deadlines are being managed and met with an emphasis on client satisfaction, anticipating the needs of the team
- Upon agreement of search consultant, contact and update any remaining potential candidates after placement has been made that the consultant did not reach out to directly
- Research potential business development opportunities as requested by practice leaders, managing directors, or research director
· Manage, organize, and prioritize multiple activities and agendas, making consistent progress toward deadlines and results
·
CANDIDATE SPECIFICATION
Ideal Education & Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred
- Experience in a fast-paced corporate business or professional services environment
- Highly skilled with consultative approach and ability to lead conversations both in-person and over the phone
- Success with building business relationships and putting the candidate/client first in every interaction
- Highly professional and personable with excellent verbal communication skills, particularly over the phone
- Expert in data management
- Strong organizational skills and project management experience with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
- Competitive “play to win” mindset with a positive attitude and a drive to get better and make the team stronger
- Thrives in an entrepreneurial environment and can handle multiple projects at one time, acting both independently and as part of a team
· Self-sufficient and proactive with exemplary organizational skills and ability to anticipate needs
· Creative, resourceful, and relentless while striving for positive search results
- Diligent, process-oriented, and data-driven
- Excellent writing and editing skills
- Proficient in Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; familiarity with Adobe Acrobat a plus
Key Competencies
- Intelligence: Ability to acquire understanding and absorb information rapidly; a quick study
- Resourcefulness / Initiative: Passionately finds ways over, around, or through barriers to success; achieves results despite lack of resources; goes beyond the call of duty; shows bias for action; a results-oriented “doer”
- Organization/Planning: Plans, organizes, schedules and budgets in efficient, organized manner; focuses on key priorities
- Excellence: Sets high stretch standards of performance for self and others; low tolerance for mediocrity; high sense of responsibility
- Adaptability: Not rigid; copes effectively with complexity and change
- Oral Communications: Communicates well on-on-one, in small groups, and over the phone; fluent, quick on feet, command of language; keeps people informed
- Tenacity: Consistent reward of passionately striving to achieve results; conveys strong need to win; reputation for not giving up