Search and Selection or Headhunting Services
A different approach
If only the very best will do or normal recruiting methods aren't working, you're left with a dilemma. Either the role remains unfilled or you need to assign a professional recruitment consultancy to be more proactive. The very best salespeople tend to not be on any database, aren't searching online, and are difficult to find on LinkedIn. They are happy, they are secure in the knowledge that they're earning good bonuses, they're being looked after, and they know that at some point they will be headhunted into their next role!
How do you approach the top sales talent? Aaron Wallis has a unique approach to Search & Selection / Head-hunting.
The Aaron Wallis approach
Here at Aaron Wallis, we like to do things a little differently. If we can't fill the role in the time scales that we recommend to you, our fee reduces.
We will research, target, and shortlist, typically within two weeks. The rest is down to how quickly you can get the interviews happening at your end. If it is a particularly tight search, it may take three to four weeks but no more.
So how do we do it?
Firstly, let's dispel the myth. Headhunting is pretty basic; it's just incredibly time-consuming and fraught with potential pitfalls! Headhunting takes a lot of research to find out the best companies and the best people to target. We then call them, offer them the opportunity, and manage the process from there.
We are adept at many different techniques but do it in an extremely straightforward way. You can pontificate about the techniques until the 'cows come home' but being straightforward and direct we believe is by far the most effective way to headhunt!
First off, we look at our own database. It is unlikely that the person is sitting on our database, but it's hugely likely that someone who worked with (or for) the target is there. We then make the call, network through (often with a full referral), and work from there.
Our pitch is professional and confidential. We don't reveal your company name until you agree to meet with them and all of our staff have been trained in the most modern methods. In fact, one of our directors delivered training in headhunting techniques for several years to executive recruitment consultants, so we are genuinely pretty good at what we do!
When is search appropriate?
Until a decade or so ago, Search was really aimed at solely the upper echelons of the sales industry. However, in recent years, due to an enormous shortage of quality sales skills, it has become more prevalent in the middle management salary brackets. We work at basic salaries from £60K upwards.
In order to headhunt effectively, we need certain 'hooks' to attract the best talent and we will interview you in-depth to uncover these (a typical meeting to take a search assignment is anywhere between an hour and a half and three hours to do it properly). The specification also needs to be quite specific so that we're 'shooting fish in a barrel' rather than 'shooting fish in the Atlantic Ocean'! But, don't worry during the meeting we'll 'drill the detail' so that we confidently understand what the target will look like!
The Process
From the point of the meeting, this normally takes a week to research the companies and industry sectors that we will target. Once we've gained your approval that we're hunting in the right region, we'll focus on name gathering. This normally takes a week. Therefore, between two to three weeks after we take on your assignment, we will provide a shortlist of candidates. If we don't, our fee reduces! In a typical process, we approach thirty to forty potential candidates and meet around ten. We then expertly manage the candidate through your recruitment process looking out for all of the warning signs along the way. This is really where our skill comes into play and we earn our fee!
Our Fee Structure
Our fee is 15% of the first year's guaranteed remuneration (basic plus guaranteed bonuses and commission). We charge our fee in three equal installments:
- A handling fee of £1K+, dependent on the role and how hard it will be to fill.
- A shortlist fee of 5%, once you agree to meet with the candidates.
- A completion fee of the remaining percentage once the candidate commences employment.
Additional Services
As part of the service, we will also provide a full market map of competitors, job titles within the sector, geographic locations of talent, academic level of talent, how hard it will be to fill, average tenure of salespeople in their niche, and staff attrition.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion in our recruitment process, ensuring that we help you build a team that is diverse and reflective of today's market.
Please note due to the resource that goes into a headhunting assignment, you are in effect retaining us for our service. Therefore, our 12-month rebate scheme is only applicable to the final third of the fee. Psychometric profiling and Skills Testing remain a fundamental part of our recruitment process during search assignments.
To meet with an expert Aaron Wallis consultant simply call 01908 061400. We shall look forward to working with you to proactively source the very top sales talent!
Date published: 3rd March 2025
by Darren Dewrance
Founding Director
About the author
Darren Dewrance
Darren spent six years in sales and field sales before joining the original sales recruitment specialist, Austin Benn, in 1998. After achieving the status of top consultant, out of about seventy at the time, Darren rose from Senior Consultant to Operations Manager of the commercial sector before leaving to join a London based Headhunter in 2003 before setting up Aaron Wallis with Rob in October 2007.
With a natural leadership style, Darren is an expert on putting his finger right on the heart of the problem. His natural commercial instincts have helped hundreds of employers make better recruitment decisions. Darren is married with two children, and when not at work or with his family, he likes nothing more than to be on the side of a river or a lake with a rod in his hand.
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