One of the biggest challenges for a company of any size is to replace an executive. This is particularly challenging if the executive is a sales leader, as this is the critical revenue generation position for the business. The Basics Many companies initially attempt an executive search on their own. This can be a costly mistake as it can take months for a company to complete all the steps in the process and onboard the ideal candidate. The steps involved in an executive search for any company include: Determine the specific roles and responsibilities of the executive and tailor them to the current and future sales department requirements.Develop a search strategy or a search marketing strategy to reach the top candidates.Develop a team to interview and assess candidatesCollect resumes on potential candidates, which may include hundreds or thousands of applications.Review, evaluate, and prioritize candidatesDevelop a candidate pool and schedule initial interviewsCreate a shortlist of top candidates (typically 1-4) that will move to the final interviewCompare the interviews, presentations and personalities to find the best overall fit for your organization and select the top candidate to present an offer to.Be prepared to negotiate & anticipate multiple offersFinalize the offer, check references and create an onboarding plan This is a time and labor-intensive process. Most executive recruiting efforts a company does take months to complete, resulting in lost sales opportunities and decreased revenue. Getting Help Using a recruiting service to complete the executive search is highly effective. The recruiting service will work on your behalf to market the position, bring in the best candidates, create a short list of qualified people, and provide an introduction to your hiring team. They also stay on top of what else the candidate has for opportunities to ensure when you...