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Frequently
Asked Questions
Potential JSA clients have
frequently asked questions on one or more of the following topics. For
your convenience, we have listed these FAQ topics below, and linked
them to appropriate answers.
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topics listed below for more information.
OUR CLIENTS AND TYPICAL
ASSIGNMENTS:
Jordan-Sitter Associates has been providing executive search services
since 1978. Our clients consist, solely, of manufacturers and
distributors/dealers of construction, mining, industrial, utility,
material handling, rental, and agricultural equipment. Our management
level searches include all disciplines within the industry: Executive
and General Management (CEO, COO, GM), Marketing, Product Specialists,
Sales, Product Support, Manufacturing, Engineering, Finance, Rental
Operations, Used Equipment, etc. Our assignments are often world-wide
in scope.
PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP -
" WIN-WIN-WIN":
During an exclusive, retained search assignment, our firm becomes a
temporary extension of our client's activities. This confidential
relationship can be likened to one between a company and its CPA firm
or law firm. The goal of this partnership clearly becomes the prompt
acquisition of the best qualified manager for our client company. This
exclusivity feature is vital to our partnership. Fortunately, our
relationships typically develop into long-term friendships, both
professionally and personally. We know that when our client selects the
right candidate for a position, a win-win result occurs. When the
client and the winning candidate and his/her family are satisfied, JSA
also wins… Therefore, there is a true win-win-win.
CAN JORDAN-SITTER SAVE OUR
COMPANY TIME AND MONEY?
One of the big pluses for our clients is the amount of time we save
them. Once we are awarded an exclusive assignment, and receive the
retainer, Bill Sitter, Chris Sitter, and our JSA team of full-time
Associates personally conducts all recruiting/search efforts, and our
firm handles all reference checking. This is true regardless of the
source of the candidate. Realistically, each of our search assignments
requires hundreds of hours, including many, many night and weekend
hours, plus: travel, Federal Express, and phone bills of surprising
size. This is why our clients appreciate our flat fee, plus (only)
authorized travel expenses approach. Year after year, our repeat
business proves that we save our busy clients both time and money,
while producing positive results.
MATCHING CANDIDATES TO OUR
CLIENT'S SPECIFICATION AND SOURCES OF CANDIDATES:
A winning candidate must be a proven producer, whose performance can be
verified, and who "fits" our client's culture and the position
specification which we and our client have developed. In all
likelihood, this individual is, currently, happily employed. These
facts are important, as we think about the difficulty of sourcing and
the confidentiality involved in such a process. Our experience,
supported by recent survey findings, indicates that the most qualified
candidates are normally not found from the stacks of resumes and
applications which result from a job advertisement. That is why JSA
does not rely on advertisements…. We know where to look for
superior management talent.
EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY
SPECIALISTS:
True industry specialization means that we have the right contacts in
the heavy equipment industries we serve. We know where and how to
confidentially find and recruit candidates who are proven performers.
Our candidate database tracks all key skills and capabilities. As
students of this industry, we carefully read many trade publications.
We personally attend several trade shows and industry meetings
annually. These events provide excellent opportunities for preliminary
candidate
interviews and/or referencing.
We are consistently awarded
exclusive and retained executive search assignments because we know the
equipment industry and we produce positive results for our clients. Our
record shows that we strive to be active, solid citizens of the
equipment industry, which is our only industry. Our clients know that
we have many years of hands-on management experience with equipment
dealers and manufacturers. We are active in AED, AEM,
ARA, and MHEDA, and we are frequently asked to present seminars and to
write articles on the subject of interviewing and hiring.
Bill Sitter, Owner of JSA,
has well over 30 years of industry experience and has held senior
management positions with equipment manufacturers and distributors.
Jordan-Sitter is thankful for the many repeat clients we have had the
privilege of serving since 1978, in the Construction, Mining,
Industrial, Utility, Material Handling, Rental, Used, and Agricultural
segments of the equipment industry.
RETAINING JSA = A TWO WAY
COMMITMENT:
The retainer forges a commitment between JSA and our clients. We
professionally "partner" to complete the assignment. It is not unusual
for non-exclusive search assignments to be forsaken by contingency
firms, if the assignments are relatively hard to fill, or if the firms
simply have more lucrative opportunities.
COST OF UNSUCCESSFUL HIRING
DECISIONS:
A 1991 AED Survey on Unsuccessful Hiring Decisions told us that $50,000
was the median and $500,000 to $750,000 was the high-end cost of actual
bad hiring decisions. We also learned that nearly two years were lost
in the process of: hiring, training, evaluating, terminating, and
finally, replacing unsuccessful hires.
COMMON SENSE FLAT FEE
APPROACH:
For many years, JSA clients have appreciated our conservative flat fee
approach. In our proposal, we lock-in on a total flat fee for each
search assignment. Thirty percent of the fee represents the up-front,
non-refundable retainer portion of the fee. A second thirty percent of
the fee is due in sixty days and the balance of our fee is due upon
candidate's offer acceptance. The only significant additional client
expenses are for client authorized travel for JSA candidate interviews
and client meetings. Many search firms routinely bill clients for:
research, trade show travel, telephone, Federal Express charges, etc.
Clients appreciate the fact that, because we are heavy equipment
specialists, JSA actively attends key trade shows and participates in
many annual trade association meetings…at our expense.
Our repeat search assignments
indicate that we provide confidential, professional, executive search
services which represent a solid value.
STABILITY:
Since
1978, our firm has served manufacturer and distributor/dealer clients,
in the heavy equipment industry. This is in marked contrast to turnover
rates which often approach fifty percent in the executive recruiting
profession.
NO CANDIDATE SALES PITCHES:
We are not sure what a company's experience has been with contingency
recruiters; However, it is easy to comprehend their natural tendency to
"sell a hiring authority on a candidate". JSA seeks the very best
candidates for our clients and will report objectively on strengths and
weaknesses. This is, fundamentally, a major difference between JSA and
some other firms.
Our professional relationship
and our exclusive search assignment approach assures our clients that
we will not try to "sell them on a candidate". If all we provided were
resumes and a sales pitch on candidates, then, in our opinion, we would
not be entitled to a fee or a retainer. Our long track record, with
many satisfied industry clients, indicates that our approach is in tune
with the goals of our clients.
JSA - CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS:
Once a JSA search commences, we will have regular and confidential
contacts with our client hiring authority. We request our clients' home
and mobile phone numbers to expedite communications. Details are
important to us, and to our clients. Clients receive thorough,
easy-to-read reports which include: candidate profiles, using a
consistent format,
focused reference reports, and our in-depth JSA/candidate interview
reports. Often, our dossier includes the candidate's photograph and the
candidate's response as to how he/she meets the desired qualifications
of the position spec. Clients will not receive a packet of resumes with
notes attached.
Our communications with
candidates are handled confidentially and professionally, in a manner
which reflects positively on our clients. When a JSA search is
completed, we write each candidate, and helpful source, to thank
him/her on behalf of JSA and our client. We strive to maintain positive
relationships in all of our contacts, and we frequently develop new
friends for our clients.
INITIAL CLIENT VISIT TO
START A NEW SEARCH:
The goals of our initial client visit are to develop a meaningful
position specification and to clarify key factors for a successful
"fit" to the culture, work environment, and the area. Typically, our
one to two day visit includes meetings with several key managers,
facility tours, and the gathering of company information suitable for
our recruiting packets. Frequently, our clients drive us through some
of the residential areas where the winning candidate might choose to
live. Chamber of Commerce relocation packets are also gathered for use
with serious candidates and their families.
REPEAT CLIENT BUSINESS AND
SATISFIED CLIENT REFERRALS:
From time-to-time, new clients ask candid questions about our JSA
search methods and procedures and how we would work together. This
often leads to a telephone discussion followed by a no-obligation
proposal packet. A subsequent telephone consultation frequently results
in a commitment to exclusively retain JSA, and to schedule a meeting.
Our confidential and professional process typically results in our
client selecting a proven performer to fill a key need. The result is
that many, many clients use our firm for one search. This first search
has led to satisfied clients and to many repeat search assignments.
Repeat business from satisfied clients and their referrals accounts for
a very high percentage of our business activity at JSA.
EVALUATING APPROPRIATE
COMPENSATION RANGES:
We agree with our clients that the goal is to obtain a superior person
who can "hit the ground running", and who is willing to relocate if
necessary. Our best candidates are often currently employed, and have
families and a home. With this in mind, there must be incentive for the
individual to make a change. We believe that the first year earnings
potential must be geared to attract a qualified panel of proven
applicants for your company. We often assist our clients with:
compensation mini-survey feed-back, salary and incentive plan
suggestions and first year guarantee recommendations; and we typically
negotiate the total compensation and relocation package.
INCLUDING OUR CLIENT'S
INTERNAL CANDIDATES:
Once we are retained, any serious internal candidates are also referred
to us for inclusion in our process. Our client and the internal
candidates know that we will be objective and that we will receive the
same full fee regardless of the source of the winning candidate. Also,
when our client receives a resume or application, it is turned over to
JSA for inclusion in our process. That individual will receive the same
objective scrutiny as any other JSA candidate. It is essential that JSA
and our clients are mutually committed to finding and selecting the
very best!
FAMILY
RELOCATION:
Family relocation is often involved, and Jordan-Sitter Associates is
accustomed to being a part of that process. Spouses and families play
key roles in successful relocations. We often talk with spouses by
phone and meet them during our candidate interview visit. Typically, we
travel with hiring authority approval to the candidate's city to
conduct an in-depth interview. We often visit the candidate's home to
meet the spouse and gain a feel for their lifestyle - as it may impact
the relocation. We provide Chamber of Commerce information on the area,
as well as information on the company. The home visit may include a
viewing of videos on the company and/or the area. Our reports to
clients include a relocation assessment. We also typically assist our
clients with final negotiation of the compensation and relocation
package.
ARRANGING FOR CLIENT -
CANDIDATE MEETINGS:
Once our client has selected a panel of finalist candidates (often 2 to
4), JSA coordinates schedules for confidential meetings. Normally, one
or two finalists are invited back for a second meeting, to include an
opportunity for spouses to see the area, and to have dinner with our
client.
CONFIDENTIAL IN-DEPTH
REFERENCE CHECKING:
When finalist candidates are identified, JSA contacts individuals who
are qualified to comment in-depth as references for the candidates. The
credibility of these individuals is enhanced because frequently they
are either friends in the business or industry contacts of ours
developed over the last 30 years. Educational credentials are typically
verified and secondary references are often checked.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Joe Jordan's first assignment was an international search, and there
have been several since then. Bill Sitter lived and worked in Europe
and the Middle East for Caterpillar. JSA tracks candidates with
international experience and language capabilities.
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