The Right Fit

When the owner of a posh destination resort in southern California needed to replace his retiring general manager, he turned to a retained recruiter to conduct the search. A retained recruiter is paid for the search regardless of the outcome of that search. The search professional first spent time at the resort to familiarize himself with the operation. He then sent a far-flung inquiry among resort operators and other segments of the industry to find potential candidates. Winnowing the first 60-plus responses down to 13, the recruiter then conducted lengthy telephone interviews to reduce the list to six. Those persons spent time at the resort and met with the owner. After further deliberation and reports prepared by the recruiter, the owner selected the candidate he thought best fit the position. As part of his service, the recruiter will check back on the match at intervals of two months, six months, and a year.