In this edition of the President's Letter, Jeff gives you an insider's look into how search firms work by sharing the The Unique JB Homer Search Process and how it effects you as a candidate. Judy President, JB Homer Associates

So you've received a call from JB Homer Associates - how enticing! We have contacted you because we have been retained by our client to recruit an executive for a specific technology leadership position. You may be already known to us through an ongoing relationship and we feel your credentials and experience fit the client's requirements, or you've come across our radar through targeted original research of your background and qualifications, or you may have been referred to us by an executive in our network.

JB Homer is retained to find candidates that match the requirements of the position. Every search is a three-way partnership amongst JB Homer, the client, and the candidate. We believe in constant communication and transparency with both you and the client.

If there's an initial interest level, the next step is to exchange information; we will then send you a detailed position description. In return, you'll reply back with your current resume, which will help facilitate a follow-up conversation to determine potential next steps. We have a relationship and access to the hiring manager and HR partner, which allows us to understand more about the opportunity and the company culture than what is portrayed in the position description.

We will conduct a screening process to determine your potential fit and interest level by discussing the details of the role, asking questions about your responsibilities and accomplishments relevant to the position, and why you would consider a move at this time (from both a professional and personal perspective), and financial information such as current compensation, including upcoming bonus and equity payouts, as well as querying if there are any disqualifying factors such as a non-compete clause in your employment contract. It's important to be accurate about the information listed in your resume, as well as career objectives and geographical preferences.

The next step will be a meeting over video-conference and in-depth, in-person interviews with the JB Homer team, in order to further assess skill-set, cultural and behavioral fit. Assessing the proper cultural fit is key to a successful hire.

From there, we will typically present the top 4-6 candidates we have assessed for the client, as we continue to evaluate and benchmark other candidates. Once qualified, references will be checked.

If the client determines your background warrants consideration for the position, you'll then interview directly with them. We will prepare you for these interviews with information on each executive's role in the organization, and by the same token you should be prepared to discuss how you can directly impact the organization.

Treat each interview as a business meeting. The best approach is not to treat the interviews as a one-sided "interrogation", but as a meeting of professionals with shared objectives.

Following the interviews, we will gather feedback from both you and the client to determine whether or not you'll move forward in the process. If you are selected as the candidate of choice, we will then help to formulate an offer along with the client, balancing your needs with the client's.

Following your start date, we will conduct an on-boarding process that includes both the client and you to help ensure a successful, seamless integration.

I hope this guide has been able to provide you with a clearer expectation about working with us.