Have you ever gone shopping with an exact picture in your mind of what you want to buy?

You have no idea whether this imaginary, all-singing, all-dancing item actually exists, whether it's affordable or even where you might find it. You just know exactly what you want.

Sometimes, you hit the jackpot. Other times, after a lot of searching, you realise you need to compromise.

Executive search isn't all that different.

Clients often come to us with a clear picture of the person they want to recruit. They know what experience they're looking for and what they need that person to achieve, but they might not know where the best candidates are working or what the wider talent market looks like.

That's where research comes in.

A thorough understanding of the market at the beginning of a search can save a lot of time further down the line. It can also uncover people and organisations that might otherwise have been overlooked.

Here are three reasons why we believe research is such an important part of a successful executive search.

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1. Benchmarking your expectations

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Even in the best client relationships, there's room for misunderstanding when discussing a brief.

What one person considers relevant experience might not be quite what someone else had in mind.

That's why, at the beginning of a search, we research the market and put together a longlist of potential candidates, with a short description of their career history.

This gives clients the opportunity to see the types of people we're identifying and provide feedback on who's hitting the mark and who isn't.

It also gives you the chance to flag anyone you've worked with previously or would prefer us not to approach.

Without this process, you could get six weeks into a search only to be presented with a shortlist that doesn't reflect what you were looking for.

Far better to have those conversations early.

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2. Mapping the market

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The transport and infrastructure sectors move quickly.

Major projects start and finish, businesses win new contracts and senior leaders move between organisations. The talent market you remember from your last executive search might look quite different today.

Mapping the market gives you a much clearer picture of where relevant talent is currently working.

It can highlight companies that are particularly good places to recruit from, as well as organisations or sectors you might not have considered.

Equally, it can reveal that some of the businesses you assumed would be full of suitable candidates aren't quite as promising as expected.

There's also the question of salary.

Research can help establish what people with the relevant experience are currently earning, so you can assess whether your proposed package is competitive before approaching candidates.

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3. Understanding what's realistic

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Once you've got a clearer picture of the available talent pool, you can start to assess whether your original brief is realistic.

Sometimes, the person you have in mind simply doesn't exist. Or perhaps they do, but there are very few people with that combination of experience, and they're earning considerably more than you've budgeted.

That's not necessarily a problem. The point of research is to understand what's available and work out how that could fit your business.

You might discover that someone from a related sector has exactly the transferable experience you need, or that a particular requirement isn't quite as essential as you originally thought.

And sometimes, candidates who don't fit the original brief perfectly end up being the most interesting.

They can bring a different perspective, new ideas and experience that might not already exist within your organisation.

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Getting the foundations right

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With over 28 years of experience in executive search, we've seen first-hand how important it is to get the initial research stage right.

It's easy to underestimate the work that goes into a search before the first candidate is approached. But without a thorough understanding of the market, there's a risk of overlooking good people or spending valuable time pursuing the wrong ones.

Good research gives you the confidence that you've properly explored the available talent before making an important hiring decision.

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If you're planning a senior appointment and would like to understand more about our approach to research, drop us an email at enquiries@newsomconsulting.co.uk to find out how our in-house research team can help.