What Sets Us Apart?
We all know that specialization in your industry, function, niche or location is what makes you an expert in your field especially in executive search and executive recruiting. It takes time to understand your clients' businesses, their challenges and how you as a search firm can solve for these.
Retaindly has been working with executive search firms across the country for over a year now and we have discovered a few things about the types of search firms we work with and what sets us apart from (the very few) competitors we have out there.
Born and Raised From Boutique Executive Search.
We've been in the search industry for nearly 12 years now. All of those 12 years has been spent working with boutique executive search firms and independent search consultants that love the work they do, but are always competing against SHREK firms. Within these 12 years we've learned a lot about search and marketing, but we've always specialized in supporting boutique search firms. For us, specialization will always win - and this is why we do what we do.
Staffing Is Not Equal To Search.
We've had a few conversations lately with search firms the last few months, that are looking to switch and partner with Retaindly for their marketing. We always ask the question "What has been missing from your prior marketing partnership or relationship" and are met with:
They didn't understand executive search or executive recruiting
There was little value we received
They didn't understand our business
The relationship was transactional and not a real partnership
Let's face it, there are a lot of recruitment marketing and staffing marketing agencies out there, but Search is Search - not staffing. Staffing marketing agencies have a hard time understanding the differences between staffing and executive recruiting. As an executive search firm, your marketing strategy goals shouldn't be to educate job seekers on job hunting - but rather provide value on what is happening at the leadership level within your industry. In some cases your candidates become clients, so building a brand as a trusted advisor instead of a gatekeeper is key. There are a lot of staffing marketing agencies out there - but we have yet to find a direct competitor to Retaindly that knows, understands and works with executive level search firms the way that we have.
We Grew Up In The Digital Age.
When we first began working in marketing for the executive search industry - social media was in its infancy and had very limited capabilities in terms of marketing, reach and branding. We have watched and adapted over the last 12 years as social media and digital marketing has grown and remain invested and committed to bringing these best practices to our search firms we work with. The age of the printed pitch deck, mailer, conference marketing materials is behind us. We see the value in having branded marketing materials and we provide this to search firms - but the future is digital and we have grown up surrounded by it professionally and personally.
We Support You In The Most Efficient Way Possible.
When we launched Retaindly - we saw an opportunity. We know that search firms cannot justify hiring a full-time marketing team member - nor do they have the need for one. So we work with search firms in a flexible way that meets your goals and drives results. We work on anything from one-time marketing projects all the way up to a monthly retainer (as a contracted Marketing Director). We work directly with Search Firm Managing Directors and Founders and even support full-time marketing teams at search firm.
The truth is we love what we do. The fact that we get to support more than one search firm in this way helps us drive better marketing strategy for our clients and support the executive search industry in a much more meaningful way.
About The Author.
Thaddeus Andres is the Founder of Retaindly. He has been working as a marketing expert serving executive search firms and individual executive recruiters for over 12 years. He has an intricate first-hand knowledge of the executive search process, the value executive search provides and how to position this to clients. He has created websites, implemented lead generation campaigns, driven paid and unpaid social media ad campaigns, curated email nurture campaigns, elevated brands and published over 200 thought leadership content pieces.