7 Reasons to Choose an AESC Member Firm

The cost of a bad hire is high. Not only can a bad hire cost your organization hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation packages and duplicated recruiting investments, it can also shake the confidence of shareholders, create instability in customer or client relationships and diminish employee morale. 

Working with a member of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC), the global standard-setting association of the executive search and leadership consulting profession, can substantially reduce the risk of a bad hire and improve your chances for attracting and retaining top executive talent.  

Here’s why working with AESC member firms can minimize risk and boost your hiring success:

1. AESC Members Are Vetted to Rigorous Quality Standards.

The AESC Professional Practice Standards are aligned with the Code of Professional Conduct (our shared values) and provide a framework for how members conduct their business. Firms who would join AESC are carefully evaluated to ensure they meet or exceed these standards as part of admission to the association.

The vetting process also includes an evaluation of firm processes, client reference checks and a review of any legal actions that could implicate the firm in ethical breaches. Every AESC member firm has successfully completed each stage of vetting and evaluation before receiving an invitation to join.

2. AESC Members Adhere to Industry Best Practices.

AESC members agree to abide by AESC’s Code of Professional Conduct, the association’s guiding principles. AESC members are among the first to receive updates about legislative and regulatory issues impacting the profession, such as data privacy and pay transparency. Our members, who span the globe, also regularly exchange best practices at AESC Conferences, leadership forums, webinars, meetings and during education programs to ensure they are up on the latest tools, trends and methods to effectively source, assess, attract, and develop senior executives.

3. AESC Members Minimize Risk Through Confidential & Secure Processes.

In our digital world, there’s a near-constant threat of a data breach, which could cause private information to become public. AESC members take confidentiality and security seriously. They understand that clients and candidates alike entrust them with confidential, sometimes market-moving information. Clients and candidates can rest assured that AESC members respect confidentiality, are compliant with all regulations, ensure data privacy, and use best practices to reduce the risk of a cyber breach.  They do this while maintaining the integrity of sensitive information. 

A key tenet of the AESC Code of Professional Conduct is confidentiality: “AESC members protect confidential information entrusted to them by clients and candidates. This includes a commitment to data privacy and security.” 

4. AESC Members Provide a Competitive Advantage.

AESC members have access to hard-to-reach talent, giving your company an edge because there is always a shortage of top talent and a lot of competition for this talent.  This is a critical advantage when organizations are competing for specialized talent with a proven track record in areas such as leading change, driving growth, ensuring best practices in areas such as sustainability or DEI, and also in newer, tech specific areas from AI to Cyber to digital transformation. AESC members have deep industry expertise, networks and connections that enable them to access a diverse range of candidates including passive candidates. There are AESC members with expertise for virtually any industry, market or function, worldwide.  AESC members are rigorous in their work and aim to go beyond “the usual suspects.” 

5. Candidates Worldwide Trust AESC Members.

Candidates, especially passive candidates, are more likely to trust an independent third party, and AESC members are committed to candidate care. The AESC Candidate Bill of Rights outlines what candidates and prospective candidates can expect when working with an AESC member. Members provide candidates with open communication, confidentiality, and executive-level care.

6. AESC Members Share a Commitment to Continuous Learning.

With a dynamic leadership and talent business environment, AESC members understand the importance of continuous learning. Whether they’re joining member idea exchanges, reading AESC members-only research and reports on trending C-level issues, attending interactive conferences and webinars, or taking part in one of AESC’s education programs, members stay on top of the latest trends and best practices. Professional development and staying ahead of global trends and issues allows AESC members to provide greater value to clients.  

7. AESC Members Provide Objective Advice.

AESC members exercise independent judgment and make every effort to conduct their consulting activities based on impartial consideration of relevant facts, for example using comprehensive assessments and competency-based evaluations to inform objective, data-driven recommendations. They resist unconscious bias. The ethical principles of integrity and fairness affect every aspect of members’ consulting work whether searching for, assessing, or developing business leaders and teams.

Download AESC's Global Guide to Choosing an Executive Search Firm to learn more about why organizations should choose an AESC member when considering executive search and leadership consulting firms for their most important leadership roles.