•   Understanding the mission and culture of the company

•   Working closely with both Human Resources and hiring managers to insure an understanding of key impact areas and ideal profile for the position

•   Seeking candidates using every resource avail-able

•   Screening, interviewing, testing and checking references

•   Recommending the most appropriate two or three candidates

SNOWDEN search professionals have earned a reputation for excellence in performing hundreds of successful impact player search assignments including executive, senior and middle management, as well as professional level positions.

Who are we?
We are a Regional firm with International reach and offices located in Portsmouth, NH and Boston, MA.

We are affiliated with Stanton Chase International, the tenth largest provider of retained executive search services worldwide has 65 offices in 42 countries and has 360+ Search Consultants with a database of 46,000+ candidates.

We are the largest retained search firm in Northern New England and recently celebrated 20 years in executive search. Our experienced search team has over 50 years of combined experience. We have done it before, many times.

Why Snowden Associates?

Our Key Operating Principles help us to focus on what is important.

We believe all business is personal and local and that business is based on a relationship built on mutual trust and respect.

Once a client retains Snowden Associates, the consultant and researcher becomes the client in the eyes of the 100 to 200 potential candidates and sources who are likely to be involved in the various stages of the search process.

Our information technology provides a tool which improves responsiveness and reduces candidate generation cycle time. Our addition of video conferencing allows us to cost effectively, personally interview, our candidates regardless of their location.

As an international firm we are large enough to achieve the critical mass necessary for both diversity of assignments and synergy in our approach.

Snowden manages every search engagement as a custom consulting project tailored to meet the specific needs of the client's organization, giving special attention to the management style, strategic objectives and corporate culture.

Snowden has been conducting executive searches for over 20 years in NH, New England and internationally, and has earned a solid reputation; with the majority of new business coming from client referrals.

We are in the retained executive search business; our search team has no other responsibilities but search so we can concentrate on the task at hand, bringing the “right fit” for the position. “We bring people, not resumes!”

As a Generalist firm, we are just as comfortable filling positions from senior professionals, mid-level managers, Directors to Senior Leaders. Our network of over 50,000 people provides a great starting point.

Snowden Associates Search Process

Whether it is a search for a Board Member, President, CFO, Controller or an Executive Director the structure and procedural flow of a Snowden Associates engagement remains the same.

This common template creates the framework for monitoring the progress and quality of effort of every assignment.

Two Key Elements of a Search

•   Develop an Understanding of the Organization

•   Define the Position and Profile

Physical Elements of a Search

•   Initiate Research

•   Contact Potential Candidates and Sources

•   Confer with the Client on Candidates

•   Candidate Interview Phase

•   Candidate Offer Phase

•   Conduct Follow-up

Develop an Understanding of the Organization

A fundamental and clearly necessary step is researching as much about the company and position as possible. We work with materials provided by the company, the job description and focus on understanding and knowing the “hiring manager”. Defining reality as it relates to “fit” is critical.

Define the Position and Profile

We start with the Company job description. Utilizing a extensive search question check sheet we interview all leaders who will have an influence in the hiring process. Our goal here is to identify all of the “intangibles."

Creating the Working Tools

From the work completed so far we create two tools

•   The “Ideal Candidate” job profile

•   The interview checklist

The “Ideal Candidate” job profile

The Job Profile is provided to candidates prior to interviewing so they have an understanding of the position and the needs of the hiring manager.

The Interview Checklist

The Interview Checklist is the tool used during the screening process and the results are provided to the hiring manager for the interviewing process.

Initiate Research

Once all documents are created the search begins and our Research Department develops a plan in close coordination with the consultant on how the search will be conducted.

This plan identifies target organizations in the same and related industries, referrals from previous searches; we investigate relevant trade and industry associations, our internal resume database and send out the job profile to our network. Resumes found are sent to consultant for screening.

Contact Potential Candidates and Sources

In the course of a typical search we will make contact with 100 to 200 individuals by telephone or E-mail. On any prospective candidate, we will do an Initial phone screen; prior to that we will have sent them the job profile. Those selected for further interviewing will receive a full phone screen utilizing the candidate checklist. Those perceived to be potential finalists will receive a personal interview.

Confer with the Client

We maintain client contact throughout the research and candidate contact phase. Our first timeline milestone occurs at a point about 21 days from the start of the search. We review the status of the search, present our market findings report and present resumes of 2 to 3 benchmark candidates whom we view as potentially qualified for the position to get a sense of whether we are on track. Our second milestone is usually 43 calendar days out when we present the candidate interview checklist of the 2 to 3 candidate we perceive to be finalist for the position. It would be anticipated that one of the candidates from this group would be offered the position.

Client Interview Phase

Once agreed upon we set up interviews for the “short-list” of 2 to 3 candidates. We provide communication and coordinate an appropriate interviewing schedule for the final candidates. The hiring manger will be presented with a detailed Resume with Notes and Candidate Interview Checklist.

Client Offer Phase

For the final candidate selected our consultants also assist in the delicate hiring/offer process, maintaining close client and candidate contact throughout the negotiations and acceptance.

On Boarding Period

After the assignment is completed and during the 90 day on boarding period, we contact the successful candidate and hiring manager on a regular basis.

Occasionally, a new placement experiences start-up problems within the new organization that can only be identified by a third party. We provide coaching on an as needed basis to assure a smooth transition.

Our Goal

Our Goal is to provide a quality search that produces a candidate who “fits” the organization and we can feel good about the process. We have built our business on relationships and repeat business.

We know we are successful when we call to ask the hiring manager to act as a reference on a future search and the answer is “YES”.