The Hospitality Talent Scouts Confidential Search
Often, we are asked to perform numerous Confidential Searches. What this means is that the employer wants to make a leadership change for a particular position but does not want to terminate, transfer, or demote the current person in the position until an alternate candidate is secured. This gives the employer the opportunity of seeking a replacement without the knowledge of the current person in the position. We have performed numerous successful Confidential Searches for clients for various positions, including Vice Presidents of Operations & Sales, General Managers, Restaurant General Managers, Directors of Sales, Executive Chefs, Executive Housekeepers, etc.
This type of search is just another reason an employer should be very careful when securing an executive search firm for such a search. Obviously, an unprofessional, unskilled, or sloppy recruiter can very easily create a very embarrassing situation for the employer and existing employee, not to mention some major legal ramifications that can be very costly to the employer.
Hospitality Talent Scouts has completed numerous Confidential Searches that have allowed employers to make leadership changes on their schedules as opposed to having to act abruptly because the details of the search leaked out.
The Blind Release Designed for the Confidential Search
A blind release is a document we use when we present an opportunity to a potential candidate (usually one who is gainfully employed) that we believe would be a good fit for an employer's opportunity, without exposing to the candidate our client's identity. Hospitality Talent Scouts, because of its industry reputation, has been extremely successful at obtaining blind releases from its candidates in our Talent Bank for our clients that engage us in Confidential Searches.
Here is how it works. The candidate gives Hospitality Talent Scouts permission to share their resume with an undisclosed employer for a specific position in a general area. This conceals any possibility of the candidate learning who our client is but allows us to give enough information to gain their possible interest. Because of Hospitality Talent Scouts' reputation for integrity, we are almost always able to get a blind release from our candidates because of the trust that our candidates have in us. The benefit to our clients through our level of trust is that they get to view the resumes of qualified candidates without the candidates knowing who the searching employer is. This limits the employer's exposure to any unnecessary embarrassment or, potentially worse, lawsuits. Of course, we have requirements of our clients to ensure our candidates' confidentiality as well.