Guide for HR Professionals

HR departments often work with full-service recruitment agencies only to find that the agency applies a cookie-cutter approach even in hiring for specialised, strategic positions. But the nature of Legal, Compliance, Policy, Government Affairs, Company Secretary and Finance roles is such that a more bespoke approach is needed. 

While legal leadership recognises the value of partnering with a specialised search firm, it’s equally important for HR teams to consider the appreciation of nuance that specialists bring to the table. By combining our deep market expertise with HR’s insights, we can ensure that the organisation takes the right decisions on talent. 

Here are some tips for HR professionals to build a strong, effective partnership with a specialised search firm: 

✅ Share a list of candidates already evaluated.

HR teams often screen multiple candidates before engaging with an executive search firm. By sharing this list, recruiters can focus on identifying fresh talent rather than duplicating efforts. This saves time and ensures a broader talent pool.

Example: A client once engaged us to find a General Counsel. Weeks into the search, we realised that several of our shortlisted candidates had already been evaluated by the client internally. Sharing this information up-front would have saved time and helped us focus the search more narrowly.

✅ Move beyond a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on profiles.

Sharing specific feedback—whether on skill gaps, cultural fit or interview performance—helps recruiters refine the search. This leads to better-aligned candidates and a more efficient hiring process. Specialised search firms make detailed notes of the feedback and keep them on file so that it can feed into any future assignments with the client.

✅ Give feedback within 24-48 hours.

High-quality candidates often have multiple offers. A delay in feedback can result in losing top-notch and outlier talent to competitors.

Example: A client once took two weeks to provide feedback on a stellar candidate. The candidate had accepted another offer by the time we heard back. A 24-48 hour feedback cycle keeps the wheels moving and improves the client’s chances of bagging top talent. This kind of promptness is built into our process—we typically share the first batch of profiles with the client within 48 hours of receiving a brief.

✅ Keep recruiters informed about candidate interactions.

When recruiters know what’s discussed with candidates—concerns, competing offers or expectations—they can handle negotiations more effectively. This transparency helps in positioning the offer and reducing last-minute drop-offs.

✅ Share a realistic budget range upfront

Hiring budgets often fluctuate due to organisational changes. Instead of waiting until the final stages to adjust salary expectations, sharing a ballpark figure early helps prevent last-minute back-and-forth. Going into conversations with talent, helps the recruiter to know the client’s approximate floor and ceiling amounts.

Example: In a recent mandate for a Compliance Head, the initial budget shared was ₹1.5 crore. However, during the final stages, the approved budget was reduced to ₹1.2 crore, leading to a misalignment with shortlisted candidates.

✅ Involve the hiring manager early and align expectations

A disconnect between Talent Acquisition (TA) and hiring managers can slow down the process, and leave the recruiter confused about who they are answerable to. Given the specialist nature of Legal and Governance roles, TA or HR may not have the subject expertise to judge the technical fitment of a candidate. The hiring manager, on the other hand, is likely to have the technical qualifications and expertise. We’ve noticed that compensation can be a bone of contention between TAs and hiring managers. Organisations may lose out on good quality candidates if they are not able to match industry standards. Bringing all stakeholders on the same page ensures a smoother hiring journey.

Specialised search firms like Vahura are often able to transcend the transactional client-vendor relationship. We see ourselves as trusted advisors who are interested in achieving a deep understanding of what the client is trying to accomplish. It’s an approach that helps us invest in a client relationship as one for the long-term. That’s why specialised search firms are able to offer market insights, compensation benchmarking and hiring strategy advice that is tailormade for the enterprise.

✅ Use our expertise beyond sourcing candidates.

We analyse hiring trends, salary benchmarks and competitor insights to help HR teams shape effective and well-rounded hiring strategies.

Example: A multinational law firm wanted to expand its Compliance team but wasn’t sure whether to hire in Mumbai or Bengaluru. Our market intelligence helped them identify Bengaluru as a more suitable talent hub for their specific requirement.

✅ Consult with us at the offer stage to ensure competitive compensation.

Making a lowball offer can lead to offer rejections and counter-offers. With real-time market data, we help position offers that are both competitive and attractive. Given our experience and extensive network, we have a pulse on compensation trends.

✅ Seek post-joining feedback to refine future hiring strategies.

Checking-in on new hires helps HR teams understand integration challenges, retention factors and whether hiring strategies need tweaking. We keep communication lines open with both talent and client, and ensure that the smooth flow of information helps everyone perform to their potential.

✅ Schedule weekly or bi-weekly calls for ongoing mandates

For Key Account Management (KAM) clients, we offer regular sync-ups to help track progress, address challenges and adjust the search approach. We are quick to respond to ideas and concerns, and iterate quickly if the project needs a steer or direction change.

✅ Go beyond skills—evaluate cultural alignment

Technical expertise is crucial but cultural fit determines long-term success. We deep-dive into candidate motivations, work styles and values to ensure a strong match. Assessing cultural fit is where the best search firms operate differently from the rest. Speaking for Vahura particularly, our emphasis on research and talent mapping ensures that we have a strong sense of what organisations stand for and what they’re looking for.

When HR teams and specialised search firms collaborate effectively, hiring becomes faster, more strategic and impactful. By adopting these best practices, HR professionals can not only fill positions efficiently but also build stronger and more resilient teams in Legal, Compliance, Policy, Government Affairs, Company Secretary and Finance.

At Vahura, we go beyond recruitment—we enable the long-term success of both people and organisations. Let’s partner for smarter hiring!