Why Speed Matters in Today’s Junior M&A Hiring Market

In a competitive hiring environment, experienced Analyst and Associate level M&A candidates rarely stay on the market long. As an expert executive search and selection firm with 25+ years in operation, the team at JMES have a front row seat to the dynamics at play on both the candidate and client side and our involvement plays a pivotal role in the successful completion of hiring processes.

We wanted to share our insights on how to help gain the outcomes you need.

So why does speed matter and what are the knock-on effects when it’s lacking?

• We continue to see the need for experienced advisory talent to join active investment banks and advisory firms as their pipeline of work grows and their ranks need replenishment post departures to offshore markets or to buy side roles

• Whilst diligence and rigorous assessment through a process is a must, it is more often than not the processes working at speed that deliver results. When hiring processes drag, candidates naturally begin to feel undervalued and begin to invest in other firms who are more responsive, clear communicators and we often see clients miss out on their preferred candidates by this not being managed properly

• These knock-on effects can be costly for the business - there’s the loss of quality talent and the time invested in running the processes along with the implication of prolonged vacant positions causing productivity gaps that affect revenue and burden the existing team members with added workload and responsibilities, which in turn, can lead to burnout and decreased morale

To avoid these pitfalls, it is important to adopt a more strategic approach when it comes to the hiring process:

• Having a clearly defined brief and process mapped out before starting is key – know what your non negotiables are and where you can be flexible

• Once interviews begin, maintaining momentum becomes crucial, and candidates share these experiences. The way the employer communicates during the interview process often sets the tone for their perception in the market

• Finally - executing job offers quickly. The ability to close out a competitive hiring process requires focus and continued speed of delivery to ensure momentum and ensure that candidates are not left wondering or, ultimately, leaving the window open for a competitor to step in

Think you need advice or assistance to avoid key hiring pitfalls, or need help to refine your recruitment process and approach? Please get in touch with me lstiff@jmes.com.au or the team here at JMES to discuss.