CANDIDATE REPRESENTATION
Confidential candidate representation (at no cost to the candidate) is Riverbend Group’s other primary area of specialization, in addition to attorney recruiting and other executive search services. Riverbend Group consultants have decades of experience designing and executing confidential marketing campaigns on behalf of highly-qualified candidates and groups who are interested in comparing multiple opportunities in a relatively short time frame before deciding to accept an offer of employment.

After carefully evaluating a candidate’s education, experience and skills relative to existing market conditions, the appropriate Riverbend consultant will discuss with the candidate whether an individually tailored campaign of this type would be mutually beneficial. If so, a target list of top potential employers is prepared and culled, and help is provided with regard to the preparation of a suitable résumé, business plan, transactions or case list and/or other helpful and appropriate materials, depending on the level and practice area of the candidate. Once the candidate is properly "packaged," the consultant then contacts each employer by telephone (or, in certain cases, in person) to discuss the candidate’s background and notable selling points, without identifying the candidate.

As these various conversations take place (often with multiple partners or other hiring authorities within a company or firm), the Riverbend consultant will only progress beyond the "profiling" stage when certain agreed-upon criteria have been met. Typically this occurs when the employer has expressed a genuine interest in the candidate, the Riverbend consultant is fully satisfied that the employer has a need that matches the candidate’s career goals and compensation requirements, and the candidate has given authority to the Riverbend consultant in advance to contact the employer (including discussing any potential client conflicts that may need to be disclosed to the potential employer before identifying the candidate, etc.).

Once the initial interviews have been arranged, the Riverbend Group consultant continues to manage the entire process on behalf of the candidate. This includes gathering feedback from both the candidate and each potential employer, and then, based in part on that feedback, helping the candidate evaluate each opportunity vis-á-vis the others.

Finally, at the conclusion of all interviews, it is normally the Riverbend Group consultant who extends any offer(s) that are to be made to the candidate by the interviewing employers. This process assures that the consultant has as much input as possible into the terms of any offer to be extended.

In all cases, Riverbend Group’s fees are paid by the hiring employer. Riverbend’s policies do not allow for the payment of any fees by individual candidates.
Representing top candidates on a highly confidential basis to the best possible employers is one of our two main specialty areas. It is a natural complement to our other core business, executive search.