You have posed two different questions, the answers to which are independent in nature.
Approaching Senior Management for Job Opportunities
To answer your first question (what is the best way to approach a senior management person for a job opportunity?):
- By "way," if you mean the mode of communication, then the best way is to first talk on the phone.
- Introduce yourself and your company, and tell from where you got his reference.
- Then ask politely if he is looking for or interested in a change.
- If the person says 'no,' then you can just inform him that the position was from a good company (if required, briefly describe the company and the position); and tell him that should he need some time to think, you can call back after two or three days.
- If his answer is yes, then you can resume the conversation with your usual "pitch" about the company, job, etc., that you use for other potential candidates.
Key Considerations for Candidate Evaluation
To answer your second question (What are the points I should keep in mind to judge that the candidate will be ideal for the position?):
- Well, it totally depends on the JD that was given to you by the hiring company. Remember, you are not the final authority to judge the candidate. That is the responsibility of your client company. Your role is only to assess the suitability of the candidate for the role.
- You can do this by looking at his CV and matching his profile with the requirements of the job and as given in the JD.
- If there are certain fuzzy areas, you can check with the candidate whether he has such experience or is capable of handling these facets of the assignment.
- The most important task for you is to ascertain whether the candidate himself is willing and interested in the position you are offering, and to follow up until the day of the interview.
On many occasions, the consultants bemoan the fact that candidates do not turn up for the interview.
Hope the above was helpful to some extent. More inputs will be given by our members. You can always get back for more information or clarification.
Warm regards.