How to choose an executive search firm: 10 questions to ask

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Before you talk to any firm

Agree internally what the role must achieve, the offer range and who decides. Without this, every firm will sound convincing, and you will not be able to compare them. A template for this is in how to brief a recruiter and, for leadership roles, what to align before a leadership hire.

10 questions to ask a search firm

1. Who will work on my search? Names and roles: who takes the brief, who approaches candidates, who assesses them.
2. Have you searched for similar roles? Ask what was hard about them, not only for logos.
3. Where do you expect to find the right people? A good firm can name types of companies and roles in the first call.
4. How do you approach people who are not looking? And how do you describe the role without overselling it?
5. How do you assess candidates? What do you check, and what will I receive about each person?
6. How often will we talk, and what will you report?
7. How do you charge? Percentage or fixed fee, what counts as pay, when each payment is due. See executive search fees.
8. What is the guarantee? How long, what it covers and how it is written in the contract.
9. Which companies will you not approach? Firms usually do not approach people at their current clients.
10. When would you say no to this search? A firm that never says no is a risk.

Red flags

• A promised shortlist in a few days, before the firm understands the role.
• CVs sent without your agreement, or without a conversation with the candidate.
• A senior partner in the sales meeting, and someone you never meet doing all the work.
• Vague answers about fees, expenses or the guarantee.
• No questions about why previous attempts to fill the role failed.

Large firm or boutique

Large firms bring brand, many offices and research teams. Boutique firms usually offer more time from senior people and more flexible fees. Neither is better in general. What matters is who will work on your role and whether they understand the market for it. If you are still deciding whether you need a search firm at all, read recruitment agency or executive search.

Confidential and replacement searches

If the role cannot be advertised, ask how the firm will describe it without naming you, when candidates will learn the company name and who in the firm will know. More in confidential search.

How Talentholo answers these questions

The founders, Marcin Cieszyński and Renata Chmiel, take the brief, set the search strategy, assess candidates and give the recommendations. Our team supports part of the research, outreach and first screening. We work for companies in the EU, the US and Germany, wherever the role is. Our recommended model is a fixed fee agreed before we start and paid after the hire; a success fee is also available. Most searches carry a guarantee of three to six months, agreed before the search starts. More about our executive search.

FAQ

What should I look for in an executive search firm?

Who will actually run your search, how the firm reaches people who are not looking, how it assesses candidates, and clear terms for fees and the guarantee.

How many search firms should I talk to?

Two or three is usually enough to compare approaches. Brief each of them in the same way so you can compare the answers.

Should I use more than one search firm for the same role?

For a retained or fixed-fee search, no: one firm works exclusively. Several agencies at once is a contingency approach and makes confidentiality harder.

What is a reasonable timeline for an executive search?

It depends on the role and the market. Ask the firm for its own plan and milestones for your role, and compare those.