Executive search is a retained process for a leadership role that the market will not fill from a job post alone. The client defines the outcome, the search firm maps people who are not actively applying, and both sides protect confidentiality. It is slower and more expensive than a normal hire because the shortlist is researched, not scraped.
Use it when the role is scarce and visible
A first-time head of function, a turnaround CXO, or a successor the board cares about are typical reasons. A role you could fill from inbound applications in a month does not need a retained search. Be honest about which one you have.
- Write the business outcome before you write the biography you want.
- Decide the compensation band before the firm starts calling people.
- Name one internal owner. Committees without an owner stall the search.
Expect a map, a shortlist and a structured close
A serious search starts with a market map, then confidential conversations, then a shortlist of people who have been told the risks. Interviews should still use a scorecard. The search firm does not replace the hiring decision.
- Ask how many of the shortlist are not already job-hunting.
- Meet the people. Do not hire from a paper profile.
- Keep the candidate informed. Senior people exit vague processes.
Candidates should ask who the client is and why the role is open
A credible approach names the firm, the mandate and, before deep conversations, the company. Ask why the role is open, what the first year must achieve, and how compensation is structured. Share your own constraints, including notice period and any conflict, early.
- Decline approaches that will not name the firm or the brief.
- Do not resign on a search conversation. Wait for a written offer.
- Ask who else is interviewing so you can judge the stage.
Retained search is for a scarce leadership outcome. The client still owns the decision, the band and the close.
Questions people ask
How is retained search different from a recruitment agency?
- A retained search is paid to complete a specific leadership mandate and to map the market. A typical agency is paid on joining and works a live requisition. Both can be professional. They are not the same product.
How long does an executive search take?
- A few months is common, because the people you want are employed and serving notice. A promise of two weeks is a sign the firm will only forward active candidates.
Is the process confidential?
- It should be. Ask who will hear your name, and withhold your current employer from a wide panel until the interest is mutual.
Related reading
Kabir Menon
Kabir covers applicant tracking systems and leadership hiring. He explains how shortlists are actually built, for candidates and for hiring managers.
