Executive Search Services for Employers

Executive-Recruiters.com partners with founders, boards, CEOs, private equity sponsors, and people leaders to source, qualify, and close C-suite and senior leadership executives. Our retained search practice is built around three commitments: a calibrated shortlist within 30 days, transparent weekly progress, and a structured replacement guarantee on every placement.

Retained search exists because executive hiring is high-stakes and high-cost. The compounding impact of one strong leader — or one mis-hire — defines company trajectory for years. Our process exists to remove guesswork: deliberate market mapping, structured assessment, calibrated comp negotiation, and discreet candidate handling from first conversation to first day on the job.

Our Process

  1. Engagement and search brief. We meet with the hiring sponsor and key stakeholders to align on role mandate, success metrics, organizational context, comp band, and non-negotiables. Output: a written search brief that becomes the candidate-facing pitch.
  2. Market mapping. We build a structured target list of 80–150 qualified executives, segmented by company, function, tenure, and likely motivation. This map is shared with you for calibration before outreach begins.
  3. Outreach and screening. Discreet, personalized outreach to mapped targets. Initial screens cover leadership capability, motivation, comp expectations, geographic flexibility, and timeline.
  4. Shortlist delivery. A calibrated shortlist of 4–6 candidates with written assessments, comp summaries, and recommended next steps — delivered within 30 days of kickoff for most mandates.
  5. Client interviews and assessment. We coordinate scheduling, prepare candidates, deliver structured debriefs, and run formal references plus any required leadership psychometric assessment.
  6. Offer and close. We manage comp negotiation, equity structuring, counter-offer dynamics, and start-date planning. We stay engaged for 90 days post-start to support onboarding and resolve any issues early.

Roles We Place

Our retained and contingency engagements span the full executive and senior leadership spectrum:

  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO) — Top strategic leader responsible for vision, growth, and board accountability.
  • Chief Operating Officer (COO) — Drives operational execution, scaling, and cross-functional performance.
  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO) — Owns financial strategy, capital allocation, investor relations, and reporting.
  • Chief Technology Officer (CTO) — Leads technology vision, engineering organization, and product architecture.
  • Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) — Shapes talent strategy, culture, total rewards, and organizational design.
  • Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) — Owns brand, demand generation, market positioning, and revenue marketing.
  • VP-Level Leaders — Functional VPs across Sales, Engineering, Operations, Finance, HR, and Product.
  • Director-Level Leaders — Senior managers leading business units, regions, or core functions.
  • Board Members — Independent directors, audit chairs, and governance specialists.

Beyond direct placement, we support interim executive engagements for organizations that need leadership capacity ahead of a permanent hire — useful in turnaround situations, post-acquisition integrations, and unplanned departures.

Retainer Structure

A standard retained engagement is structured in three milestone payments:

  • Engagement fee (one-third). Billed on signed engagement letter. Funds discovery, brief development, and market mapping.
  • Shortlist fee (one-third). Billed on delivery of the calibrated written shortlist with candidate assessments. Typically within 30 days of kickoff.
  • Placement fee (final third). Billed on the signed offer letter. Total fees commonly fall between 25% and 33% of placed executive's first-year cash compensation.

Every engagement includes a structured replacement guarantee. If a placed executive departs within the guarantee window for performance or fit reasons, we conduct a replacement search with no additional engagement or shortlist fee. Specific guarantee terms are included in the engagement letter.

For select VP and director-level mandates, we also offer contingency engagements — billed only upon hire, typically as a percentage of first-year base salary.

Industries We Serve

  • Healthcare & Life Sciences
  • Biotechnology & Pharma
  • Manufacturing & Industrial
  • Energy & Oil & Gas
  • Financial Services & Fintech
  • Technology & SaaS
  • Retail & Consumer Goods
  • Logistics & Supply Chain
  • Construction & Real Estate
  • Professional Services
  • Private Equity Portfolio Companies
  • Nonprofit & Higher Education

FAQ

What does a retained executive search engagement cost?

Retained executive search fees typically fall between 25% and 33% of the placed executive's first-year cash compensation, billed across three milestones: engagement, shortlist, and placement. Final pricing depends on role complexity, confidentiality requirements, and search geography.

How fast can you start a search?

We can kick off most engagements within five business days of a signed engagement letter. The first formal deliverable — a written search brief and target market map — is provided within ten business days. A calibrated shortlist of 4–6 candidates is delivered within 30 days of kickoff for most C-suite and VP-level mandates.

What guarantees do you offer?

All retained placements include a structured replacement guarantee. If a placed executive departs within the guarantee window for performance or fit reasons, we conduct a replacement search with no additional engagement or shortlist fee. Specific terms are included in every engagement letter.

How do you handle confidential searches?

Confidential mandates are run with sanitized search briefs, NDA-bound consultant teams, and direct-only outreach. The employer name is disclosed to candidates only at a defined stage of the process, after pre-qualification and mutual interest. We routinely manage searches where the incumbent has not yet been informed of the transition.

Will you work on contingency?

Yes, for select VP and director-level roles where the search is well-defined and a single engagement model is appropriate. We are transparent about which model best fits each mandate and will recommend retained when role criticality, timeline pressure, or confidentiality require exclusivity.

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