Our Process

What actually happens between the kickoff call and the signed offer

Most search firms describe their process in four vague verbs. Here is ours in detail, including what lands in your inbox at each stage — so you can hold us to it.

01

Calibration

Week 1

We sit down with you, the hiring executive, and two or three people the role will work alongside. We leave with a written success profile: what this person has to fix in year one, what good looks like at ninety days, the compensation the market will actually require, and the two or three things about this job that are genuinely hard — because those are what the best candidates will ask about first.

You receiveA written role specification and success profile, plus a target company list for your approval.
02

Market mapping

Weeks 1–3

Original research, not a database pull. We build a named universe of people who have done a version of this job at a company like yours, at the stage you are at — including the ones who are not looking, which is most of the good ones. You see the whole map, not a curated slice of it.

You receiveThe full market map — every name, current company, and status — which is yours to keep whatever happens next.
03

Outreach

Weeks 2–6

Every approach is written for the person receiving it, by the person who will interview them. Senior leaders ignore templates and they always have. What they answer is a specific, informed note about why this role, at this company, at this moment, is worth thirty minutes of their attention.

You receiveA weekly written update: who was approached, who responded, who is in conversation, who passed — and what the passes are telling us about the role.
04

Assessment

Weeks 3–7

Structured interviews against the success profile we agreed in week one — not a general impression of seniority. Candidates come to you with a written profile and an explicit recommendation, including the reservations. A slate with no reservations in it has not been assessed.

You receiveWritten candidate profiles: background, evidence against each success criterion, compensation expectations, motivation, and risks.
05

Interviews & references

Weeks 5–10

We help design the loop so it tests the things that matter and does not exhaust the candidate on the things that do not. We facilitate the debrief, chase the interviewers who owe you feedback, and run deep references — including people the candidate did not put on the list.

You receiveInterview loop design, facilitated debriefs, and written reference reports.
06

Offer, close & landing

Weeks 8–12

Searches are lost at the offer more often than at the slate. We work the offer strategy with you, prepare the candidate for the resignation conversation and the counteroffer that follows, and stay in contact through the first ninety days — because a placement that leaves in year one was not a placement.

You receiveOffer strategy, close management, and scheduled check-ins with both sides after the start date.

Every Friday, in writing

The weekly update is the discipline that keeps a search honest. It is the same document every week, so the trend is visible.

Pipeline by stageApproached, in conversation, assessed, presented — with names.
Passes and whyComp, stage, location, or the role itself. The pattern matters more than the count.
Market intelligenceWhat we are hearing about comp, titles, and who is hiring against you.
What we need from youUsually a decision or a calendar slot. Searches slow down on the client side more often than anyone admits.

Ready to start the calibration conversation?

Thirty minutes, and you will know whether this is the right kind of search.

Book a call