Service for employers

Executive search

Retained, research led search for leadership roles, run by one named lead with discretion and rigour.

Brief us on a roleTalk to a consultant
An empty boardroom with a long table overlooking a city skyline at dusk

What it is

Executive search is for appointments where the wrong person costs years: a chief executive, a finance director, a director of nursing, a site director, a head of quality or a board member. The people you want are usually not applying for jobs, and the search often has to stay quiet because someone is still in the post or the market must not know yet.

This is retained work, led from first conversation to appointment by one named consultant. We map the market, approach people directly and discreetly, assess them against criteria agreed with you and report every week. The staged fee, timetable and replacement guarantee are set out in a written proposal before any work begins.

What you get

  • A written proposal covering scope, staged fee, timetable and guarantee before any work begins
  • One named lead consultant running the search from first conversation to appointment
  • A market map showing who was considered, who was approached and how they responded
  • Weekly written progress reports against the timetable agreed in the proposal
  • Candidates assessed against criteria agreed with you, with referencing and qualification checks before offer
  • Confidential approaches that do not name your organisation until you agree
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How it runs

Four steps, one consultant.

  1. 01

    Brief and proposal

    We meet the people who own the appointment to understand what the role must achieve and who will thrive in it. You receive a written proposal with scope, assessment criteria, timetable, staged fee and guarantee before any work begins.

  2. 02

    Research and approach

    We map the organisations and people relevant to the role, in Ireland and abroad where it makes sense, and approach them directly and discreetly. Your name is shared only when you agree and the candidate has a real interest.

  3. 03

    Assessment and shortlist

    Each serious candidate is interviewed in depth against the agreed criteria. You receive a written report on every shortlisted person, covering track record, motivation, pay expectations, notice period and any risks we think you should know about.

  4. 04

    Appointment and onboarding

    We manage interviews, references, the offer and the resignation, and tell every other candidate the outcome personally. After the appointment we stay in contact with you and the appointee through the first months.

Questions

What employers ask us.

Everything here is confirmed in writing before any work begins.

How is executive search priced, and why is it retained?

A retained search is commissioned work. We commit research time to your appointment alone, so the fee is paid in stages as the search progresses, not only on a start. That is different from our permanent service, where no fee is due unless someone starts, and we say so plainly. The stages, what triggers each one, what is included and the replacement guarantee are set out in a written proposal and agreed before any work begins. If a role does not need a retained search, we will tell you and suggest our permanent service.

How long does an executive search take?

Longer than a standard hire, mainly because senior people have long notice periods and need time to consider a move properly. The timetable depends on the role, the market and how quickly your own board or panel can meet candidates, so we agree it with you at the start. Your written proposal sets out dated milestones for the market map, the shortlist and final interviews. You then receive a progress report every week, so you always know where the search stands against that timetable.

How do you keep a search confidential?

We agree at the outset who inside your organisation knows about the search and how we contact them. Approaches to candidates describe the role without naming you until you say otherwise, and we can work under a confidentiality agreement where you need one. Candidate information is shared with you only with the candidate's explicit agreement and is handled in line with data protection law. The Data Protection Commission is the authority to check with on what employers must do with candidates' personal data.

What happens if the search does not produce an appointment, or the appointee leaves?

Both are covered in your written proposal before you commit. If the first shortlist does not produce an appointment, we review the search with you and tell you honestly if the brief, the pay or the timing needs to change. If the person appointed leaves within the guarantee period, we run the search again. The length and conditions of that guarantee are confirmed in writing before any work begins. Offers can fall through: in CIPD's UK Resourcing and talent planning report, published in September 2026, 25% of organisations reported challenges with counter offers or dropouts after acceptance.

How do you assess candidates, and what will we see?

You see evidence, not adjectives. Before the search starts we agree the criteria with you: what the person must have done, what they must be able to do and how they need to work with your board or team. Every shortlisted candidate is interviewed in depth against those criteria, and you receive a written report on each one, including our concerns. Before an offer is finalised we take references with the candidate's agreement and check qualifications and any professional registration the role requires.

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Ready to start a search?

A specialist consultant will call you within one working day to agree the plan, the timeline and the terms.

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