Executive Search
Confidential research and direct approach for senior seats.
We find the leader who moves the business. Not just a seat filled.
Confidential research and direct approach for the roles that don't tolerate a bad hire.
Why senior searches stall
The role is too critical to post and pray.
The candidates who'd actually move the needle aren't scrolling job boards. They're employed, well-regarded, and only reachable through direct approach and a real network. Maybe you've already tried a contingency firm and got a stack of resumes with no exclusivity behind it. So let's address the elephant in the room: a senior hire that doesn't work out costs you a year, not a quarter. Executive search, done right, is confidential research and direct outreach against a mandate you shaped, not a job post with a bigger fee attached. Here's how that actually plays out against building it yourself or hiring a search firm.
How we run a search
Six stages. Confidential from the first call.
Every search is guided by a mandate you approve, with a shortlist built from direct approach, not inbound applicants. Nothing about the search reaches the market until you decide it should.
01
Search Strategy & Mandate
We sit with your leadership and turn the vacancy into a mandate: what this person has to deliver in year one.
02
Confidential Market Mapping
Our researchers map the market, competitors, adjacent industries, and the bench you can't see, without your name attached.
03
Direct Approach & Outreach
We approach passive candidates directly. Most of the shortlist was never looking.
04
Assessment & Referencing
We conduct structured interviews and complete reference checks before an offer—not after.
05
Interview & Offer
We manage your panel process and lead the offer conversation, including counteroffer risk.
06
Onboarding & Integration
We stay engaged through the first 90 days so the new leader integrates successfully.
Three ways to solve this
Executive search isn't what you're used to
Run the search yourself, hand it to a contingency firm, or bring in NXTThing. Here's how the three actually compare once you're a few months in.
| Comparison criteria | Internal team | Contingency firm |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who's accountable when it slips | You, on top of everything else on your plate | Nobody, once the fee clears | We are, for the life of the mandate |
| Candidate pool | Whoever is in your own network | Mostly active job seekers, wide but shallow | Passive candidates reached by direct approach |
| Confidentiality | Hard to keep quiet inside your own org | Rarely exclusive, name can circulate | Confidential research, nothing reaches the market unannounced |
| Cost model | Fixed salary and overhead either way | A placement fee, often non-exclusive, paid to whoever gets there first | One retained fee for the mandate, not per resume |
| After the hire starts | You manage the ramp yourself | The relationship ends at placement | We stay engaged through onboarding, with a replacement guarantee |
The NXTThing difference
A shortlist, not a stack of resumes
25+ years of placements, a research bench, and a network that reaches passive candidates.
Confidential
Research and outreach that never puts your name or the vacancy on the open market
Research-Led
A dedicated research bench maps the market before anyone makes a call
Networked
25+ years of relationships that reach passive candidates, not just active seekers
Results
Faster searches, stronger shortlists, and a replacement guarantee behind every placement
Global Reach
Worldwide coverage for searches that cross borders
What it costs
1 fee
Retained engagement, one fee, no bidding war against other firms
9 weeks
Typical time from kickoff to signed offer
12 months
Replacement guarantee if the hire doesn't work out
A truly configurable solution
Blend the hiring solutionsthat fit your situation
Start with one service—or a few—depending on what today’s problem calls for. As you go, add, drop, or shift the mix as your needs change. Same team, same reporting, no new contract.
Managed Recruiting
A dedicated team runs your requisitions day to day.
Contingent Labor (MSP)
Governs the workforce that isn't on your payroll.
Recruitment Marketing
Runs upstream, building the pipeline the other four draw from.
Consulting
Keep running hiring yourself, process rebuilt first.
Frequently asked questions
The questions buyers actually ask, answered straight
What is executive search?
A retained, research-led process for senior and leadership roles. We map the market confidentially and go directly to top-tier candidates who would never answer a job post.
How is it different from a recruiter or staffing agency?
A contingency recruiter is typically paid only when they place a candidate, so they move fast and wide. Executive search is retained and exclusive—built to find candidates who aren't actively looking.
How long does a typical search take?
Most searches run six to twelve weeks from kickoff to signed offer, depending on seniority and how narrow the mandate is.
What happens if the placement doesn't work out?
Our searches carry a replacement guarantee, typically 12 months, so a hire that doesn't stick doesn't mean starting from zero.
Are executive recruiters worth it?
For senior roles the case rests on the cost of getting the hire wrong rather than on the fee. Executive search reaches people who are not applying to anything, assesses them against a defined brief, and manages a confidential process. For a role where a wrong hire is expensive to unwind, that process is the value.
What are the big 5 executive search firms?
The firms usually named are Korn Ferry, Heidrick and Struggles, Spencer Stuart, Egon Zehnder and Russell Reynolds. They dominate board and chief executive appointments. For director and vice-president roles, a smaller firm with a named consultant on your search is often closer to the work.
