What Is Executive Recruiting?

Executive recruiting is the act of locating, evaluating, assessing, and attracting a top-performing executive to an organization or company. Executive recruiting applies when

• The search for a new executive hire must remain confidential.
• The search is for an executive who will serve on the board or sit in the C-suite.
• The skillset needed is rare or in short supply.
• The annual salary is $150,000 or more.
• The position is in another country.

Most business decisions are small. A single sale, choice, or interaction doesn't add much value to a company — or damage it much if it goes wrong. Recruiting an executive, however, is a big business decision — one that can add tremendous value or destroy a company altogether.

Recruiting an executive — the right executive — is the single greatest opportunity an organization has to improve both performance and culture in one stroke. The fresh thinking brought by a skilled leader can unleash innovation, empower employees, and generate wealth for the company.

Hiring the wrong executive is another story altogether. A bad hire can mortally wound an organization and cause ripple effects throughout the entire economy.

Recruiting an executive can make or break an organization.

Given its importance, it should come as no surprise that executive recruiting is, well, hard. Indeed, few initiatives are as demanding, disruptive, or strategically challenging as a leadership search. But when it's successful, executive recruiting is the only initiative that can move an organization or group to the next level.