The executive Search Process

The typical timeframe from mandate briefing to signed offer is 10–14 weeks. First qualified profiles are typically delivered within 14 days. The shortlist with dossiers follows in weeks 5–8. The remaining time covers client interviews, the decision, and negotiation. The binding constraint is usually the number of interview rounds on the client side, not candidate availability.

Retained means the search is commissioned with a process fee that covers the work regardless of outcome. There is a reason for this: only retained mandates allow the depth that C-level and senior leadership appointments require — structured market mapping, direct outreach to passive candidates, and psychologically grounded assessment. Contingency search reproduces only the active candidate market. Retained search accesses the passive one.

Discretion is not an add-on for us — it is the default. All outreach runs under the name Ertler Executive Search, not yours. Position descriptions are anonymised until a candidate confirms genuine interest. No public posting, no database imports, no broadcast campaigns. We adapt the disclosure strategy to the sensitivity level of your mandate.

Executive search is not a guarantee of a good outcome — but a structured process significantly improves the probability. If a placement fails for reasons that could have been identified in the assessment, we analyse together what was missed. Conditions for replacement searches are agreed in the mandate briefing — transparently, not retrospectively.