Before you engage
- They will not name the off-limits companies. This is the single most predictive one.
- They present candidates in the first meeting. Those people are on a list, not mapped to your brief, and the firm is selling speed rather than a search.
- The partner who pitches cannot say who will run it.
- They agree to your package without pushing back. A firm that knows the market should tell you where your number is weak.
In the contract
- The shortlist is not defined. Without a number and a standard, the middle payment is triggered by an email.
- The fee recalculates upward with no cap.
- There is no failure clause at all.
During the search
- No declines reported. Either nobody senior was approached, or you are not being told the truth about the market.
- The shortlist arrives early and full. Eight candidates in three weeks usually means a database search, not a mapped market.
The one that is not a red flag
A firm telling you the seat is hard, the package is light, or the timeline is unrealistic is doing the job. The firm that agrees with everything is the one to worry about.
Questions
- Is it bad if a search firm shows candidates immediately?
- At the first meeting, usually yes. Those people are from a database rather than mapped against your brief, and you are being sold speed instead of a search.
- Should a search firm push back on my salary?
- Yes. A firm that knows the market should tell you if your package will not attract the people on the target list. Agreement with everything is the warning sign.