The two clocks
| United Kingdom | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Brief and map | 2 weeks | 2 weeks |
| Approach | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Shortlist and interviews | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Offer and acceptance | 1 to 2 weeks | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Notice | 3 months, often 6 in finance | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Decision to desk | About 6 months | About 3 months |
What you can compress, and what you cannot
You cannot compress notice, and trying to buy it out rarely works at executive level because the outgoing employer has more to lose than the money.
You can compress everything before it. Most of the time lost in a search is diary time on your side, not work time on theirs.
- Block interview slots before the shortlist arrives, not after.
- Agree the decision-maker before week one. Committee hiring adds weeks and loses candidates.
- Test the package against the market in week two, not at offer.
- Run references in parallel with the final round.
The gap nobody budgets for
Six months without a chief financial officer during a raise, or without a chief marketing officer through a launch quarter, costs more than any fee in this article. That gap is the real argument for filling a seat fractionally while a permanent search runs, and it is the only reason both businesses exist under one roof here.
Questions
- Why do executive searches take so long?
- The search is eight to twelve weeks. Notice is the rest: three months is standard at UK executive level and six is common in financial services.
- Can you speed up an executive hire?
- Not the notice period. Everything before it, yes: block interview diaries in advance, name one decision-maker, and test the package against the market early.