How We Work

ExecutiveSurf’s global process revolves around finding the right people for you, not just for today, but for months and years to come.

Our innovative fee structure is designed so that it puts the onus on us to find great, long-term hires which help your company to thrive over the long term.

We’re able to achieve this through our multi-national team who understand local markets and cultural nuances across the world. We recruit where you need to, and without the overheads of expensive offices across the globe – which means our global footprint is lean but doesn’t compromise the quality we provide.

We work to deliver value and quality

We know that a successful candidate creates a stronger team that brings better results and earns you kudos from management. With our global industry contacts and know-how, we can help. And our record speaks for itself.

Revolutionary billing system

Stay on budget with our unique and innovative billing system that gives you a commitment from us to provide the right people to your team over the long term.

Access to best in-class talent

You need the right person. With our extensive track-record and headhunting expertise, we will find that hire – and quickly.

No geographic barrier

There is no limit. No matter the location, we’ve got it covered. Our global team of experts are ready to help, from San Francisco, to London, to Tokyo, and back again.

Fee Structures

Rate Card

Full fee is a percentage of salary

TaaS

(Talent as a Service)

With TaaS, if our candidate leaves the billing stops until our replacement candidate joins. This service flips the normal hiring process on its head and puts the emphasis on us to find talent that will be successful in the long term. It’s not about finding a hire who interviews well. It’s about seeing beyond that and identifying those individuals who will be a fit over time; who will hit the ground running and continue to bring value over the long term.

With Taas, our satisfaction and fulfilment (and indeed most of our success fee) only comes once a candidate is well over a year into their role.

The recruitment sector is an extremely dynamic one. And yet fee models remain stubbornly stable. Fees for recruitment firms are usually based on a percentage of the salary of the candidate they place. Global executive search firms (headhunters) charge between 25% and 33% of salary and those fees are split into three tranches: Retainer fee, Shortlist and Success fee. Minimum fees are in the region of €50,000. Selection companies, working in the mid to low salary range, charge between 15% and 25%, mostly billed upon successful placement alone.

Thanks to its lean virtual structure, ExecutiveSurf is able to offer a full headhunting service in the 15-20% range. But because we offer that full headhunting service – which requires a great deal of research- we never work on a contingency or success-basis.

So if your preference is for a ‘reassuringly expensive’ headhunter with all the trappings of sophisticated luxury, we are not for you. Or if you seek a low cost, low commitment provider, we are an equally bad fit. If on the other hand, you’re an organisation that likes to work with a no-frills, high value, long-term partner, then we should talk…