Let’s get real for a moment.

‍Finding top executive talent in 2025 feels like trying to land a unicorn in a suit.

Everyone wants the same mythical leader: someone who can navigate market chaos, “drive transformation”, and maybe even walk on water. 

If your last executive search left you questioning your life choices (or at least your career ones), you’re not alone. Everything in the recruitment world has shifted hard, and the old-school recruitment playbook is about as useful as a fax machine. 

Whether you’ve done this a dozen times or it’s your first big hire, this guide walks you through what’s changed, what actually works, and how to build a search process that won’t waste your time – or blow your budget. 

Because, let’s face it: when you’re hiring someone who’ll be making million-dollar decisions, “good enough” isn’t good enough.

You Can't Ignore How These Trends Are Reshaping The Industry

To say things have changed quite a bit in the past few years when it comes to an executive recruitment strategy would be an understatement.

Here’s what’s happening now, in 2025: 

1. The Great Executive Reshuffle: Executive turnover remains high in the post-pandemic era. According to Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends report, executive turnover reached the highest rate in two decades, driven by evolving expectations around flexibility and purpose. 
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2. Skills Over Pedigree: A fancy title and Ivy League MBA might still turn heads, but they’re no longer the deal-closer. Many organizations prioritize leadership capabilities, demonstrated skills, and the ability to be agile over formal credentials.
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3. AI-Enhanced, Still Human-Driven: AI is helping search firms sort smarter and faster. But nobody’s letting ChatGPT pick their next CTO. Gartner’s latest research highlights that HR leaders use AI to support talent decisions, but maintain that final hiring choices rely on human judgment and intuition.  
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4. Remote Leadership Is the Default: Hybrid and distributed teams are here to stay. That means companies need leaders who know how to engage and manage from anywhere. Not just from the corner office. 
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5. Agility Over Experience: The half-life of professional skills is rapidly shrinking. A recent report notes technical skills now have an average shelf-life of just 2 - 5 years. Leaders who continuously adapt, innovate, and learn are more critical than ever. 

Executive Recruitment Process Step-by-Step

As your organization evaluates its hiring strategies and considers whether to outsource its enterprise recruitment process, it makes sense to think about the many components of the process.

Let’s walk through them below. 

1. Revisit Your Hiring Experience Guidelines

Start by adopting a comprehensive and structured hiring process to prevent disorganization and lack of direction. 

If devising a recruitment plan sounds out of reach to you and your organization’s board members, working with an executive search firm like MSH that already has a proprietary hiring process in place might be the best move.

2. Consider Working With A Hiring Partner

It can be tempting to DIY the hiring process in the hopes of saving time and money. But finding and hiring top-notch executives isn’t easy. 

At this point in the process, it’s a good idea to weigh the pros and cons of various hiring options like RPOs vs staffing/recruiting agencies vs in-house recruitment. 

3. Hold A Discovery/Intake Meeting

Assuming your organization decides to work with an executive search firm, they’ll likely initiate a discovery meeting. 

This makes sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to the hiring goals, timeline, and key performance objectives for the position.

4. Determine The Ideal Candidate Profile

During the initial intake meeting, the search firm’s team should also work with you to create a realistic candidate profile. 

This discussion will likely revolve around the unique qualities of the role, the company’s culture, desired hard and soft skills, and candidate demographics. 

It can’t be overstated how critical this piece is; the profile clarifies for the recruiter who exactly the ideal candidate is and what skills they must possess.

5. Create The Position Description And Responsibilities

Next, most executive search firms focus on creating a job description and corresponding list of responsibilities. 

MSH, on the other hand, replaces the typical job description with several key performance objectives. This ensures the client’s priorities and needs are crystal clear to all prospective candidates and that they know what needs to be accomplished.

6. Build A Sourcing Strategy

At this stage, the search firm team must carefully decide how it will announce and distribute information about the job opening. 

• What channels will it use? 
• Who will perform the outreach? 

MSH places a special emphasis on using multiple sources to guarantee a diverse pipeline of candidates for its clients. 

7. Evaluate The Candidates

Once the executive search firm has established a flow of viable, highly qualified candidates, the next step is to begin evaluating them so they can be narrowed down into a shortlist of ideal options. 

It’s essential that both quantitative and qualitative measurements be used. 

8. Reach Out To Candidates

After the top contenders have been identified, the executive search firm will contact them and conduct a screening session. The goal here is to gauge the candidate’s interest and confirm that their experience and skillset aligns with the previously established performance objectives. 

MSH also employs PI (Predictive Index) behavioral assessments to further validate fit.

9. Interview Candidates

After the screening sessions are done, things will naturally move into interviewing the finalists. 

In MSH’s case, this entails two 45- to 60-minute interviews, first with the hiring manager and then later with a diverse panel of interviewers that usually include a team member, stakeholder, and recent hire. 

10. Keep Track In Your ATS

Throughout the entire process, organizations should monitor what’s going on via their Applicant Tracking Software (ATS). 

While there are many ATS options out there, MSH is the only search firm that offers its clients access to a predictive hiring management platform called AEON. 

How does AEON differ from other ATS? In simple terms, let’s just say that it fuses high tech and human touch to empower leaders and drive more certainty in hiring. 

11. Check In With Non Good Fit Candidates

Any decent executive search firm will make the effort at this time to connect with the candidates who won’t be getting an offer. 

Beyond common courtesy, this keeps the relationship in good standing. 

After all, that same candidate might end up being perfect for the next executive role that pops up! 

12. Send An Offer To The Top Candidate

Now, for the fun part. The organization’s hiring manager will extend an offer to the final candidate, and if all goes well, they’ll accept, and the organization’s C-suite position will be officially filled for the long term. 

The executive recruiter will work with the company to ensure that the offer aligns with the candidate’s expectations and act as an intermediary throughout any negotiation.

13. Solidify The Onboarding Experience

Finally, the search firm will assist the organization with the onboarding of the new hire to make sure there is a smooth transition. 

MSH relates the company’s success profile and 90-day expectations to the new employee so they’re set up for success. 

5 Proven Executive Recruitment Strategies To Engage The Best Talent

With executive recruiting constantly evolving, thanks to factors like AI getting more involved and the talent pool becoming even wider, here are five cutting-edge strategies that are delivering exceptional results in 2025: 

1. Skills-First, Potential-Focused Hiring

Hiring based solely on resume pedigree is about to become a thing of the past. Companies prioritizing skills-based hiring report significant improvements in retention and performance. 

What this looks like in practice:  

• Assessing leadership capabilities through scenario-based interviews rather than just experience
• Creating competency frameworks emphasizing adaptability and learning agility
• Utilizing structured assessments measuring potential over past achievements

Who’s doing this well: Companies like Microsoft and IBM have redesigned their executive hiring processes around skills-based frameworks, dramatically improving both diversity and retention metrics among leadership hires. 

2. Flexible And Fractional Leadership Engagements

Top executive talent increasingly seeks flexibility in their engagements. The rise of fractional executives – professionals offering specialized skills on a part-time or contract basis – has become a popular trend. 

What this looks like in practice: 

• Interim executive placements to address immediate leadership gaps
• Fractional C-suite roles, particularly for CTO and CFO positions
• Outcome-based leadership contracts rather than traditional employment
• Executive advisory roles evolving into full-time positions

Who’s doing this well: Fast-growing tech companies and PE-backed organizations are pioneering these models, accessing on demand, world-class talent that would otherwise be unavailable to them. 

3. Strategic Internal Leadership Pipeline Development

Forward-thinking organizations are investing in building their executive bench internally. Companies with robust leadership development programs are significantly more likely to outperform their peers. 

What this looks like in practice: 

• Formal succession planning for all C-suite and VP-level positions
• Rotational leadership programs exposing high-potential talent to multiple functions
• Executive coaching and sponsored visibility opportunities for rising stars
• Cross-functional projects developing enterprise leadership perspective

Who’s doing this well: Companies like P&G and Johnson & Johnson are renowned for their leadership pipeline development, with the majority of their executive appointments coming from internal promotions. 

4. AI-Enhanced Executive Search Processes

While human judgment remains essential, AI tools are revolutionizing aspects of the executive search process. Leading firms are integrating AI to enhance efficiency and candidate quality. 

What this looks like in practice: 

• AI-powered sourcing tools identifying passive candidates based on leadership indicators
• Predictive analytics assessing cultural fit and success probability
• Natural language processing analyzing leadership communication styles
• Automated outreach and initial engagement management 

Who’s doing this well: Top executive search firms are developing proprietary AI tools that augment their consultants’ capabilities without replacing the critical human elements of assessment. 

5. Assessment-Based Selection Beyond Interviews

Traditional interviews often fall short in predicting executive success. Organizations are adopting sophisticated assessment approaches for deeper insights into leadership capabilities. 

What this looks like in practice:

• Business simulation exercises tailored to specific role challenges
• Psychometric assessments focusing on leadership agility and potential 
• Structured reference protocols probing specific leadership competencies 
• Panel assessments with board members and key stakeholders

Who’s doing this well: Forward-thinking PE firms and high-growth tech companies have pioneered these approaches, creating a more scientific method to executive selection that significantly outperforms traditional methods. 

Lastly, Consider Partnering With A Proven Executive Search Firm

Hiring someone for an executive-level or otherwise highly specialized role is no easy feat. Not only do they need the right background, expertise, and temperament for the job, but they must also fit into the company culture. If they don't, they simply won't last, and the organization risks losing a lot of money - to the tune of 30% of the new hire's annual salary, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. 

In addition, it can take a significant amount of time, knowledge, and resources for a company to identify, recruit, assess, and eventually hire the right candidate. In many cases, it's easier and more cost-effective to partner with an executive search firm that can handle all the details for you.

Let's discuss some benefits of using an executive search firm to find and place the best candidates compared to a recruitment firm or an in-house hiring manager who might accidentally hire the wrong person.

Benefit #1: You’ll Save Time and Money

While it might initially cost more to partner with an executive search firm as opposed to using an in-house team or recruitment agency, your organization will ultimately save both time and money. A recruiting agency might have several potential candidates to present in only a few days, yes, but in many cases, they won’t be the right fit (how can they be when they’ve been chosen so quickly?) Rushing to hire based off that candidate pool will likely lead to dissatisfaction on both ends. 

An executive search firm, on the other hand, may take several months to place someone, but there’s a much better chance they’ll work out because of the time and diligence spent educating the prospective candidates about the role, learning about their qualifications, and finding the right match - likely resulting in considerable savings. 

Benefit #2: You’ll Receive Access to Lots of Qualified Executives

One of the major perks of working with an executive search firm is their extensive network of top-tier candidates. An in-house hiring manager simply doesn’t have instant access to this many premium candidates. Instead, they will probably spend an inordinate amount of time trying to find and attract people who might be interested and a good fit. Working with a search firm guarantees the client access to massive databases of qualified candidates - and even to passive candidates who aren’t actively looking for a new job (but might be the perfect match!)   

Benefit #3: You’ll Benefit From Their Expertise

It’s impossible to get around the fact that a well-established executive search firm knows a lot more about hiring than an employee who fell into the hiring role. Many in-house hiring teams are cobbled together out of necessity with folks who were hired for other roles altogether. They might be trying their best, but they aren’t hiring experts like the ones you’ll find in a search firm. So if your organization wants the hiring process to go smoothly and successfully, pairing up with a solid executive search firm is definitely a good idea.

Executive Search FAQs 

What Is Executive Recruitment?

In basic terms, the executive recruitment process refers to an executive search firm or in-house recruitment team's actions to understand the senior-level position(s) it wants to fill and its ideal candidate. 

Beyond that, the process also includes all the steps an executive recruiter takes as they approach, screen, and interview candidates, in addition to extending offers and facilitating the onboarding of new hires.   

Executive search differs from high-volume hiring, but both require specialized approaches. 

Most well-known executive search firms follow a similar process as they search for the best talent to fill their clients' open roles. 

But while most of the basic steps of the executive search process are essentially the same, there can be variations depending on the executive search firm your company uses. 

That's why it's important to compare search firms and pick the one that will be the best fit for your organization as it builds an effective enterprise talent acquisition strategy.

What Is The Timeline For Executive Search?

Most executive searches take 8 - 16 weeks, depending on role complexity, market conditions, and hiring committee alignment. 

At MSH, our AEON platform and proprietary sourcing model help accelerate this timeline, often surfacing qualified candidates in as little as two to four weeks. 

How Much Does It Cost To Recruit An Executive?

Executive search fees typically range from 25% to 35% of the placed executive’s first-year total compensation. For C-suite positions, this often translates to $75,000 to $300,000+, depending on the organization’s size and industry.

Most large organizations prefer retained search arrangements, which involve structured payment schedules. Commonly, one-third is paid at project initiation, one-third at shortlist delivery, and one-third upon successful placement.

Partner with MSH for a Successful Executive Search Experience

Sourcing and hiring the right executive is a huge decision, as a quality executive hire can significantly impact performance. With this in mind, we're here to be your trusted advisor throughout the entire process.

Not one to follow the crowd, we've taken our time to alter, add to, and improve the executive recruitment process to make it as effective and efficient as possible for you. 

So if your organization is looking to hire a new CFO, CTO, CIO, CHRO, or COO (or similar), contact MSH today.