A job announcement reaches people who are actively looking.

An executive search:

• identifies the best passive candidates who are not applying, are not visible in the usual channels and may not yet have considered a move.
• helps its clients to sell their project and organisation and persuade relevant passive candidates to leave a good job.

A company’s network reaches people it already knows.

An executive search provides a systematic market mapping beyond a company’s network and provides an independent and objective assessment of all candidates (whether referred by the company or not).

When several firms are briefed on the same senior search, the same executives may be approached multiple times with inconsistent or even conflicting descriptions of the role, which damages the client’s credibility and confidentiality.

Exclusivity ensures consistent messaging when approaching candidates, in a discreet and confidential manner. This avoids diluting the message and eroding market trust.

It also allows the executive search firm to commit full resources and aligns incentives for quality, not speed.

Luxembourg is a small market. We have substantial experience in the Luxembourg executive market across a broad range of sectors – financial sector (asset managers /investment funds, banks; insurances), professional services (consulting, law firms, corporate services providers), industry (real estate, IT, aerospace), including an established network of senior candidates in Luxembourg and the Greater Region, we understand the Luxembourg employment and regulatory environment and Luxembourg candidates are usually more receptive to Luxembourg based executive search firms who know the market.

This is particularly relevant in the case of executive search as it needs to reach (and persuade) passive candidates who have not considered a move.

When performing an international search, we are used to assist with practical relocation challenges encountered by foreign candidates (e.g. housing, schooling, helping spouses to find jobs).

The fees do not simply cover finding candidates. The fees cover the full advisory process, including independent and objective assessment, benchmarking, negotiation, and guarantee, not just sourcing.

Even if the final hire is someone already known to you, we ensure they’re the right fit through a structured, independent evaluation. That’s what reduces your risk and delivers long-term success.

We use structured assessments, reference checks, and benchmarking against the market. Our role is advisory, helping you make the best-informed decision.

Depending on your priorities, we help you build a tailor-made evaluation matrix with weighted criteria to help you mitigate subjectivity when assessing candidates.

Our assessment goes beyond technical capabilities or skills shown on a résumé. Depending on client’s requirements, we may for instance test the credibility of the commercial skills (e.g. history of the ability to attract new clients, cross selling potentials and collaboration behaviours), cultural integration, provide leadership assessments (Hogan) when required and adapt the content of reference checks to the areas our clients wish to test.

We provide a guarantee during a defined period. If the placement doesn’t work out, we will search again at no additional fee, protecting your investment.

After hiring, we also provide an onboarding program (included in our fees), in order to support integration into the new culture and anticipate the challenges of the role.

The executive search fees are structured in three instalments rather than on a contingency basis because the assignment requires a substantial amount of work to be performed throughout the search process, irrespective of whether a candidate is ultimately appointed.

The first instalment covers the initial phase of the assignment, including understanding the organisation and position, creating the job description /candidate profile, developing the search strategy and mapping the relevant market, and, very importantly, establishing how to “sell” the project and the company to passive candidates who may not yet have considered a move.

The second instalment is linked to the execution of the search, including identification and assessment of potential candidates, confidential direct approaches, interviews and presentation of a qualified shortlist.

The third and final instalment is payable upon completion of the search/appointment and reflects the final stages of candidate assessment, interview coordination, reference checking and support through the appointment process.

This fee structure ensures that the search firm is remunerated for the professional resources and work actually committed throughout the assignment, rather than solely for the outcome of an appointment. It also provides an appropriate alignment of interests: the search firm has an incentive to complete the assignment successfully, while the client retains clear payment milestones linked to identifiable stages and deliverables.

A contingency-only model would place substantially more commercial risk on the search firm and may incentivise a volume-based approach, whereas a retained, milestone-based executive search allows the firm to invest the necessary time and resources in a targeted and confidential search, including approaching candidates who are not actively seeking new employment.