Expertise Q&A - Executive Search

What is the difference between retained and contingent search? There are several key differences between retained and contingent search, with a third option, contained, that is a hybrid of the two. Learn More

There are so many firms out there, how should you select a search firm? There are several critically important questions to ask each search firm you interview. Learn More

Does VF&Co exclusively conduct retained searches? Not exclusively. We specialize in executive HR retained searches but we are flexible. For certain clients, we will create customized, creative agreements. For clients that need their position to be filled yesterday, we'll offer to add a clause in the contract that says "if we present, within seven days of the signing of the contract, a candidate who is subsequently hired, we are eligible for a $X bonus." Nine times out of ten, we've earned that bonus.

Who conducts the searches at VF&Co? What you see is what you get. You will meet the entire search team at the kick-off meeting. We are a boutique firm so we don't have anyone hidden in the background who is talking to your candidates. We believe in a hands-on, high-touch method to find top talent.

How do you find candidates? As a team, we'll work on a short-list of strong candidates we've spent time developing over the years. In parallel, we'll look through our database that contains 15,000 HR professionals and post on our website and in our newsletter. We'll also ask for referrals to targeted individuals. As part of our objective to broaden our network, we'll post on selective websites and search for candidates through LinkedIn, Xing and other professional networking sites.

How long does it take to close a search? It depends on the client's process and schedule. We've closed retained VP of HR searches in less than a week! Generally, we will present at least three qualified candidates within the first three weeks. The timing then depends on how fast we can get the candidates through the interviews. Larger search firms generally are slower than boutique, smaller search firms.

What is VF&Co's selection process like? Typically, HR candidates will go through a phone screen and an in-person or video conference interview prior to being presented to our clients. We use behavioral questions based on the role's defined competencies to assess our candidates.