How do I work with executive search firms?
Treat retained executive search firms as long-term relationships, not job applications: get on the radar of a handful of firms that specialize in your function and level, stay genuinely useful to them, and keep every touchpoint dated so relationships don't go cold. Recruiters place people they already trust — so the work is building that trust before you need it.
TL;DR — Identify firms by function + level + region, build warm relationships over time, and track each firm's recruiters and your last contact. In WaypointCareer, manage these on the Networking → Search Firms page — firms, recruiter contacts, and engagements — which can also suggest firms by industry/region with AI. The search-firm CRM is available on the Directorship plan and above.
Retained vs. contingent — know which you're dealing with
- Retained search firms are hired (and paid) by the company to fill a specific senior role. They run a defined process and present a short slate. Being on their radar for the right mandate matters more than volume.
- Contingent recruiters are paid only if their candidate is hired, so they cast wider. Useful, but a different relationship.
For VP-and-above roles, retained search is usually the channel that matters.
How to build the relationship
- Target the right firms. Map firms by your function (e.g. technology, finance), your level, and your region. A boutique that places CTOs is worth more to you than a generalist giant.
- Get a warm introduction where you can — a peer, a board member, a former colleague the partner already placed.
- Be useful first. Offer market insight, refer strong candidates for their mandates, and be responsive. Recruiters remember who made their job easier.
- Keep it warm. A short check-in every quarter beats going silent for two years and reappearing the week you need a job.
- Track touchpoints. Know which firms you've spoken to, which partners, and when you last connected — so none of them quietly go cold.
How WaypointCareer helps
The Search Firms page has two tabs:
- Firms tracks recruiters as firms (region, focus) with dated touchpoints, so you can see which relationships have cooled. Open a firm to manage its recruiter contacts — a firm can hold as many recruiters as you work with, with one starred as your primary contact (name, title, email, phone, LinkedIn).
- Engagements tracks each active search process with a firm: an engagement has a status pipeline (Outreach → In discussion → Active search → Interviewing → Offer → Closed won / Closed lost, plus Dormant), optional retainer notes, and can be linked to the jobs it is pitching so your application pipeline stays connected. The start date stamps automatically the first time an engagement leaves Outreach, and the closed date stamps when it closes (and clears if you reopen it).
- AI firm suggestions propose firms by industry/region so you're not starting from a blank sheet — always verify contact details on the firm's site before reaching out.
Plan availability
The search-firm CRM (firms, recruiters, engagements, and AI suggestions) is included with the Directorship, Leadership, and Executive plans. On Free or Managerial the page shows an upgrade note instead — any firms you saved earlier are kept and reappear in full when you upgrade.