Staffing service
Executive Search for US & Canadian Employers
Retained, confidential searches for the leaders who change your trajectory.
Overview
What is Executive Search?
Executive Search is one of 6 staffing services Harbor Recruitment offers employers in the United States and Canada.
A retained, research-driven search for director, VP, and C-level roles — including confidential replacements. We map the market, approach passive leaders who aren't answering job ads, and manage a discreet, structured process end to end.
When to use Executive Search
Leadership roles where the cost of a wrong hire is measured in years — or searches that can't be public.
What you get
- Dedicated search partner and market-mapping research
- Confidential outreach to passive, currently-employed leaders
- Structured scorecards, panel prep, and finalist references
- Progress reporting on a fixed weekly cadence
Typical timeline
Most retained searches present finalists within 4–8 weeks.
How pricing works
Leadership searches run on a retained model, usually 25–35% of first-year compensation with an engagement fee up front and the balance tied to milestones. That commitment funds dedicated research and the confidential outreach that job ads can't reach.
Every engagement is quoted in writing before anyone starts work.
Get an exact quoteHow it works
From kickoff to day one
Four steps, one account manager, and a search that stays on course from the first call to the first follow-up.
Tell us who you need
A focused intake call covers the role, the team, the pay range, and what success looks like. You leave with a named account manager and a committed shortlist date.
Shortlist in 3–5 business days
You meet a handful of vetted candidates — interviewed, reference-checked, and genuinely interested — instead of a stack of resumes to sort yourself.
Interviews & assessments
We schedule every round, run any skills assessments you want, and debrief both sides within a business day so momentum never stalls.
Offer, onboarding & follow-up
We help you shape an offer that lands, manage the notice period, and stay close through onboarding — with scheduled check-ins across the first 90 days.
Practice areas
Practice areas we staff
Executive Search is available in every one of our ten practice areas, each run by recruiters who work that market every day.
Related services
Other ways to engage Harbor
Most clients mix models over time — a contract backfill today, a retained search next quarter. The same account manager runs all of it.
- Direct HirePermanent employees, recruited and vetted for you — you pay only when your hire starts.Direct Hire details
- Contract & Temporary StaffingSkilled contractors on our payroll, on your team — one all-in hourly bill rate.Contract & Temporary Staffing details
- Contract-to-HireTry before you hire — evaluate on the job, convert when you're sure.Contract-to-Hire details
- High-Volume Workforce ProgramsRamp a facility or a season — dozens to hundreds of workers, one accountable partner.High-Volume Workforce Programs details
- RPO & Payroll ServicesYour recruiting engine or your payroll of record — run by Harbor, branded as you.RPO & Payroll Services details
Client stories
What employers say
Fill rates and retention numbers matter — but so does what it's like to work with us.
“Harbor filled nine engineering roles for us across Austin and New York last year. The shortlists arrive inside a week and the quality is consistent — our 12-month retention on their hires is the best of any agency we use.”
Rachel KimVP People, Northwind Software “They staffed our Calgary plant expansion — engineers and skilled trades — while we stayed focused on the launch. One bill rate, no compliance surprises, and their coordinator handled every start date.”
Tom VandermeerOperations Director, Ironline Manufacturing “The confidential search for our operations lead was handled with total discretion. Three finalists in five weeks, all strong enough to hire. We signed the retainer for our next search the same month.”
Alexis MoreauManaging Partner, Beacon Ridge Legal
Start a Executive Search engagement
Tell us who you need. You'll leave the intake call with a named account manager and a committed shortlist date — vetted candidates in 3–5 business days.