Recruitment & Talent Acquisition

For most mid-level roles we present a shortlist within two to three weeks of a signed brief. Niche technical roles and senior mandates typically run four to six weeks. The variable is rarely sourcing speed — it is interview panel availability on the client side.

Four to six per shortlist. We deliberately do not send more. If a role genuinely needs a wider funnel we tell you at the briefing stage and agree the approach upfront.

Contingency recruitment works the active market — people who are looking. Executive search maps the whole relevant market and approaches people who are not looking. It is research-led, retained, involves written assessment reports rather than CVs, and takes longer because the pool is smaller and the diligence is deeper.

Yes. We approach candidates without naming the client until there is mutual interest and you have approved the disclosure. This is standard for replacement mandates and pre-announcement hires.

Practically, anything above ten similar roles against a shared deadline benefits from a volume process. Below that, running each role individually is usually more effective.

It drops when screening is improvised. We use the same written scorecard for every candidate and report stage-wise conversion weekly, so a quality problem shows up as a ratio change rather than a surprise six weeks in.

Three to seven working days for most roles in cities where we have active sourcing networks. Requirements needing specific licences, trade certification or multi-site coordination take one to two weeks.

Yes, before deployment — ID, address, qualification and prior employment. In this segment verification after joining is close to useless, so it is built into the process rather than sold as an add-on.