How does executive search work?

Executive search is a way of hiring senior leaders in which a search firm researches the market and approaches people already doing the job, usually at competitors, instead of advertising the role. At Boardroom CXO a search runs in four stages: a pay map, a brief on what the role must deliver, a confidential headhunt and shortlist, and the offer.

Stage 1: map the market before the mandate

In weeks 1 and 2 we confirm what the role pays across your category and city, before you lock a budget. You get category and city pay data, so the budget is set on what the market actually pays rather than on a guess.

Stage 2: define what the role must deliver

Next we agree the outcomes, the authority and the KPIs the leader must deliver over the next 12 to 24 months. This comes before any job description is written, because a CFO preparing a company for an IPO and a CFO running a steady business are different hires.

Stage 3: approach people already doing the job

In weeks 3 to 8 we approach people already working at scale inside competitor companies. The approach is intermediary-led: candidates hear about the role and choose to go further before your company's name is disclosed. The result is a confidential shortlist.

Stage 4: set an offer that closes

At the offer stage we give you a realistic uplift, usually 25 to 30%, not the 40 to 50% many companies offer. We give you that number upfront, so the offer is neither too low to close nor higher than it needs to be.

Why search works differently from a job advert

The best hires for a CXO role are usually not applying anywhere. They are already running a function for someone else, and they respond to a confidential, well-researched approach, often before any job description exists. That is the gap executive search fills.

Roles, sectors and markets

We search for CEOs, MDs and business heads, CFOs, CMOs, sales and retail heads, and CHROs, plus the layer just below the CXO. We work in five sectors: retail and jewellery, where our network is deepest; consumer and D2C; financial services; manufacturing; and technology. Searches run for companies in India and the UAE.

What it costs

A Rs 10,000 service fee (including GST) starts the search, and it is adjusted against the final fee of one month's CTC, invoiced when your hire joins. More on this in how much a CXO search costs in India.