Welcome to the third installment of our Retained Search blog series! Today, Scion Executive Search explores the many benefits of partnering with an executive search firm when looking for a new nonprofit leader.

With a remarkable 17-year legacy, Scion Executive Search (SES) stands as a trusted leader in retained search recruiting. Our purposeful hires transcend conventional talent acquisition, propelling organizations forward in today’s competitive landscape. We embody resourcefulness, agility, and a commitment to excellence, ensuring candidates are uniquely suited for each role. With diverse expertise and esteemed certifications, including CDSP, CDR, CSC, PRC, and SHRM-SCP, we serve national clients across multiple industries, leveraging our vast network of 14 million candidates for unparalleled results. Learn more here.

Of the many factors to consider in the search for your nonprofit’s next executive leader, one critical consideration is whether or not to use an executive search firm. In a world full of seemingly qualified candidates, it can be difficult to ascertain where to begin a search and how to parse out how an individual’s skillset will contribute to the success of your organization. Perhaps there is a highly unique skill or experience needed to best perform in the role, or a communication style that will operate the best within your organization. Knowing where to find these unique attributes or how to sort through a sea of potentially qualified candidates can be daunting. This is where an executive search firm can provide incredible value.

The Benefits of Engaging an Executive Search Firm

Forge a True Partnership

There are many benefits of partnering with an executive search firm in the hunt for your nonprofit’s incoming executive; among these is their deep understanding of the nonprofit sector. A reputable search firm will partner with your search committee to find and select the best candidates for your organization’s unique needs and aspirations, leveraging their networks and knowledge of the market’s intricacies to guide the search and offer a significant competitive advantage.

You will notice that the word “partner” is used frequently in this blog due to the fact that engaging a search firm is truly a collaborative endeavor. It involves an open flow of information and ideas, facilitated by an executive recruiter who is well-versed in the needs, abilities, and unique circumstances of your organization. Working together, the search committee (refer to our first blog in this series) and executive recruitment team will ascertain important issues, from budgetary considerations (refer to our second blog) to search parameters to questions on in-person versus hybrid versus remote working conditions.

Gain Access to Vast Networks and Stay Apprised of Market Conditions

Partnering with a search firm offers valuable insight into market conditions that will enable your organization to operate with a realistic understanding while also achieving the maximum value possible from what the market has to offer. Through your recruiter’s vast networks, you will have access to a wealth of talent and resources you would otherwise not be able to access, including passive candidates (those who may not be actively looking for a new role). Executive recruiting firms are a safe conduit to not only connect with candidates seeking new positions but also to reach out to those in current roles who have the skillsets and experience needed by your organization. The recruitment team can facilitate gentle introductions, through which currently employed executives may become eager candidates.

Harnessing their in-depth knowledge of market conditions, search firms know when and where adjustments should be made in search priorities, salary expectations, and more. The team can help determine if a national or regional search will be more effective for your organization’s goals, and can also help to weigh factors such as cost of living in the local area, whether or not assistance for relocation is necessary, and whether the compensation allocated is well-aligned with market demands and the skills and experience sought (and if not, recommend options that will ensure a successful search outcome is achieved).

Save Time

Time is a precious commodity, and it’s rare to find a nonprofit that can spare the time and resources for an in-depth search. One of the significant benefits of partnering with an executive search firm is huge time savings on the part of the Board of Directors and fellow executives. As experts in their field and professionals in their craft, the teams at search firms carefully analyze organizational needs, the job market, and how well these factors pair with the aspirations of potential candidates. These teams free up organizational leaders and allow them to focus on their primary responsibilities—steering the organization in the right direction and managing day-to-day activities alongside long-term goal planning.

Ensure Discretion

Furthermore, search firms are discreet, which is needed far more often than one might imagine. Discretion is important for both candidates and organizations alike. For candidates, it is important in that they may have yet to tell their current employer or others in their life that they are open to considering or actively seeking a new role. On the other end of the spectrum, it protects your organization from potentially awkward situations with uniquely connected candidates or interested parties. Discretion provides a buffer and takes the search committee out of the equation politically.

Scheduling

Once a final slate of candidates has been selected (through careful research and pre-screenings by the recruitment team), the search firm will set up interviews between the candidates and committee, owning the complex scheduling process. This keeps the search committee leaders free to communicate availability and accept a meeting invitation rather than try to coordinate the complexities of group availability directly with each candidate. Since the firm is taking care of all scheduling-related matters, the committee must be highly responsive to the firm’s requests for time availability, as the quicker the committee members respond, the faster the interview process can commence.

Which Firm Should You Use?

If you are not sure how to select a search firm, several factors should be considered before making your decision. These include a firm’s demonstrated experience working with other nonprofit organizations and their search success with similar roles. Reaching out to fellow nonprofit organizations for their review of the firm will help you to ascertain better how they operate and if it will work with the personalities, culture, values, and needs of your organization. A review of the firm’s website, as well as its recent online reviews (i.e., Google reviews), will offer insight into the firm’s experience and reputation/track record, as will a consultation call with the firm itself.

An additional element to consider is whether or not the firm you are considering provides a search guarantee. For example, here at Scion Executive Search, each search agreement we create with a client includes provisions for a backfill guarantee should the candidate selected not work out. While the length of the guarantee is related to the type of engagement selected (contingent or retained), we stand behind the services we provide as your long-term partner! Finally, consider the fee and the details regarding what the fee will include. Search firm fees vary, so it is important to get an estimate before you begin working with a firm—although cost should never be the sole decision-making factor.

In Conclusion

Partnering with a search firm is a highly effective avenue for securing a new nonprofit leader. A search firm’s expertise, networking abilities, and resources offer a significant advantage in finding the best candidate for your organization. If you need to begin an executive search, there is incredible value in partnering with a trusted advisor!

Engaging a search firm is a commitment. While search firms provide you with their service for a fee, their expertise and efforts pay dividends. Your organization’s next incoming leader will be crucial to the future of the organization, its relationships with stakeholders, and the contentment of staff. As such, ensure you provide the appropriate time and effort as a partner so that you are able to secure well-aligned talent. Using a search firm liberates the search committee members so that everyone is able to focus on the work they do best while keeping the organization moving forward during this important time of transition.

We look forward to having you join us for the next chapter in this series, which will highlight how to prepare the search committee for interviewing candidates. This process will require meticulous planning and a high degree of consistency to ensure a fair and in-depth evaluation of candidates and open and honest communication among search committee members.

Bailey Olderog, Technical Writer (she/her/hers)

Bailey Olderog brings her passion for storytelling and language to her role as technical writer at Scion Executive Search (SES). She is dedicated to telling the stories of others, and it has been her lifelong effort to make contributions that ensure that even the quietest of voices are heard.

Bailey has spent most of her career in service to those who serve. Her extensive public sector experience includes ghostwriting for elected officials and military generals, authoring investigations and public reports, and bringing a voice and audience to those without a platform. She believes language is an art and enjoys using language to advocate for others in ways that are professional, clear, and respectful.

Veterans’ mental health and support have been the guiding star in her career; Bailey volunteers at and has extensively advocated for veteran organizations in her native Texas. She has spent over a decade researching PTSD in veterans, using her research and connections to advocate for positive change and support for military families. She has written extensively on behalf of service members in need of assistance, as well as for military leaders seeking authentic ways to connect with their personnel. She has organized events and supported advocacy efforts for organizations such as Gideons 300 and Texas Veteran County Service Officers. On a nice day, you can often find her volunteering at a park or trail cleanup.

Bailey received her degree in political science from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, where she also minored in studio art.