Executive search is a partnership that goes beyond identifying, attracting and recruiting a leader. It is about collaborating with your business to understand its objectives, culture, and challenges.
How our Executive Search Team Works with You
Our executive search division has operated from our Southampton office for more than 14 years and focuses on a relationship-driven strategy that guarantees success, creating lasting professional partnerships and high-performance leadership teams.
Chilworth Partnership’s Executive Search Consultants will work closely with you to identify, attract, and recruit active and passive talent. Leaders who will align with your organisational goals and strategy.
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What Does the Executive Search Process Look Like?
Our Executive Search Consultants have a deep understanding of both SME and corporate environments across various industries. Whether you are a start-up building the finance team from the ground up, or a multinational corporation needing to hire following a restructure, our experts have a vast network of skilled professionals that will steer your business in the direction you want.
Through the power of collaboration, the team at Chilworth Partnership will take the uncertainty out of hiring a senior executive and connect you with exceptional and vetted individuals who will co-create your future.
Step 1: Meeting with you to gain a thorough understanding of the talent you need including skillset, personality and strengths, as well as understanding your business and what drives your culture.
Step 2: We use market knowledge to headhunt talented individuals and assess their skillset and culture fit before submitting their profiles to you.
Step 3: Your Executive Search Consultant will guide you through the interview process, offering insights into the local and wider market, and helping you make informed hiring decisions.
Speak to the Executive Search team:
Whether you are considering recruiting a role in the future or are ready to hire now, our executive search specialists are on hand to provide you with market insights and tailored support. Fill out the form below to hear from our experts:
Executive Search FAQ
What is an Executive Search Consultant?
An Executive Search Consultant is a trusted partner who helps you identify, interview and onboard senior-level executives who are central to influencing the company's strategy and success. They act as an ambassador for your brand, culture and values, delivering high-caliber candidates while forging lasting partnerships that assist with your organisational success.
How does executive search work?
Executive search is a thorough step-by-step process:
1. Initial Consultation: Discovering your business goals and culture as well as what soft skills, industry knowledge, and experience are required for the role.
2. Competitor Analysis and Market Research: We conduct market research to map out the talent landscape within your industry and competitor organisations.
3. Targeted Search: Using a variety of search techniques to present a shortlist of suitable executive leaders, we ensure confidentiality throughout to protect the reputation of your business.
5. Assessment & Shortlisting: We conduct preliminary interviews and psychometric testing to assess candidates for qualifications, cultural fit, leadership potential, and alignment with business strategy and mutual fit.
6. Presenting Candidates: After extensive vetting, we present a shortlist of candidates for your consideration, complete with detailed reports on each person’s strengths, weaknesses, and suitability.
7. Interview & Onboarding Support: We guide you through the interview, negotiation and onboarding process. We handle feedback, compensation, benefits, and other contractual details. We also keep in touch with your new hire until they start.
How does an executive search team source talent that is right for my business?
We rely heavily on our network and headhunting expertise, but also utilise:
LinkedIn
Our internal database
Referrals
Job boards - as with recruitment, but less relied upon
We mainly use these sources to gain an understanding of the market and provide you with detailed analysis.
Why use an executive search firm?
1. Untapped Talent: Our network and database span years of partnerships with passive and active leaders. This access to hidden talent pools increases the likelihood of finding the best fit for a senior role.
2. Experience and Industry Knowledge: We have deep expertise in accounting, finance, and C-suite positions. We understand the market, competitive landscape, and the skills required for leadership positions, ensuring long-term candidate alignment with the company's vision and mission.
3. Time and Resource Efficiency: We take the burden of lengthy and complex executive searches, allowing you to focus on your day-to-day responsibilities while ensuring a thorough search for top candidates.
4. Rigorous Candidate Assessment: An in-depth selection and interview process ensures a combination of company culture alignment and technical competency.
5. Tailored Recruitment Process: We develop unique strategies for each search, ensuring that the process is aligned with the specific needs and goals of your organisation.
6. Increased Efficiency: Leveraging our network, industry knowledge, and streamlined processes, we ensure critical leadership positions are filled efficiently to minimise business impact and disruptions.
7. Neutral Perspective: As external partners, we offer a neutral perspective. We reduce potential biases and help you make more strategic hiring decisions based on data, experience, and thorough assessments.
Richard Carter and Matt Whitton head up Chilworth Partnership's executive search team with a combined experience of more than 50 years.
With a foundation in executive accounting and finance executive recruitment, they have expanded their remit to cover the wider C-Suite.
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What our clients say
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Matt is great at taking the time to understand the profile that we were looking for as an employer. I didn't deal with Venture on...
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I have worked with Chilworth Partnership over the past 5 or so years, both when recruiting into my team and looking for the next role in my career.
The...
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My experience working with the Chilworth Partnership team has always been professional and efficient, delivering top-quality candidates that are tailored to our relevant position needs. Chilworth Partnership make it a...