Our Proven Process

With nearly 50 years of building relationships and over 2,000 completed searches across the United States and internationally, our secret to success is simple: Meet and Exceed Client Expectations. We promise a quick response, high-touch service, and a dedicated, singular point of contact from start to finish. With our robust research team, our first-of-its kind AI enabled search services and extensive connections worldwide, 90% of our searches are completed within 60-90 days, and unlike larger firms, we never recruit from former clients. Period.

At Blackshaw Partners, we implement equitable search practices to increase opportunities for diverse executive leadership and widen the path for women and people of color. Not only is it the right thing to do, it's good for business. Companies with strong diversity in their C-suite and executive leadership are 36% more likely to have above-average profitability. With this in mind, we identify the best leaders to level up, foster innovation, and improve performance.

This is the research phase. Our team conducts an in-person research meeting with clients to learn about their specific needs and to understand fully their distinct points of difference. We study the competitive environment that may attract similar talent and then research the market to determine target companies and candidates within those from which we can recruit. We use a variety of innovative tools, including cutting edge, AI-driven, mindset analysis to better understand the motivations, values, and preferences of candidates, reduce the time to hire, and deliver the very best candidates who will be a strong culture fit. We act quickly during this phase, working with our team of experts in your industry.

This is the candidate outreach and interview phase. Our mission is to find prospective candidates who are in relevant positions and likely to consider a move. Executives are busy and not always motivated to pursue a new job opportunity. Therefore, it’s important to learn of a candidate’s personal and professional goals and how they are or are not currently being met. Personal interaction allows us to match them best with the right company environment and position, and we are able to sell the opportunity by aligning the candidates’ needs and wants with those of our clients.

This is where we close the deal. The distinction of a consultative search firm like Blackshaw Partners is that we’re not just recruiting the candidate; we’re also managing the process to completion. Once a client selects a candidate, we manage the formal offer process and stay close to the candidate through resignation from his or her current position to the start of the new role and beyond. We work diligently to manage client and candidate expectations and openly facilitate communication throughout the process.