A retained MES search runs eight to sixteen weeks and covers full market mapping, passive candidate outreach, structured assessment, and managed offer process.
Definition
Executive search is a systematic methodology for identifying and recruiting senior professionals, typically involving client briefing, market research, candidate identification, outreach, assessment, shortlisting, offer management, and post-placement follow-up. In MES and digital manufacturing, the typical retained search runs eight to sixteen weeks from brief to accepted offer.
What this means when you're hiring
The quality of the brief determines the quality of the shortlist. I spend two to three hours on a proper retained brief: understanding the technical architecture the candidate will own, the cultural and stakeholder dynamics of the environment, the non-negotiables versus the preferences, and the realistic compensation range. A weak brief produces a generic shortlist of people with the right platforms on their CV. A strong brief produces three to five candidates who are the right person for this role at this company at this moment. The search process itself is an iceberg: the client sees the shortlist, but the real work is the 60 to 100 outreach conversations that preceded it.
Where candidates get this wrong
Executive search isn't just headhunting from a competitor. The best candidate is often one who's been in a role for four to six years and is quietly ready for their next challenge, not necessarily someone who just left the company the client is benchmarking against. The search should cover the full market, not just the obvious targets. Another misconception is that search firms have a secret database of candidates waiting to be called. They don't; they have a process for finding people who aren't in any database.
How expectations change by level
Executive search is the appropriate model from Senior Manager level upward in specialist fields. Below that, a combination of direct sourcing, referrals, and targeted advertising is more cost-effective. The key threshold in MES is when the role requires someone who isn't actively looking, has knowledge that's hard to screen for on a CV, and has enough market value that they need to be persuaded rather than applied to.
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