The core pages
What is executive search?
Definition, the seven stages, the three fee models and what search cannot do.
ServiceExecutive search services
The levels we search, what you receive, fees and how an engagement is scoped.
OverviewExecutive search
The service overview, with case examples and benefits in short form.
ProcessThe process and timeline
Week by week from brief to start, including notice, approval and what slows a search.
FeesExecutive search fees
2026 bands in four currencies, the six fee drivers and four hidden costs to check.
ComparisonSearch firms compared
Retained, contingency, fixed-fee and in-house, including the off-limits problem.
The eight markets
Each written for its own governance, notice and non-compete rules.
Executive search in the UK
Three to six months’ notice, garden leave, and Senior Managers Regime approval before an appointee can start.
United StatesExecutive search in the US
At-will employment and a fast start date, but an offer dominated by unvested equity and state-by-state non-compete law.
United Arab EmiratesExecutive search in the UAE
A Gulf-wide catchment, packages built from basic plus allowances and gratuity, and visa transfer in the timeline.
GermanyExecutive search in Germany
Supervisory board appointment, notice to quarter-end, and a non-compete the employer must pay at least half salary to enforce.
NetherlandsExecutive search in the Netherlands
A works council advice right over director appointments, and DNB or AFM suitability testing before a regulated start.
BelgiumExecutive search in Belgium
Working language as the binding filter, board gender requirements, and packages with a 13th month and double holiday pay.
AustriaExecutive search in Austria
A market small enough to map exhaustively, supervisory board approval, and pay quoted across fourteen payments.
AustraliaExecutive search in Australia
Five capital markets, superannuation inside the package, restraint clauses that are litigated, and director ID.
All eightExecutive search by market
The eight markets side by side, and the four things that break a cross-border search.
Buying, fees and comparison
Executive search fees
Bands, drivers, worked comparisons and hidden costs.
ComparisonSearch firms compared
Four models and six questions to ask any firm.
ToolFee comparison calculator
What a fixed fee saves against a percentage-of-salary model.
ComparisonTalent research firms compared
Audentia against four named alternatives on the research side.
ExampleA sample deliverable, redacted
What a research output actually looks like when it arrives.
AnswersTalent research FAQs
The questions we are asked most often, across every service.
Mapping, intelligence and the rest
Executive search is routinely confused with all of these. They are different purchases.
Talent mapping services
The qualified population identified and profiled, with nobody approached.
DefinitionWhat is talent mapping?
The companion definition for the research layer.
IntelligenceTalent intelligence services
The decision above the appointment: whether, where and at what cost.
SuccessionSuccession planning
Building the external bench alongside the internal one.
PipeliningTalent pipelining
Pre-engaged candidates built before the need becomes urgent.
SourcingTalent sourcing
Research-grade shortlists for live roles, without a placement fee.
DiversityDiversity hiring
How a diverse shortlist is produced by widening research, not lowering the bar.
SupportNumber gathering
Verified contact data when you already know who you want.
CoverageOut-of-hours research
Why six time zones usually compresses a search rather than extending it.
Market data you can use without buying
Complete talent market guide 2026
The long-form reference, start to finish.
OutlookThe 2026 talent outlook
What changes in hiring next year, and what the evidence says.
DataUS compensation benchmarking
Total pay, equity and the metro gaps national averages hide.
LawUS pay transparency laws
State by state, and what it changes about what you may ask.
SupplySkills that are getting scarce
Where supply is tightening, and why.
InsightsAll insights
Every report, guide and article we publish.
Library FAQs
Where should I start with executive search?
With the definition page if the discipline is new to you, with the process page if you need a realistic timeline, and with the fees page if you already know what you want and need to know what it takes.
How do I know whether I need search or mapping?
Ask whether the people you need would answer a job advert. If they would, you do not need search. If they would not, you do.
If you are not yet sure the role should exist or what it should pay, buy a talent map first. It costs a fraction of a search, answers both questions, and becomes the search's first stage if you proceed.
Do you publish anything I can use without buying?
Yes. Fee bands are published in four currencies, the week-by-week process is published, every market page lists the governance framework with links to the primary official source, and the six diligence questions on the comparison page work on any firm, including us.
Nothing here is behind a form.
How often is this library updated?
Market pages are reviewed at least annually and whenever a change affects what they state — a governance code revision, a regulator's process, a change in non-compete law. Each page carries its last-reviewed date in the page metadata and links to the primary source for anything that moves.