Arm Yourself With the Intel Before You Launch an Executive Search
By Jennifer Mondoux
September 10, 2025
Is now the right time to launch a search?
It's a tough question.
Timing is important when you're considering a critical hire for your leadership team, but it's not the only factor to weigh.
Here are some of the other things that might be on your mind:
Competition: should you keep your search under wraps so that your industry doesn't find out (yet) what you are up to?
Competencies: do you feel confident the profile you're envisioning actually exists?
Compensation: do you understand what total compensation (salary *and* variable) should look like for the role?
Motivation: do you know what's motivating the candidate you're seeking?
Of course, there's the economy too. Any kind of uncertainty might cause you to hit the hold button. Even industries that are doing exceptionally well right now might be uncertain about launching an assignment for the reasons mentioned above.
Be Prepared:
The key is to own the narrative and control the timeline as much as possible.
Here are three things you can do (on a confidential basis) to be prepared:
1. Build a Target List:
What are the organizations from which you would pull talent, if you had your pick? Put that dream list together, even if it's only 25-30 organizations.
2. Have a Handful of Confidential Conversations:
There are people you can talk to, for industry intel. Examples of these include a trusted industry colleague (or two) or a potential candidate (or two) who fits the profile. State up front that it's a confidential discussion, keep the details high-level and ask about the things you need to know (you could even ask someone in my business to do this work for you). If you are transparent about your need to speak in generalities, you will be surprised how many people are open to sharing what they know.
3. Validate your Strategy:
Your conversations will reveal key details around compensation ranges, motivating factors and other talent and industry trends that will help you validate your decision (or, the information might force an alternate approach).
You want to be ready to hit the ground running, for when the time is right to launch into a full-blown search.
The end result is feeling more confident in your strategy.
Being prepared helps you sleep better at night.
About The Author, Jennifer Mondoux:
Jennifer Mondoux, CEO and Managing Partner, MondouxRollins Partners Inc.; Chair and Founder, Canada’s Best Private Boards
Jennifer Mondoux is an executive search professional and human capital advisor, with nearly two decades’ worth of experience working with private companies. An exceptional search professional, she has helped dozens of founders and entrepreneurs of mid-market companies build out their senior leadership teams. Jennifer is seen as a trusted advisor, with an expertise that allows her to guide clients through the lifecycle of their talent needs. This includes compensation design, performance management, market mapping, as well as other more highly specialized services in M&A talent mapping and executive communications. In addition to her deep relationship with her entrepreneurial clients, Jennifer is connected both regionally and nationally with senior leadership candidates as well as with a network of professionals in private company leadership and governance. She is also the Founder and Chair of Canada’s Best Private Boards, a first-of-its-kind national and annual program that recognizes the impact of governance on the performance of private companies.
About MondouxRollins Partners Inc.:
MondouxRollins Partners Inc., is an executive search and human capital advisory firm. We are a group of specialists, equipped with decades of experience providing talent solutions for private companies. We are risk-mitigators, trusted advisors and relationship-builders, and we are your one-stop-shop through the entire talent lifecycle - for your team, or for your board. We are also the founders of the Canada’s Best Private Boards program, a first-of-its kind national and annual awards program that recognizes the impact of governance on the performance of private companies.
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