Executive Search

Our economy is in continuous change – and factors such as major skill shifts, digitalisation, ESG, or crisis management lead to an even faster pace and higher necessity to adapt. In this context, people are a key success driver of your business; finding and securing the right talent should be top of your priority list.

While some positions in your company can be filled through internal recruiting / your HR team, there are good reasons for collaborating with an Executive Search firm for your most important and most senior hires:

• High impact: when in need of a truly great (not only “good”) executive for a key position.
• Clear upgrade: future-proof your C-suite, increase the strategic advantage and diversity.
• Access to passive candidates: the best people are rarely “looking for a job“.
• No succession: when there is a lack of internal candidates, do not settle for second-best.
• Confidentiality: avoid unrest when replacing an executive who is still in his/her role.
• High speed: when time is of essence, executive search ensures a timely placement.
• Clear process: when a rigorous and transparent process is required.

Outstanding executives drive excellent business performance (strategy, growth, sustainability, etc.) – while bad hires can lead to inefficiencies, cause internal conflicts, limit potential growth and become a costly mistake.

AvS – International Trusted Advisors is your Executive Search firm for C-level and senior management positions. We accompany clients from the first minute and throughout the entire process, even beyond the hiring decision. This includes:

• Briefing: We invest substantial time in understanding our clients and thoroughly conducting a needs assessment.
• Identification: Beyond our exclusive database, we build on a top-level global network and systematic research. Candidates are always approached personally by our consultants (never by back-office staff) in a discrete way and on eye-level.
• Evaluation: We believe evaluation is the core aspect of Executive Search – and hence apply a detailed assessment of candidates based on our comprehensive leadership competency and potential model, as well as psychometric testing methodologies.
• Client presentation: We attend the presentation of candidates to our clients and accompany them as a thought partner across the entire process, supporting them in decision making and contract negotiation.
• Onboarding & Integration: We believe that supporting the client and the new executive in the critical first weeks and months is a crucial factor for success. Our active integration support focuses on the needs of both parties – and an integration assessment can define the most effective development plan.

What differentiates good from great Executive Search projects?

Executive Search is relationship-driven – and we do not believe in quick fixes or cutting corners but rather work in close cooperation, trust and with a long-term perspective. At AvS – International Trusted Advisors we are convinced that our approach and how we work as a team drives the success of an Executive Search project. This has led to our key guiding principles:

• In our search assignments, we guarantee a successful placement and work until this is achieved.
• Our responsibility to clients and candidates continues after the hiring: active Onboarding & Integration are integral parts of our search process.
• Candidates are treated with respect and confidentiality, and are kept informed.
• Candidates placed by us are lifelong ‘no touch’ as long as they work for our clients.
• We have a ‘one firm’ model and ethos; all consultants work closely and collaboratively together and are devoted to achieving first-class results for our clients.
• We always work in pairs of two senior consultants. And we actively limit the number of assignments a consultant can work on in parallel. We thereby deliver both quality and speed to our clients.
• Our fee structure avoids conflicts of interest, ensuring the impartiality of our advice.

Our firm’s set-up and approach offer the best of both worlds. Like the “big five” global search firms, we offer top quality standards, seasoned consultants, and an international network. However, we combine this with the advantages of being an agile, specialised boutique: flexibility and speed, personal support, as well as relatively few off-limit restrictions.