Executive search: a complete guide from DevelopmentPeople
- vsavastin
- Aug 19
- 3 min read
Recruiters seek out senior professionals due to their extensive knowledge and expertise in the industry; however, recruiting for top management or board positions can be particularly challenging.
Limited budgets, packed schedules, reviewing applications, and arranging interviews – all of these tasks can take months, diminishing the likelihood of hiring the ideal candidate.
Outsourcing an executive search to DevelopmentPeople can save you both time and money. With more than 17 years of experience in offering recruitment solutions in the international development sector, we can manage every aspect of the hiring process for you.
How does DevelopmentPeople find the best candidates for executive roles?
Executive search, also known as headhunting, entails the process of identifying, assessing, and recruiting highly skilled, top-level candidates who possess leadership qualities for senior and executive roles like CEOs, COPs, Country Directors, CFOs, and similar positions.
We provide ongoing support to all our clients during the hiring process until the candidate is successfully integrated.
With DevelopmentPeople you get:
Access to top candidates for executive roles: Our comprehensive database comprises more than 470,000 senior, middle, and junior professionals. Additionally, we can expand our search externally to ensure we capture all relevant candidates.
A dedicated team of seasoned recruiters will focus on your particular needs. Discovering talent is our specialty.
A tailored approach to meet your specific needs: Our involvement, from evaluating CVs to the final recruitment stage (including negotiation support), is entirely based on your preferences.
DevelopmentPeople executive search success stories
Senior Program Manager for African Wildlife Foundation (AWF)
DevelopmentPeople collaborated with the AWF to fill several executive roles, one of which was Senior Program Manager in Senegal.
Our client’s expectations and scope: Find a high-performing, dynamic, and experienced person to lead the implementation of an integrated livelihood and conservation program.
Our result: We carried out a thorough search of our database to compile a list of suitable candidates. We assessed how each candidate's CV matched the job requirements and provided our client with a shortlist of five candidates for the interview, consisting of two women and three men.
Associate Director for BRAC’s Education Initiatives in Developing Countries
DevelopmentPeople worked with the international development organization BRAC to find an Associate Director for the organization’s Education, Youth, and Early Childhood Development (ECD) projects.
Our client’s expectation and scope: Find an innovative leader who can oversee the team and design innovative technical solutions to education and teen engagement.
Our result: DevelopmentPeople compiled a list of candidates experienced in creating and managing education and skill development programs, emphasizing those who had worked with marginalized communities in developing nations across South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Our final shortlist comprised four highly qualified professionals (three women and one man).
A detailed breakdown of the DevelopmentPeople executive search
An Executive Search from DevelopmentPeople is an end-to-end recruitment solution for roles at senior and executive levels (directors, country directors, program managers, CEOs).
We will guide you every step of the way until you find the candidate that is most suited to you and sign a contract with them.
In 20+ working days, we will present you with between 5 to 10 candidates.
Upon request, DevelopmentPeople can assist you with organizing and conducting interviews (ensuring comprehensive compliance), which we can undertake: alongside you (we do the initial interview, you conduct the final one) or on your behalf.
For more in-depth interviews, we offer services such as:
Reference checks
Psychometric testing
Collection of specific certificates
We will assess each candidate’s English skills as needed and can also conduct assessments in French.
Partner with DevelopmentPeople to find the exceptional talent your organization needs to excel in the international humanitarian and development sectors. Contact us today to schedule a conversation and discuss your challenges and optimal solutions tailored to your needs and budget.
