Why You Shouldn’t Undercut Executive Search Fees

At C Graham Consulting,(CGC), we help businesses make one of their most critical decisions who they trust to lead. Executive search isn’t about pushing CVs.

It’s about delivering trusted advice, strategic insight, and access to networks cultivated over decades.

It’s a high-performance, commercial service, not a support function, not procurement, and definitely not a charity.

The Hidden Cost of Cutting Corners

Too often, companies try to cut recruitment costs by driving down fees or engaging multiple agencies at once. It may feel like due diligence, but in reality, it signals a lack of commitment and sets the search up for failure.

Worse still, internal HR teams may be tasked with managing multiple contingency recruiters competing to "win the race." The outcome? Less ownership, misaligned messaging, and top-tier candidates left unimpressed.

Here’s Why Undercutting Executive Search Fees Backfires

1. You’re Not Just Paying for Resumes

You’re investing in a consultant’s network, judgment, and decades of experience. Our value lies in our ability to assess leadership fit, manage complex stakeholder environments, and attract passive candidates at the highest level.

2. Top Talent Prioritizes Top Clients

Clients who move quickly, communicate clearly, and pay fair market rates get priority access to top-tier talent. Underfunded or unclear mandates are deprioritized.

3. Fees Reflect Commitment

If you're unwilling to invest in leadership, you're signaling hesitation to both consultants and candidates. This weakens your employer brand and reduces confidence in the opportunity.

4. More Isn't Better—It's Louder

Using 5–10 firms for one C-suite search may feel thorough, but it floods the market, creating:

·       Inconsistent messaging

·       Duplicate outreach

·       Brand dilution

·       Candidate fatigue

·       Poor candidate experience

·       And no one truly accountable for success

Search should be about focus, not volume.

5. This Is a Relationship Business

Many of our candidates go on to become clients. Long-term trust is built on professionalism, exclusivity, and integrity, not transactional deals.

6. Time Kills Deals

Top leaders don’t stay on the market long. Delays, fee-haggling, or a lack of clarity results in missed opportunities and in this market, they won’t come around twice.

Great search partners don’t just fill roles, they help shape leadership teams and accelerate business performance. If you’re hiring a CFO, CIO, Partner, or Division Head, treat it as the business-critical investment it is.

When you work with C Graham Consulting, you’re not just buying resumes you’re buying access, insight, and impact.

👉 Let’s Talk about your next leadership hire.

https://www.cgrahamconsulting.com/

#ExecutiveSearch #CLevelHiring #LeadershipHiring #SearchPartner #TalentStrategy #HiringTopTalent #RecruitmentExcellence #StrategicHiring #CandidatesAreClients #RetainedSearch #BusinessLeadership #CGrahamConsulting

Are Outdated ATS Killing Your Candidate Pipeline?

CGC

Here’s Why Top Talent Is Quietly Walking Away

Imagine this: a highly qualified candidate applies for a role at your company. They’re intrigued by your brand, motivated by the opportunity, and ready to make a move. Then they hit your ATS,(Applicant Tracking System).

Eight screens of questions, 20% of which have no relevance to the role. They upload their CV, only to be asked to manually input the same information field-by-field. Frustration builds. If they’re invested enough, they might persevere. But will they do it again? Unlikely.

This isn’t a one-off gripe; it’s a systemic flaw in many companies' recruitment processes. And it’s quietly costing you high-caliber candidates.

The New Reality: Talent Has Options

Today’s professionals, especially in the executive and specialist ranks, value efficiency. They’re used to streamlined experiences, from banking to travel to networking. A clunky, outdated ATS that feels like a bureaucratic obstacle course? That’s a red flag.

According to a Gartner study, 72% of candidates who have a poor application experience share it with their network or abandon the process altogether. That’s not just lost talent, it’s reputational damage.

Legacy Systems Are Undermining Your TA Team

It’s not just candidates who suffer. Your Talent Acquisition team is working with one hand tied behind their back. Outdated systems offer limited filtering, poor UX, and inconsistent data. Screening CVs manually or relying on flawed algorithms wastes time, and leads to missed matches.

Add in the challenge of legacy platforms that can't integrate with newer tech or AI tools, and you have a process that slows down hiring, frustrates internal stakeholders, and fails to reflect your employer brand.

Candidates Are Circumventing the System and Who Can Blame Them? 

The savviest candidates are opting out altogether. They’re leveraging networks, reaching out directly to hiring managers, or using executive search partners who offer a more curated experience. If your process is painful, you’re not just losing candidates, you’re losing the best ones.

At CGC, we regularly hear from candidates who abandon applications midway. Why? Because the hoops they’re asked to jump through feel unnecessary, uninviting, and impersonal.

The Fix: It’s Time to Treat Candidates Like Customers

Companies invest heavily in customer experience, so why not do the same for candidate experience? After all, your applicants are often your customers, brand ambassadors, and future leaders.

Here’s how to start:

·       ✅ Audit Your ATS – Identify friction points. Cut irrelevant questions. Simplify the process.

·       ✅ Mobile-First Design – Over 60% of candidates apply via mobile. If your ATS isn’t optimized, you’re losing them at step one.

·       ✅ Ask Less, Learn More – Use smart AI tools to pull insights from CVs, not interrogate applicants through forms.

·       ✅ Empower Your TA Team – Give them modern tools, reduce admin burdens, and let them focus on engaging talent—not fighting tech.

·       ✅ Create Executive Pathways – Not all roles need the same process. Senior candidates expect a high-touch, efficient journey.

In today’s competitive talent landscape, the best candidates don’t wait. They move fast, they value their time, and they choose companies that respect it. If your ATS is more obstacle than asset, it’s time for change.

Because here’s the truth: you’re not just filtering applications, you’re filtering out future leaders.

#ExecutiveSearch #CandidateExperience #TalentAcquisition #FutureOfWork #HRTech #Leadership #RecruitmentStrategy #CGrahamConsulting

https://www.cgrahamconsulting.com/

Why You're Losing C-Suite Candidates

In today's high-stakes executive market, top-tier candidates aren’t just looking for a new title, they’re evaluating your organization as thoroughly as you're assessing them.

Here are the 10 critical reasons they’re walking away:

1. 🚦 Slow, Bureaucratic Processes

   
   

   Top execs expect speed and clarity. A sluggish process screams red tape and indecision.

2. 📣 Lack of Executive Presence

   
   

   Senior talent expects engagement from the top. If your CEO, board, or partners aren't involved—they’ll sense a lack of respect.

3. 🧭 Role Ambiguity

   
   

   Shifting KPIs, unclear authority, or vague reporting lines? That’s a deal-breaker at this level.

4. 💰 Comp Package Confusion

   
   

   Executives want transparency—total comp, equity, LTIPs, the lot. Lowballing = instant disengagement.

5. 🔭 Weak Strategic Narrative

   
   

   They need to believe in the vision. If your pitch feels reactive or uninspired, you’ll lose them to a competitor who sells the future better.

6. 🌍 Inflexible Work Models

   
   

   Remote/hybrid isn't a perk—it's an expectation. Especially in global talent pools.

7. 🎯 Misaligned Interview Panels

   
   

   If your interviewers aren’t calibrated, or worse—contradict each other—it reflects internal dysfunction.

8. 🚨 Reputation Risks

   
   

   They will do their research. Negative press, Glassdoor chaos, or high turnover at the top will raise flags unless directly addressed.

9. 🔐 Confidentiality Gaps

   
   

   Leaked intel, public job posts, or loose lips can end conversations before they start.

10. 🎩 Missing Gravitas

    
    

    Top execs expect a curated, high-touch experience. Junior-level touchpoints or cookie-cutter outreach won’t cut it.

At CGC, we help clients elevate their C-suite hiring strategy, ensuring your approach matches the caliber of talent you're trying to attract.

Want to retain the attention of top-tier candidates in a volatile market?

Let’s talk.

#ExecutiveSearch #CLevelHiring #Leadership #FinancialServices #TechLeadership #Consulting #HiringStrategy #C GrahamConsulting #BoardroomReady #FutureOfWork

www.cgrahamconsulting.com