Every organization that has run an executive search carries a story about one that went sideways. A slate of candidates that missed the mark. A hire who looked compelling on paper and didn’t last a year. A process that dragged on so long the business case for the role had shifted before anyone was seated in it.
In nearly every one of those stories, the root cause was not a shortage of talent in the market. It was a breakdown in the partnership between the hiring organization and the search firm, most often traced back to communication that was too thin, too infrequent, or too one directional to serve the outcome it was meant to protect.
Having led searches in aerospace and defense for over a decade, a sector where the cost of a wrong hire is especially steep given security clearances, program timelines, and the depth of technical and leadership judgment these roles demand, I have come to view the caliber of the partnership as the single strongest predictor of outcome. What follows is what distinguishes the partnerships that produce exceptional hires from those that produce regret.
The Brief Is a Conversation, Not a Document
Many searches begin with a job description handed off with the expectation that the firm will go find matches. The strongest searches begin differently. They begin with a substantive conversation about what success looks like in the role eighteen months out, what has not worked in the past when this seat was filled, and what tensions exist within the team or the business that the right leader will need to navigate.
A search firm willing to ask hard questions at the outset, paired with a hiring team willing to answer them candidly, sets the entire search on a course toward success. The work is consultative in nature long before it becomes a matter of sourcing.
Regular Touchpoints Are Not a Courtesy, They Are a Discipline
A weekly or biweekly check in with a search partner is sometimes regarded as a nice to have, something to skip when calendars grow crowded. It is, in fact, one of the most valuable instruments for keeping a search on course.
These touchpoints are where a search firm conveys what it is hearing in the market, including how candidates are responding to the opportunity, the compensation range, and the company narrative. They are also where a hiring team can course correct in real time, rather than discovering three months in that the slate has been built against criteria that shifted without anyone saying so aloud.
Feedback Must Be Precise and Prompt
Vague feedback is among the most common ways a search stalls. “Not quite right” tells a search firm almost nothing. “Strong technical depth, but I did not see the executive presence we need for board exposure” tells them exactly how to recalibrate.
The hiring organizations that achieve the best outcomes treat feedback as integral to their role in the partnership, not an afterthought squeezed between other priorities. The sharper and swifter the feedback, the sooner the search converges on the right person.
The Search Firm Should Push Back When It Matters
A capable consultative partner does not merely deliver whoever fits the stated criteria. When the market tells a different story than the brief suggests, whether on compensation, the realistic pool of candidates holding the requisite clearance level, or how the role is being positioned, that perspective needs to be delivered candidly. Hiring teams should welcome this level of candor. It signals that the firm is safeguarding the outcome, not merely the transaction.
Alignment on the Close, Not Only the Slate
Some of the most avoidable failures occur at the finish line, when an offer is extended before the groundwork has been laid to understand what the candidate needs in order to accept. A strong search partnership sustains ongoing dialogue about a candidate’s motivations, concerns, and competing opportunities well before an offer is drafted, so the close becomes a formality rather than a negotiation starting from scratch.
The Bottom Line
Retained search works best when approached as a true partnership rather than a transaction. The firms and the hiring teams that achieve the strongest results are those who communicate early, often, and candidly, who treat feedback as fuel for the process rather than a formality, and who regard the search firm as a consultative partner in a shared outcome rather than a vendor filling an order.
The talent exists in the market. What determines whether it finds its way into the right seat is, almost without exception, the caliber of the partnership built to find it.
About the Author
Aaron Griffin
Managing Director
agriffin@mbexec.com
310.560.9774
Aaron Griffin serves as a Managing Director at McDermott + Bull and is part of the firm’s Aviation, Aerospace, + Defense Practice, based in Los Angeles. He has over 10 years of experience in executive search, supporting clients in aviation, aerospace, and transportation with their most critical hires.Â
Aaron brings strong expertise leading searches on a global scale. His executive network encompasses the aerospace manufacturing supply chain, aviation airport services, and the wider transportation landscape, enabling him to provide world-class talent to his clients.Â
Originally from the U.K., Aaron currently resides in Los Angeles and is fluent in German. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sheffield and a Master of Arts in medical law and ethics from King’s College London. In his free time, Aaron can be found skiing, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors.