Executive Search Review
‘2020 Higher Education Recruiting’ Special Issue
Executive Search Review has just updated its higher education recruiting newsletter! We invite you to take a look at our latest issue by downloading the Free Newsletter PDF file. Here is a sampling of just some of what you’ll find when you open up this latest issue of ESR:
Global Pandemic Endows Universities With Big Challenges in the Hunt for New Leaders
Leadership roles in today’s colleges and universities have become increasingly demanding and complex. Senior academic leaders must balance the needs of numerous constituents—needs that require a cross section of skills far beyond the traditional set of scholarly and research accomplishments.
Hunt Scanlon Releases ‘Top 40 Higher Education Recruiters’
Hunt Scanlon presents its annual roundup of the 40 most prominent executive search firms serving the higher education sector. Our reporters and analysts have studied each search firm in-depth and have highlighted recruiters focused on providing the best academic leaders.
Recruiting College Presidents During the Pandemic
Many industries have experienced delays and pauses in current searches, but Jay Lemons, president of Academic Search, claims that he has noticed only a slight delay in higher education searches. Mr. Lemons says, in fact, that demand for college and university presidents is at an all-time high. Here are his expectations for the overall sector beyond the pandemic.
The Rise of Diversity Officers at Universities
The role of chief diversity officer is expanding at universities. It has become one of the most important positions for shaping the vision, culture and very face of institutions of higher learning from coast to coast. It is also increasingly becoming a cabinet-level job, according to executive recruiters, with a broad range of responsibilities beyond that of most administrators. In turn, executive search firms have become valuable partners to colleges in finding the right talent for the role.
Sage Search Partners Fills Posts for Tulane and UCLA
Sage Search Partners, which specializes in higher education and non-profit institutions, has made two key placements that will help the firm’s clients address equity issues as well as the financial constraints of students, which is of particular concern during the current economic crisis as well as the Black Lives Matter movement.
Hunt Scanlon Releases Latest Recruiter Rankings
Private Equity Recruiting Power 75Hunt Scanlon Top 50Hunt Scanlon Big Five Global Search FirmsHunt Scanlon Global 40 Hunt Scanlon Top 50 Healthcare & Life SciencesHunt Scanlon Top 40 Sports, Media & Entertainment
Hunt Scanlon London 60
Hunt Scanlon Past ESR Issues
2020 Private Equity Recruiting Special Issue2020 Recruiting Ranking Special IssueHealthcare & Life Sciences Recruiting Special Issue‘Culture & Engagement Recruiting’ Special Issue‘Private Equity Recruiting’ Special Issue
2019 ‘Recruiter Ranking’ Special Issue
‘CHRO Recruiting’ Special Issue
‘Diversity Recruiting Special Issue
2018 ‘Recruiter Ranking Special Issue
‘Millennial Recruiting’ Special Issue
Sports and Media/Entertainment Special Issue
Paradigm Shift Special Issue
2017 Rankings Issue
Life Sciences and Healthcare Recruiting Special Issue
Non-Profit/Higher Education Recruiting Special Issue
2016 Rankings Issue
Cybersecurity Recruiting Special Issue
Past Articles From The Archives
Global Pandemic Endows Universities With Big Challenges in the Hunt for New Leaders
Leadership roles in today’s colleges and universities have become increasingly demanding and complex. Senior academic leaders must balance the needs of numerous constituents—needs that require a cross section of skills far beyond the traditional set of scholarly and research accomplishments. Those who lead today’s universities are CEOs of publicly scrutinized institutions with requirements to fundraise,
Recruiting College Presidents During the Pandemic
Many industries have experienced delays and pauses in current searches, but Jay Lemons, president of Academic Search, claims that he has noticed only a slight delay in higher education searches. Mr. Lemons says, in fact, that demand for college and university presidents is at an all-time high. Here are his expectations for the overall sector
The Rise of Diversity Officers at Universities
The role of chief diversity officer is expanding at universities. It has become one of the most important positions for shaping the vision, culture and very face of institutions of higher learning from coast to coast. It is also increasingly becoming a cabinet-level job, according to executive recruiters, with a broad range of responsibilities beyond
Sage Search Partners Fills Posts for Tulane and UCLA
Sage Search Partners, which specializes in higher education and non-profit institutions, has made two key placements that will help the firm’s clients address equity issues as well as the financial constraints of students, which is of particular concern during the current economic crisis as well as the Black Lives Matter movement. Marvin Smith will join
Fundamental Shift Underway in Private Equity Talent Acquisition Strategies
The past decade has been widely viewed as a golden era for private equity. As global markets recovered from the shock of the last financial crisis, private equity firms did not simply sit back and reap the rewards of improving market conditions, according to a report by Spencer Stuart. In fact, quite the opposite. The
The Importance of CEO Performance at Portfolio Companies
Robert Hogan is the founder and president of Hogan Assessment Systems. He is an international authority on personality assessment, leadership, and organizational effectiveness. His theory-based work in personality measurement has contributed to the development of Socioanalytic Theory, which maintains that the core of personality is based on evolutionary adaptations. Rob Kaiser is president of Kaiser
Impact on Talent: Private Equity’s Upcoming Shift
How quickly things have changed. Just four months ago, Rob Tillman, president of TillmanPartners and managing partner at DHR International, noted that private equity investors were poised to win during the next downturn, but no one predicted the sudden shock to the economy related to the coronavirus crisis. “At the end of 2019, it was
3 Qualities Private Equity Companies Seek When Picking Portfolio CEOs
Private equity firms conduct rigorous due diligence in assessing acquisition targets. Those with the best track records place high trust in their ability to size up a prospect’s financials, operations and market position. But many mid-sized PE firms are less successful in choosing the CEOs who run their portfolio companies. One study of PE firms,
Recruiting CFOs for PE Companies
Executive search firm Caldwell recently conducted a survey on the CFO role to fine-tune its understanding of the skills and experiences that define success today for a CFO of a PE-backed portfolio company and, equally importantly, which attributes may sound appealing but are not essential. More than 300 private equity CFOs shared candid responses on
Private Equity Growth & Evolution
In order to adapt to the nuances of modern private equity recruiting, it is necessary to first understand how the industry has changed, according to recent insights report by Chicago-based executive search firm Slayton Search Partners. The private equity environment has seen explosive growth in the 2000’s. “Twenty years ago, there were perhaps only 20
Executive Recruiters See Growth and Expansion Turn to Fear and Anxiety
For an industry that is all too familiar with the reality of economic downturns, confronting the COVID-19 pandemic crisis is unlike any other. Executive recruiting leaders say they have no idea this time around how extensive or long lasting the damage will be, never mind when business will return to normal. Following is a look
The Future of Work and the Workforce in the Post-Pandemic Era
Richard Stein is partner, chief growth officer and head of OGiQ at Options Group. He supports the C-suite of many of the world’s top financial services organizations in all aspects of talent acquisition, development and retention. Organizations have all but slammed the brakes on recruiting at a time when they should be looking for those
Leveraging Existing Response Plans to Tackle COVID-19
While the world continues to face the uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, corporate, academic and government leaders are examining the long-range questions of “What’s next?” and “How do we respond?” If your organization has yet to have a pandemic response and recovery plan in place, it may be time to take what is in place
Leading in a Crisis: Business Leaders Go on the Offensive to Guide, Mentor and Support Talent
The current COVID-19 pandemic is a global tragedy with profoundly human consequences. It is also creating situations of extraordinary human performance and growth, as individuals and leaders come together to do what they can to help those around them. Pandemics are unlike any other challenge faced by today’s leaders, according to executive search leaders who
Navigating a COVID-19 Healthcare World
Marc Gouran is a president and global practice leader at Solomon Page, a multi-specialty executive search firm headquartered in New York City. He is the founder, architect, and general manager of the organization’s healthcare and life sciences division, which he started in 1992. It has expanded since then to three offices nationally. Mr. Gouran focuses
The COVID-19 Impact on Executive Search
Over the past two weeks, recruiting software provider Thrive interviewed dozens of leaders, CEOs, founders, and managing partners from top executive search firms. They candidly shared how COVID-19 and the resulting social and economic impact will affect the executive search sector. Here are some excerpted conclusions from those discussions. 1. Like it or not, it’s
How Executive Recruiters are Getting Ahead of the Pandemic Curve
Paul Esselman is managing director and president of Cejka Search, which has provided recruiting services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 35 years. Its client roster includes Georgetown University Hospital, Northwestern Memorial, Levine Cancer Institute, St. John Providence Health System, Tenet, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine,
Keep Calm and Recruit: Why Now is the Best Time to Assess Your Talent Assets
It’s easy, with the drama around the coronavirus, to lose sight of the fact that it might – just might, and with luck – be short-lived. When that happens, the world can start to get back to normal. “In the meantime, many companies have taken advantage of the easy, good times to build their businesses,”
How Search Firms Are Managing the Culture Game
Culture fit is hardly a new concept. Well before the rise of various models and frameworks to evaluate organizational culture, companies recognized the risk of hiring a cultural mismatch — such as the lone wolf in a company that values collaboration. New employees, especially leaders, who clash with the culture are often ineffective, and are
Hiring for Cultural Fit? Here’s What You Should Know
Working with talent acquisition and HR leaders, you often hear this: “We hire for cultural fit, first and foremost.” But what does that mean, and how is that fit assessed? “Well, sometimes it’s whatever a hiring manager wants it to mean and that can be a big issue, leading to poor hiring decisions fraught with
What Makes a Great Culture?
If you want to truly inspire people to produce great work, creating a strong, vibrant company culture remains a core focal point for any business leader, according to a new report penned by Odgers Berndtson’s Elizabeth Stewart, who serves as the firm’s head of executive assessment and development in London. A few decades since management
How AI is Changing the Culture of Work
Artificial intelligence is poised to become one of the most important business disruptors of our times. But too often people look only at the potential downsides of machines simulating human intelligence and overlook the positive impact and value that AI stands to deliver, particularly when it comes to organizational culture. A new white paper report
7 Ways to Improve Employee Engagement
Creating a culture of engagement is critical to business success. When executive teams are engaged, managers are 39 percent more likely to be engaged, and this drives engagement among all employees, found a Gallup survey. Plain and simple increased engagement impacts the bottom line. A new report by Acertitude’s co-founder and managing partner Kevin O’Neill
Report Reveals Industries With High and Lowest Engagement Levels
Just in time for Labor Day, which pays tribute to the achievements of American workers, an analysis by Korn Ferry underscores which industries have the most engaged and least engaged employees. The analysis is based on engagement surveys from 139 companies and 1.3 million U.S. employees across 15 industries. It reveals that overall, 71 percent
Private Equity Sector Fueling Growth and Credibility for Recruiters
Private equity firms have been under tremendous pressure to find senior talent and that has turned the entire sector into a phenomenal growth driver at recruitment firms across the U.S. Last year, records continued to be broken as upwards of 40,000 deals involving venture capital or private equity financing, mergers or acquisitions were consummated across
Building and Activating Championship Teams
Jill Hill, Ph.D. leads YSC Consulting’s Private Equity Practice for the Americas, advising many of the world’s leading global PE firms on their toughest leadership and talent challenges. Jill is a strategic partner who specializes in providing management due diligence, senior executive assessment, coaching, board effectiveness, and high-performance team development to investors, Boards, CEOs, and
Recruiting Sector Jumps 13.9 Percent, Driven by Tightening Talent Markets
A constricting labor market with low unemployment means companies are struggling to find qualified talent. When the right people are found, the costs associated with hiring them are rising, making a lengthy onboarding process now the rule, not the exception. All of it is translating into big business for the nation’s Top 50 executive search
Global Recruitment Insights and Data
A new year, a new set of perspectives and priorities. In 2019, search consultants are feeling bullish. Almost 80 percent of recruiting firms said they anticipate an increase in 2019 revenue, according to a new report from Bullhorn. The rest of their latest report’s findings are below: Embracing Digital Transformation Bullhorn found that a majority
Talent Industry Predictions
Six of the nation’s top recruiters share their predictions on where the search industry might be heading in 2019 and beyond. Among them: better partnerships between recruiters and talent teams; a further rise in the importance of AI on hiring; a growing appetite for digitally literate leaders; a focus on hiring internal high potentials; a
Why the Partnership with Chief Human Resource Officers Matters
Anyone with the ties to the human resources function knows how much it has evolved in recent years – and with it the role of the chief human resources officer. The biggest shift seen is in how the CHRO has progressed from fighting for a seat at the table to playing a key role on
Kick Off: NFL Taps Hanold Associates to Find Next CHRO
Following a record-breaking year of recruiting top HR leadership into some of the best well-known brands across industry, Hanold Associates has just been tapped by the National Football League to lead its search for a new chief human resources officer (CHRO). Jason Hanold, CEO and managing partner of the Chicago-based recruiting outfit that bears his
Top 5 Priorities for CHROs
According to research by Deloitte, 94 percent of executives and 88 percent of employees believe a distinct corporate culture is important to the success of every business. Culture in the workplace isn’t a new trend, but because of the growing responsibility of human resources and a shift away from HR as an administrative function, the
5 Essential Attributes for a 21st Century CHRO
The role of the chief human resources officer is changing again. Over the years, the best CHROs became much more focused on the business and its strategic needs. Today, however, the needs of the business have evolved – and with it so have the demands on the CHRO, according to a new report by Heidrick
Chief People Officers Rise in Demand and Stature
Talent acquisition strategies at many large companies have become as complex as their balance sheets. And while chief human resource officers (CHRO) play a vital role in overseeing an organization’s broad-based workforce, it is the chief people officer who typically goes beyond overseeing its people policies. The focus, instead, is on building talent as a
Diversity Recruiting: Supply, Demand and the Matchmaking Process
Diversity starts at the top of every organization – that’s the hope at least. According to recruiters polled in a recent informal survey conducted by Hunt Scanlon Media that oftentimes means it begins in the boardroom. Diverse boards make better decisions and lead to improved company performance, they said. Yet despite the research, validation and
Global Pandemic Endows Universities With Big Challenges in the Hunt for New Leaders
Leadership roles in today’s colleges and universities have become increasingly demanding and complex. Senior academic leaders must balance the needs of numerous constituents—needs that require a cross section of skills far beyond the traditional set of scholarly and research accomplishments. Those who lead today’s universities are CEOs of publicly scrutinized institutions with requirements to fundraise,
Recruiting College Presidents During the Pandemic
Many industries have experienced delays and pauses in current searches, but Jay Lemons, president of Academic Search, claims that he has noticed only a slight delay in higher education searches. Mr. Lemons says, in fact, that demand for college and university presidents is at an all-time high. Here are his expectations for the overall sector
The Rise of Diversity Officers at Universities
The role of chief diversity officer is expanding at universities. It has become one of the most important positions for shaping the vision, culture and very face of institutions of higher learning from coast to coast. It is also increasingly becoming a cabinet-level job, according to executive recruiters, with a broad range of responsibilities beyond
Sage Search Partners Fills Posts for Tulane and UCLA
Sage Search Partners, which specializes in higher education and non-profit institutions, has made two key placements that will help the firm’s clients address equity issues as well as the financial constraints of students, which is of particular concern during the current economic crisis as well as the Black Lives Matter movement. Marvin Smith will join
Fundamental Shift Underway in Private Equity Talent Acquisition Strategies
The past decade has been widely viewed as a golden era for private equity. As global markets recovered from the shock of the last financial crisis, private equity firms did not simply sit back and reap the rewards of improving market conditions, according to a report by Spencer Stuart. In fact, quite the opposite. The
The Importance of CEO Performance at Portfolio Companies
Robert Hogan is the founder and president of Hogan Assessment Systems. He is an international authority on personality assessment, leadership, and organizational effectiveness. His theory-based work in personality measurement has contributed to the development of Socioanalytic Theory, which maintains that the core of personality is based on evolutionary adaptations. Rob Kaiser is president of Kaiser
Impact on Talent: Private Equity’s Upcoming Shift
How quickly things have changed. Just four months ago, Rob Tillman, president of TillmanPartners and managing partner at DHR International, noted that private equity investors were poised to win during the next downturn, but no one predicted the sudden shock to the economy related to the coronavirus crisis. “At the end of 2019, it was
3 Qualities Private Equity Companies Seek When Picking Portfolio CEOs
Private equity firms conduct rigorous due diligence in assessing acquisition targets. Those with the best track records place high trust in their ability to size up a prospect’s financials, operations and market position. But many mid-sized PE firms are less successful in choosing the CEOs who run their portfolio companies. One study of PE firms,
Recruiting CFOs for PE Companies
Executive search firm Caldwell recently conducted a survey on the CFO role to fine-tune its understanding of the skills and experiences that define success today for a CFO of a PE-backed portfolio company and, equally importantly, which attributes may sound appealing but are not essential. More than 300 private equity CFOs shared candid responses on
Private Equity Growth & Evolution
In order to adapt to the nuances of modern private equity recruiting, it is necessary to first understand how the industry has changed, according to recent insights report by Chicago-based executive search firm Slayton Search Partners. The private equity environment has seen explosive growth in the 2000’s. “Twenty years ago, there were perhaps only 20
Executive Recruiters See Growth and Expansion Turn to Fear and Anxiety
For an industry that is all too familiar with the reality of economic downturns, confronting the COVID-19 pandemic crisis is unlike any other. Executive recruiting leaders say they have no idea this time around how extensive or long lasting the damage will be, never mind when business will return to normal. Following is a look
The Future of Work and the Workforce in the Post-Pandemic Era
Richard Stein is partner, chief growth officer and head of OGiQ at Options Group. He supports the C-suite of many of the world’s top financial services organizations in all aspects of talent acquisition, development and retention. Organizations have all but slammed the brakes on recruiting at a time when they should be looking for those
Leveraging Existing Response Plans to Tackle COVID-19
While the world continues to face the uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, corporate, academic and government leaders are examining the long-range questions of “What’s next?” and “How do we respond?” If your organization has yet to have a pandemic response and recovery plan in place, it may be time to take what is in place
Leading in a Crisis: Business Leaders Go on the Offensive to Guide, Mentor and Support Talent
The current COVID-19 pandemic is a global tragedy with profoundly human consequences. It is also creating situations of extraordinary human performance and growth, as individuals and leaders come together to do what they can to help those around them. Pandemics are unlike any other challenge faced by today’s leaders, according to executive search leaders who
Navigating a COVID-19 Healthcare World
Marc Gouran is a president and global practice leader at Solomon Page, a multi-specialty executive search firm headquartered in New York City. He is the founder, architect, and general manager of the organization’s healthcare and life sciences division, which he started in 1992. It has expanded since then to three offices nationally. Mr. Gouran focuses
The COVID-19 Impact on Executive Search
Over the past two weeks, recruiting software provider Thrive interviewed dozens of leaders, CEOs, founders, and managing partners from top executive search firms. They candidly shared how COVID-19 and the resulting social and economic impact will affect the executive search sector. Here are some excerpted conclusions from those discussions. 1. Like it or not, it’s
How Executive Recruiters are Getting Ahead of the Pandemic Curve
Paul Esselman is managing director and president of Cejka Search, which has provided recruiting services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 35 years. Its client roster includes Georgetown University Hospital, Northwestern Memorial, Levine Cancer Institute, St. John Providence Health System, Tenet, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine,
Keep Calm and Recruit: Why Now is the Best Time to Assess Your Talent Assets
It’s easy, with the drama around the coronavirus, to lose sight of the fact that it might – just might, and with luck – be short-lived. When that happens, the world can start to get back to normal. “In the meantime, many companies have taken advantage of the easy, good times to build their businesses,”
How Search Firms Are Managing the Culture Game
Culture fit is hardly a new concept. Well before the rise of various models and frameworks to evaluate organizational culture, companies recognized the risk of hiring a cultural mismatch — such as the lone wolf in a company that values collaboration. New employees, especially leaders, who clash with the culture are often ineffective, and are
Hiring for Cultural Fit? Here’s What You Should Know
Working with talent acquisition and HR leaders, you often hear this: “We hire for cultural fit, first and foremost.” But what does that mean, and how is that fit assessed? “Well, sometimes it’s whatever a hiring manager wants it to mean and that can be a big issue, leading to poor hiring decisions fraught with
What Makes a Great Culture?
If you want to truly inspire people to produce great work, creating a strong, vibrant company culture remains a core focal point for any business leader, according to a new report penned by Odgers Berndtson’s Elizabeth Stewart, who serves as the firm’s head of executive assessment and development in London. A few decades since management
How AI is Changing the Culture of Work
Artificial intelligence is poised to become one of the most important business disruptors of our times. But too often people look only at the potential downsides of machines simulating human intelligence and overlook the positive impact and value that AI stands to deliver, particularly when it comes to organizational culture. A new white paper report
7 Ways to Improve Employee Engagement
Creating a culture of engagement is critical to business success. When executive teams are engaged, managers are 39 percent more likely to be engaged, and this drives engagement among all employees, found a Gallup survey. Plain and simple increased engagement impacts the bottom line. A new report by Acertitude’s co-founder and managing partner Kevin O’Neill
Report Reveals Industries With High and Lowest Engagement Levels
Just in time for Labor Day, which pays tribute to the achievements of American workers, an analysis by Korn Ferry underscores which industries have the most engaged and least engaged employees. The analysis is based on engagement surveys from 139 companies and 1.3 million U.S. employees across 15 industries. It reveals that overall, 71 percent
Private Equity Sector Fueling Growth and Credibility for Recruiters
Private equity firms have been under tremendous pressure to find senior talent and that has turned the entire sector into a phenomenal growth driver at recruitment firms across the U.S. Last year, records continued to be broken as upwards of 40,000 deals involving venture capital or private equity financing, mergers or acquisitions were consummated across
Building and Activating Championship Teams
Jill Hill, Ph.D. leads YSC Consulting’s Private Equity Practice for the Americas, advising many of the world’s leading global PE firms on their toughest leadership and talent challenges. Jill is a strategic partner who specializes in providing management due diligence, senior executive assessment, coaching, board effectiveness, and high-performance team development to investors, Boards, CEOs, and
Recruiting Sector Jumps 13.9 Percent, Driven by Tightening Talent Markets
A constricting labor market with low unemployment means companies are struggling to find qualified talent. When the right people are found, the costs associated with hiring them are rising, making a lengthy onboarding process now the rule, not the exception. All of it is translating into big business for the nation’s Top 50 executive search
Global Recruitment Insights and Data
A new year, a new set of perspectives and priorities. In 2019, search consultants are feeling bullish. Almost 80 percent of recruiting firms said they anticipate an increase in 2019 revenue, according to a new report from Bullhorn. The rest of their latest report’s findings are below: Embracing Digital Transformation Bullhorn found that a majority
Talent Industry Predictions
Six of the nation’s top recruiters share their predictions on where the search industry might be heading in 2019 and beyond. Among them: better partnerships between recruiters and talent teams; a further rise in the importance of AI on hiring; a growing appetite for digitally literate leaders; a focus on hiring internal high potentials; a
Why the Partnership with Chief Human Resource Officers Matters
Anyone with the ties to the human resources function knows how much it has evolved in recent years – and with it the role of the chief human resources officer. The biggest shift seen is in how the CHRO has progressed from fighting for a seat at the table to playing a key role on
Kick Off: NFL Taps Hanold Associates to Find Next CHRO
Following a record-breaking year of recruiting top HR leadership into some of the best well-known brands across industry, Hanold Associates has just been tapped by the National Football League to lead its search for a new chief human resources officer (CHRO). Jason Hanold, CEO and managing partner of the Chicago-based recruiting outfit that bears his
Top 5 Priorities for CHROs
According to research by Deloitte, 94 percent of executives and 88 percent of employees believe a distinct corporate culture is important to the success of every business. Culture in the workplace isn’t a new trend, but because of the growing responsibility of human resources and a shift away from HR as an administrative function, the
5 Essential Attributes for a 21st Century CHRO
The role of the chief human resources officer is changing again. Over the years, the best CHROs became much more focused on the business and its strategic needs. Today, however, the needs of the business have evolved – and with it so have the demands on the CHRO, according to a new report by Heidrick
Chief People Officers Rise in Demand and Stature
Talent acquisition strategies at many large companies have become as complex as their balance sheets. And while chief human resource officers (CHRO) play a vital role in overseeing an organization’s broad-based workforce, it is the chief people officer who typically goes beyond overseeing its people policies. The focus, instead, is on building talent as a
Diversity Recruiting: Supply, Demand and the Matchmaking Process
Diversity starts at the top of every organization – that’s the hope at least. According to recruiters polled in a recent informal survey conducted by Hunt Scanlon Media that oftentimes means it begins in the boardroom. Diverse boards make better decisions and lead to improved company performance, they said. Yet despite the research, validation and
