Hunt Scanlon Media and Simsola AI Launch Survey on the Last Mile of Executive Search

October 22, 2026 – Executive search firms are under growing pressure to bring greater consistency and transparency to how finalists are evaluated and recommendations are made. As AI and new technology move deeper into the search process, firms are also rethinking how interview feedback is captured, how candidates are compared, and where experienced consultant judgment should carry the most weight.

To better understand how the industry is handling that final stage of a search, Hunt Scanlon Media and Simsola AI have launched a new survey focused on candidate evaluation, shortlist development, AI use, and the evidence behind search recommendations. The findings will be featured in a joint report scheduled for release in early 2027, giving firms an opportunity to benchmark their practices against peers and identify areas where greater structure or technology could improve the process.

Industry leaders have also weighed in on where inconsistencies remain and how firms can strengthen the “last mile” of executive search without losing the human judgment that clients continue to value most.

One area of inconsistency is how executive search firms compare finalists and make recommendations to clients. “It comes down to the yardstick,” said Tammy Wang, founder of Simsola AI. “Finalists should be measured against the mandate the client agreed to at the start,” she said. “In practice, they’re often measured against one another or against whoever made the strongest impression in last week’s debrief. That’s when you hear, let’s see three more.”

“The other inconsistency is the evidence behind the recommendation,” Ms. Wang said. One partner takes detailed notes, another relies on memory, and a client stakeholder hears it secondhand. A recommendation is only as consistent as the record behind it. “When firms capture conversations consistently and connect the evidence to agreed criteria, clients get a fair comparison, not just a collection of impressions,” Ms. Wang added.

Candidate Evaluation

Another key consideration is how much structure firms should bring to candidate evaluation and where experienced consultant judgment should carry the most weight. “Enough structure to make judgment visible, but not so much that it crowds judgment out,” Ms. Wang said.

The Last Mile of Executive Search: Turning Candidate Conversations Into Defensible Shortlist Decisions

As executive search becomes more data-driven, firms are under growing pressure to show clients not only who made the shortlist, but why. That is putting greater emphasis on consistent evaluation, clearly defined criteria, and stronger evidence around leadership capability, risk, and fit. The shift is also creating a larger role for AI in helping search teams organize candidate information while keeping human judgment at the center of the final recommendation. Hunt Scanlon Media recently sat down with Tammy Wang, founder of Simsola AI, to discuss AI, candidate evaluation, and building more defensible shortlists. So where does Dr. Wang see the biggest breakdowns occurring between candidate interviews and the final shortlist, and why are those problems so difficult for search teams to solve consistently?

“The breakdown often shows up when the shortlist is formed and the client pushes back,” she explained. “From the search firm side, the challenge is that the firm may not be able to convince the client that the list is right, the client may not feel it meets the agreed criteria, and they ask to see more candidates.”

“Structure also helps address the unevenness of experience within a firm,” she said. Consultants bring different levels of expertise, and a clear process can help transfer the judgment of experienced consultants to more junior colleagues. That allows a firm to scale while maintaining the quality of its work.”

Related: With millionways Investment Hunt Scanlon Ventures Backs the Future of AI-Powered Talent Platforms

Experienced consultant judgment is essential for validating automated results and overseeing the process, according to Ms. Wang. “Consultants need to make sure the firm’s knowledge and standards are implemented and translated correctly,” she said. “Often a scorecard can’t tell the whole story: the chemistry with a hiring leader, the tradeoffs between two strong finalists, the candidate’s experience of the process.”

The Use of AI

Technology and AI are beginning to play a larger role in helping search firms organize interview feedback, compare candidates, and support shortlist decisions. “Most firms have already felt AI at the top of the funnel: sourcing, outreach, scheduling,” Ms. Wang explained. “The last mile is where it’s just getting started, and where the stakes are higher. The clearest value today is what Jack Leitch of Uber called protecting the floor of the interview.”

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“Nothing about the conversation itself changes,” she added. “It is simply captured and summarized the same way every time, so the debrief starts from an accurate record instead of memory or scattered notes. The consultant then reviews that record, adds what they observed, and connects the evidence to the criteria the client agreed to. The result is a view of every candidate on the same terms.”

The Survey

Ms. Wang said that in the past, search firms have described thoughtful approaches, but their processes varied considerably. “We don’t yet know how any one firm’s approach compares with the rest of the industry,” she said. “I hope the survey reveals how firms compare finalists, how much structure they use, where AI is already part of evaluation, and how they show clients the evidence behind a recommendation.”

There’s a real challenge to understand: a Riviera Partners report found that only 28 percent of companies say their hiring decisions move with ease. The Hunt Scanlon Media–Simsola AI report will give firms a chance to compare their practices with those of their peers and see where greater consistency, structure, or technology could help. “I’m especially interested in what firms identify as their biggest opportunity to improve,” Ms. Wang said.

The survey takes two to three minutes. Responses are confidential, and respondents can request a copy of the report when it’s released in early 2027.

To take the survey, please click here!

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media