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J.C. Wilson Associates (JCWA) |
Large Search Firms |
| Search Quality |
Our firm is about quality and speed, not volume.
The maximum search load at JCWA is five searches per partner,
which increases speed to completion of search and allows our
high-touch approach to be fully maximized. |
Large firms tend to focus on volume. The average
partner carries 10 to 20 searches at one time, significantly
slowing down the search process. |
| Search Length |
Searches at JCWA typically take two to three
months to complete. |
Searches in large search firms typically take
four to five months to complete. |
| Bait & Switch |
A Partner well-seasoned in business and search
will contact potential candidates and sources. From experience,
we believe that high-level candidates react more positively
to high-level recruiters for the critical "first discussion." |
Large search firms usually delegate the early
phone calling to less-experienced associates who often are reading
from a script and cannot field basic questions. |
| Off-Limits |
There are NO companies that are off-limits
- JCWA has virtually unlimited access. Any relevant company
can be approached on the client's behalf, offering access to
the best available talent. |
Because of "off-limits" restrictions
related to their hundreds of clients and thousands of active
candidates, large search firms are generally prohibited from
contacting 30 percent to 40 percent of the target candidate
universe across the country. |
| Parallel Processing |
JCWA will present candidates for only one search
at a time. We will never have one candidate in play on more
than one search. |
Due to smaller candidate pools arising from
"off-limits" restrictions, some partners at large
search firms will "parallel process" (i.e. share)
the best candidates for more than one search without the client's
knowledge. |
| Minimum Retainer |
The minimum retainer fee for a search at JCWA
is $45,000. |
The minimum charge for a search at most large
search firms is $60,000 or often higher. |
| Retainer Fees |
The standard procedure for retainers in the
search industry is to bill the client in three equal installments.
At JCWA, we can tie the retainer payments to major benchmarks
throughout the search, guaranteeing your satisfaction prior
to payment. |
Large search firms will charge their retainer
fees at 30, 60 and 90 days, regardless of your major benchmarks
or continuing satisfaction. |
| Allocated Charges |
JCWA's standard fee for allocated charges is
6 percent of each retainer fee - half of what some of the large
firms can charge. |
Miscellaneous allocated charges in large search
firms average between 8 percent and 12 percent of the each retainer
fee. This often raises the total search cost to more than 40
percent of the successful candidate's total cash compensation. |
| Candidate Book
Option |
In the first four weeks of the search, the
client will receive a "book" of five to 10 qualified,
interested and interviewed candidates. |
Busy partners at large search firms cannot
move nearly as swiftly. Two months to present five or more
candidates would be considered "fast." |
| Search Completions |
The model at JCWA allows us to successfully
complete searches in the 90th percentile and above. This is
largely due to our timely "book" process. |
Large search firms complete only 60 percent
to 75 percent of their total searches in the U.S., depending
upon the firm. A slow start and soft (or no) benchmarks are
often to blame. |
| Final Fee |
The final fee for a search at JCWA averages
25 percent to 30 percent of the successful candidate's first
year total cash compensation, depending upon degree of difficulty. |
The final fee at almost all large search firms
is 33 percent of the successful candidate's first year total
cash compensation. |
| Guarantee |
JCWA guarantees its search work for two years. |
Large search firms guarantee their work for
a year or less. |
