Our 5-Step Executive Search Process Explained

Why Founders Struggle With Executive Hiring

For founders and CEOs of growing startups, the right leadership hire can accelerate growth, attract investors, and shape culture. The wrong one can cost millions in lost time, poor decisions, and team turnover.

Unfortunately, many startups turn to transactional recruiters or contingent firms. These models focus on speed and volume, not alignment. As a result, resumes get thrown your way without much vetting, and the real leadership talent—the people not actively looking—rarely make it into the process.

Why Common Approaches Fall Short

Contingent recruiters are motivated by the placement fee, not by your company’s success. They juggle dozens of searches at once, and your role becomes just another opening in the pile.

Large executive search firms deliver reach and credibility but often come with unpredictable costs tied to salary percentages. For a $250k role, fees can easily climb past $75k—and startups often feel like small fish compared to enterprise clients.

Both options leave founders with uncertainty and frustration.

The Better Way: Retained Search

Retained search works differently. It’s about partnership. Instead of racing to push candidates, a retained recruiter commits to your search, your culture, and your growth goals. They headhunt the leaders who aren’t applying online—the proven executives who are already driving results at other companies.

At High Altitude Recruiting, we’ve built a retained model that makes sense for startups: a flat $10k per search. Fixed. Predictable. No hidden fees. You get the full focus and depth of a retained search without the sticker shock of percentage-based pricing.

Our 5-Step Executive Search Process

Here’s how we deliver better hires, every time:

1. Discovery & Alignment

We begin by understanding your business goals, growth stage, and company culture. This isn’t just about filling a role—it’s about finding the right leader for where you’re headed.

2. Role Definition & Market Mapping

Together, we clarify the must-haves versus nice-to-haves for the role. Then we map the market to identify where the best talent sits—often leaders who are not actively job hunting.

3. Targeted Outreach & Engagement

We don’t wait for resumes to come in. We directly reach out to high-caliber executives, share your story, and spark interest in your opportunity. This ensures you’re meeting the strongest possible candidates, not just the most available ones.

4. Assessment & Shortlist

Every candidate is thoroughly vetted for skills, track record, and cultural fit. By the time you see a shortlist, you’ll only meet executives who can step in and deliver real impact.

5. Selection & Retention

We guide you through interviews, negotiations, and onboarding. Our 99% one-year retention rate speaks for itself: the leaders we place stay and grow with your company.

The High Altitude Advantage

Our retained model combines the dedication of traditional search with startup-friendly pricing.

We offer retained executive search for $10k per search.Flat, fixed fee. Never a surprise. No hidden costs.

With a 97% fill rate and 99% retention, we’ve helped startups place over 75 C-Suite leaders, 150 Directors and VPs, and more than 1,000 senior managers.