Why 30% of Executives Fail in the First Year and How to Prevent It

The High Cost of a Bad Executive Hire

For founders and CEOs of Series A to C startups, hiring executives is one of the most critical decisions. Yet studies show that roughly 30% of executives fail within their first year. The impact goes far beyond salary. Mis-hires cost time, disrupt teams, and slow company growth.

The problem often comes down to a lack of access to the right candidates and insufficient insight into their fit for your unique business. Transactional recruiting models can make this worse, emphasizing speed over alignment.

Why Common Recruiting Approaches Fall Short

Contingency recruiters work for placement fees and often prioritize active job seekers. They rarely have the bandwidth to target top-tier executives who aren’t actively looking.

Large retained search firms can provide networks, but fees tied to a percentage of salary often make startups feel like low-priority clients. Slow timelines, divided attention, and impersonal processes increase the risk of mis-hires.

Both approaches frequently fail to deliver leaders who thrive long term.

The Strategic Solution: Retained Search

The key to preventing executive failure is alignment. Retained search partners invest time to understand your business strategy, culture, and leadership needs. By proactively identifying and engaging passive candidates, retained search ensures that the executives you hire are not just qualified but also the right fit for your organization.

Benefits include:

• Deep assessment of skills and cultural fit

• Targeted outreach to executives who aren’t on job boards

• Higher retention rates and reduced risk of mis-hires

The High Altitude Advantage

At High Altitude Recruiting, we make retained executive search startup-friendly.

We offer retained search for a flat $10k per search.Fixed, transparent, and never a surprise. No hidden fees.

Our model delivers all the benefits of traditional retained search, including focus, dedication, and alignment, without the unpredictable, percentage-based costs. With a 97% fill rate and 99% one-year retention, our approach helps startups hire executives who succeed long-term.

Final Word

Executive failure is expensive—but preventable. By prioritizing alignment, cultural fit, and strategic insight through a retained search, founders can dramatically increase the likelihood of executive success.

👉 Learn more about the $10k Advantage and see how it helps startups hire executives who stick, perform, and lead your company forward.