Questions
Straight answers, before you ask.
No hedging, no corporate phrasing. If a question is missing, the diagnostic call is a good place to ask it directly.
Frequently asked questions
What if the search doesn't work out?
If a hire doesn't work out within an agreed window, I run the search again at no additional fee. That window gets set before we start, in writing, so neither of us is guessing about it later.
How is this different from a normal recruitment agency?
Most agencies start by asking for the job description. I start by asking why the role is still open. Sometimes the answer really is that we need to search harder, and I run the search. Sometimes it's the interview process, the offer or the comp band, and I'll tell you that instead of quietly sending you a pile of CVs anyway.
Do you only work on leadership roles?
Leadership and hard-to-fill roles are where I do my best work, but the method applies below that level too. If a role has been open a long time and nobody can explain why, that's usually a good fit regardless of seniority.
Is this a fit for a large, enterprise-scale organisation?
Sometimes, and I'd rather tell you honestly which situation you're in. I'm built for founder-led and growing companies, roughly 100 to 500 people, where I'm the senior person on every search personally. If you need a large team with bench depth running a dozen searches at once, that's not what I offer today. If you're a bigger organisation with one confidential, senior search that needs real focus rather than a large team's spare capacity, that's exactly where this works well regardless of your company's overall size.
How many searches do you run at the same time?
A handful, on purpose. I'd rather run three searches properly than eight searches badly. If I don't have the capacity for your timeline, I'll tell you upfront instead of taking the fee and letting the search drift.
Do I need to work with you exclusively on a role?
For retained searches, yes, while the search is live. It's how I can promise the weekly cadence and the attention described elsewhere on this site. That gets agreed at the scope stage, in writing, before the search starts, never assumed afterward. If exclusivity doesn't work for your situation, say so on the diagnostic call and we'll figure out honestly whether this is still the right fit.
What industries have you worked in?
Sixteen years across a mix of sectors in India, the UAE and the US, mostly commercial, technology and leadership roles inside growing companies. If your role sits well outside that experience, I'll say so on the first call rather than learn on your time.
Do you work inside our ATS, or run everything through your own process?
I'll work inside your ATS if you have one and access is simple to set up. If not, I run the search through my own tracker and send you a clean, exportable record at every stage, so nothing about your search lives only in my inbox.
Do you charge a retainer or work on contingency?
It depends on the role and the urgency. I'll walk you through the actual options on the diagnostic call, once I understand what you need. No surprises after the fact.
How do you handle confidentiality?
For sensitive or replacement searches, your company name doesn't go out until a candidate has cleared an initial conversation with me. I don't post the role publicly, and I don't discuss who I'm searching for with anyone outside the two of us.
How do you handle candidate and company data?
Candidate details stay between us and the hiring team you name. Nobody else sees a CV or a name without your sign-off, and nothing gets added to a marketing list. Once a search closes, records are kept only as long as the replacement-search window requires, then deleted. If your company needs something more formal in writing, I'll sign a data processing agreement.
What happens after the role is filled?
I check in before the start date, at thirty days and at ninety. Most of what makes a hire stick or fail shows up somewhere in that window, and I'd rather catch it early than hear about it at the next resignation.
We're not hiring yet, we're just trying to understand the problem. Can we still talk?
Yes. Some of the most useful calls I have are with people who aren't hiring yet and just want to know why their last three roles took so long to fill.