Updated on 3 October 2026
Comparison for companies
Executive search or traditional recruitment : what really changes
Two ways to hire an executive or a key manager: post an advert and sort the applications, or go and find people where they work. Method, cost, timelines, confidentiality and guarantees compared, with sourced figures, so you can choose according to the role.
70%
of professionals open to a role without actively looking · LinkedIn 2015
12weeks
to hire a manager, on average · Apec 2025
25 to 33%
executive search fees on a retained basis · market range
25%
at Volta for one role · 23% from two similar roles · deposit of one third
01 · Two methods
Definitions
Waiting for candidates,or going to find them
The difference is not the price, it is who you reach. An advert only reaches those who are looking; direct search also reaches those who are not.
Method 01
Traditional recruitment
The advert
- How
- An advert posted on job boards, LinkedIn or the Apec, then the sorting of the applications received.
- Who runs it
- Your HR teams, or a success-based firm that posts and pre-screens.
- Who it reaches
- Candidates who are looking and see the advert: 30% of professionals say they are actively searching (LinkedIn, Talent Trends 2015).
Method 02
Executive search
Direct search
- How
- The map of the companies and sites where the executives sought are found, then people identified by name and approached one by one.
- Who runs it
- An executive search firm, under an exclusive mandate, committed to the entire search.
- Who it reaches
- Also the 70% of professionals open to a role without actively looking, who do not read adverts.
02 · The comparison
Criterion by criterion
Eight criteria,two methods
Every figure carries its source. Fees are market ranges: no public statistic records them. The Volta timelines are those we announce on our assignments.
Sources: LinkedIn, Talent Trends 2015, worldwide study; Apec, Pratiques de recrutement de cadres 2025 (May 2025). Fees: most frequent rates in the terms published by firms in 2026, detailed on the page cost of a recruitment firm.
03 · When to choose
Choosing according to the role
Four situationswhere an advert is not enough
In these cases, waiting for applications costs more than the fees: every month of a vacant role has a price, and the right candidate will not come by themselves.
One leadership role
Managing director, site director, finance director: at this level, candidates are in post and do not read adverts.
A rare technical profile
Energy manager, senior process engineer, decarbonisation manager: roles in short supply, where the good profiles are in post and do not apply.
A confidential search
Replacing an executive in post, creating an unannounced role, reorganisation: a public advert is out of the question.
An advert that produced nothing
The most frequent case: in 2024, 54% of companies that hired a manager had difficulties, first for lack of applications (Apec 2025).
And otherwise
When an advert is enough, we say so. For a role where applications arrive (a role with little scarcity, a wide labour pool), a well-written advert and rigorous screening are often enough, without fees.
04 · The process
A search at Volta Executive
3 weeks,four steps
From scoping to the candidate chosen, offer accepted. The notice period of the selected candidate comes on top, often three months for a manager in post.
Scoping
1 h with the future manager: a scorecard, the package positioned against the market, then the mapping of the search ecosystem.
Direct search
Executives identified by name and approached one by one, in confidence, within a network of 18,000 professionals.
The shortlist
Within 10 days: finalists met, assessed by an engineer against the scorecard, presented with their expectations.
The signature
Within 3 weeks in total, negotiation and counter-offer included, then 90 days of follow-up.
96%
success rate
On 120 assignments analysed between 2023 and 2025, Volta Executive and previous firms.
3to 6 months
guarantee
New search at no cost if the candidate leaves.
90days
of onboarding follow-up
Check-ins at D7, D30, D60 and D90.
1/3
deposit at launch
One third of the fees, deducted from the final invoice; the balance on signature of the job offer.
05 · Questions
Frequently asked questions
Executive search,in five questions
The figures cited are those of the comparison, with the same sources.
What is executive search?
Executive search, or executive headhunting, is the recruitment of a company's executives and key managers by direct, confidential approach, carried out by a firm under an exclusive mandate. The firm identifies by name the people in post in the companies where they are found and contacts them one by one, without waiting for them to apply. Traditional recruitment, by contrast, relies on an advert and on sorting the applications it attracts.
How much does executive search cost compared with traditional recruitment?
In-house, an advert costs no fees, but it does cost advertising expenses, your teams' time and a role that stays empty until the right applications arrive. A success-based firm most often charges 15 to 25% of the annual gross pay; retained executive search, 25 to 33%, paid in three thirds. These are market ranges: no public statistic records these rates. Volta Executive runs a direct search at 25% of the annual gross package for one role, 23% per role from two similar roles (same function, same level) entrusted together, on an exclusive basis, with a deposit of one third of the fees at launch, deducted from the final invoice, and the balance on signature of the job offer. This is the executive search model, at the low end of its range.
For which roles should you choose executive search?
For leadership roles (managing director, site director, finance director), senior management (technical director, R&D manager), rare or highly technical profiles (energy manager, senior process engineer, decarbonisation manager) and confidential hires. For a role where applications come in by themselves, a role with little scarcity or a wide labour pool, a well-written advert is often enough.
How long does an executive search take?
All methods combined, hiring a manager took 12 weeks on average in 2024 (Apec, 2025). At Volta Executive, the shortlist arrives within 10 days and the hire is concluded within 3 weeks through direct search, from scoping to the candidate chosen, offer accepted. Condition: a reply within 48 h and a mandate entrusted on an exclusive basis. The selected candidate's notice period comes on top, often three months for a manager in post.
Is executive search confidential?
Yes. The firm approaches candidates without revealing the company's name, which is given only to the people retained for the next stage, under a discretion commitment. It is the only possible method to replace an executive still in post, prepare an unannounced new role or recruit from a direct competitor.
06 · Go further
Next
The cost, the method,or a conversation about your role
What a search firm costs
Success-based and executive search rates, the payment schedule and a calculator.
Executive search at Volta
Definition, leadership roles, method, confidentiality and fees of a mandate in the energy industry.
Choosing your recruitment firm
The criteria for comparing industry firms: specialisation, method, guarantees.
One leadership role
30 minutes on your roleand the right method to fill it
Advert or direct search, the realistic package and the timeline to expect: a confidential conversation with Florian Beurtey, engineer from Mines and founder of Volta Executive.
Our terms
25 % for one role23 % per role from two similar roles, mandate entrusted on an exclusive basis
Of the annual gross package, with a project team and a single point of contact. Deposit of one third at launch, deducted from the final invoice, balance on signature of the job offer. Replacement guarantee and integration follow-up of 90 days included, at no extra cost.