How Old School Generalist Recruiters Create Talent Market Blind Spots, Cut Recruiting Effectiveness
Authored By Eric Walczykowski, Adam Boone
You wouldn’t go to your general practitioner doctor for brain surgery. So why do some companies hire non-specialized recruiters to perform searches for mission-critical leadership roles?
In fact, relying on an old-school generalist recruiter has a profound impact on the duration of a search and the quality of the outcomes.
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The choice is between search firms with partners who specialize in particular roles and those whose partners will try to recruit for any role at all.
Even a cursory look at the metrics shows that one approach is dramatically better than the other for high-stakes searches.
What is Functional Specialization?
Just like medical professionals specialize in particular types of medicine or surgical techniques, executive recruiters can specialize in certain types of searches.
Simply put, a functionally specialized firm orients its partners and their recruiters to go deep on one of five specific functional roles: CEO and P&L leadership; finance leadership; go-to-market (GTM) leadership such as sales and marketing; technology leaders; and human capital leadership.
These five categories of leaders cover all the primary functions in a viable company.
In contrast, the partner in a traditionally organized search firm will chase anything that moves. Today, she might be recruiting a CEO. Tomorrow it might be a CRO. The next day? A CFO.
So just like you would not want your family doctor to perform delicate brain surgery, why would you want that generalist search firm to look for executives who are central to your company’s wellbeing and success?
Partners Focus on One Functional Area
At Bespoke Partners, our strategy is simple yet powerful: every partner focuses exclusively on one functional area. Whether it’s a CEO, CTO, CFO, or any other C-suite position, our partners dedicate their careers to mastering the nuances and intricacies of their chosen domain.
Here is what that specialization means for clients:
Deep Expertise:
Our CFO recruiters, for instance, don’t just know CFOs—they know them on a personal They understand when a CFO is ready to make a move and what factors will motivate them to take on a new challenge. This depth of knowledge is not something you get from a generalist recruiter.
Every Conversation Counts:
Each interaction our partners have builds on previous ones, allowing them to solve your search in record time. They don’t dabble in their functional areas; they know them This includes not only understanding the value creation levers for a role but also knowing what those levers mean in the context of a specific company’s strategy.
The Best Candidates Know Us:
Because we know the functional areas better than any other firm, candidates know we will not waste their time with roles that are not a fit.
That’s why the vast majority will take our calls every time.
In contrast, the generalist search firm’s view of and access to the market will be based mostly on luck.
Ask these questions if you are considering a generalist firm:
How extensive is the recruiter’s network in the space?
Or were they lucky enough to have recent contact with a relevant candidate?
Does the recruiter really understand the essential nuances of the role?
When the recruiter presents your company, will the candidate be impressed with the detailed understanding of the functional area?
Will the talent market view you get from this recruiter reflect the true state of the market,
or are you limited by the recruiter’s own “blind spots” and limited experience in that functional area?
The Numbers Tell the Tale
The industry’s average search timeline for an experienced C-level leader ranges from around 180-200 days for functional department heads to often more than twice that for a CEO. These timelines reflect the time it takes for the typical generalist firm to identify the best candidates and ultimately close one.
Our numbers for our functional practices are very different. Consider:
Bespoke
P&L Leader Practice
Roles:
CEOs, General Managers, Presidents, and Board Members.
Results:
180+ P&L leader placements with an average search days-to-close DTC of less than 100; 38 exits and $26.4 billion in enterprise value created.
Bespoke
Finance Practice
Roles:
CFOs, VPs of Finance, FP&A, Controllers, Treasurers.
Results:
276 finance leader placements with an average DTC of Our placed finance leaders have had a hand in 81 exits and generation of $77 billion in enterprise value.
Bespoke
Go-To-Market Practice
Roles:
CROs, CMOs, VPs of Sales, VPs of Marketing, Chief Customer Officers.
Results:
290 placed leaders, with an average DTC of These leaders have been part of $43 billon in value creation and 23 exits.
Bespoke Product
& Technology Practice
Roles:
CTOs, CPOs, VPs of Engineering, VPs of Product, CIOs, CISOs.
Results:
140 placed executives, generating 24 exits and $27 billion in enterprise value, with an average DTC of 87.
Bespoke Human
Capital Practice
Roles:
Chief People Officers, CHROs, VPs of HR.
Results:
Our newest practice, we have placed 100 HR executives with an average DTC of These executives have taken part in 7 exits and have been part of generating $4.8 billion in enterprise value.
Team-Based Approach and Collaboration
Functional specialization isn’t just about individual expertise; it’s also about collaboration. Our partners work together to leverage their collective knowledge for the benefit of our clients. This team-based approach ensures that each search is informed by the insights and experiences of our entire firm, not just one individual.
Referral System:
Each partner refers work to the partner best qualified to handle the job, ensuring that clients receive the highest level of service possible.
Weekly Functional Team Meetings:
Our functional teams meet weekly to discuss active searches, share ideas, and exchange knowledge about the function and its key
Weight of the Firm:
By pooling resources and expertise, our team-based approach allows us to bring the full weight of Bespoke Partners to every search, rather than relying on the capabilities of a single recruiter.
THE IMPACT OF
FUNCTIONAL SPECIALIZATION
95% Success Rate:
Executives placed by Bespoke Partners have a 95% success rate of staying in their roles for at least two years, double the industry average.
95 Days to Close:
On average, our searches are completed in 95 days, half the industry average.
83% Conversion Rate:
Our executive conversion rate is 83%, nearly double the industry average.
Our functional specialization isn’t just a strategy—it’s a proven approach that consistently delivers better outcomes for our clients.
By focusing on specific functional areas, our partners bring deep expertise and unparalleled efficiency to every search.
So why settle for generalists when you can work with specialists who know the industry cold? Get in touch today to discuss how we can solve your critical leadership searches.
Bespoke Partners Named in Top 10 of the “Top 49 Retained Executive Search” 2-Years Running by C-Suite CV Secure.
Author:
Eric Walczykowski
Chief Executive Officer
Eric is passionate about building high-performing teams that value doing their best, working together, overcoming adversity and learning.
As a proven growth executive, Eric has served as CEO, President, Board Member, Investor and Advisor for technology companies that achieved over $4.5B in successful exits.
Eric brings to Bespoke Partners significant professional services experience from Deloitte and Andersen, as well as the high-growth client executive perspective for private equity-backed technology companies.
Eric earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BS in Business from Fresno State University.
Author:
Adam Boone
Chief Marketing Officer
Boone has led marketing, demand generation, branding, product management, services marketing, or alliances marketing programs for numerous successful companies including Avaya-acquisition Sipera, Sequoia start-up Syndesis, Subex, CoManage, and others. He has driven joint marketing programs and go-to-market initiatives with iconic industry leaders including Microsoft, IBM, GE, AT&T, Oracle, Comcast, Cisco, Ciena and Samsung.
Boone holds an MBA in Business Strategy from the WP Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and completed the Competitive Marketing Strategy Program at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
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