Frequently Asked Questions

Executive search is a specialized recruiting methodology focused on identifying and engaging senior-level professionals who are not actively job searching. Staffing firms focus on volume, speed, and filling immediate openings with available candidates. Executive search focuses on precision—finding the right person for roles where judgment, leadership, and long-term impact matter more than urgency.

The distinction matters most for accounting and finance leadership roles. Controllers, Directors of Finance, and CFOs are rarely unemployed or actively applying. They are typically performing well in their current roles and will only consider a move when approached discreetly with an opportunity that aligns with their career trajectory.

Staffing firms rely on job postings and inbound resumes. Executive search firms build long-term relationships within specific disciplines and markets, tracking professionals' career progression and engaging them proactively when the right opportunity emerges.

Executive search is particularly effective when the role is confidential, technically specialized, or requires passive candidate access. For companies hiring accounting and finance leaders, this approach consistently produces stronger long-term results than posting jobs or sorting through applicants. Learn more about our executive search methodology.

The difference between a recruiter and a headhunter is their approach to candidate sourcing. Recruiters typically post jobs and screen incoming applications from active job seekers. Headhunters proactively identify and approach high-performing professionals who are currently employed and not actively looking. Headhunters are especially valuable for senior-level accounting and finance roles where the best candidates are passive and would never see a job posting. This targeted approach delivers better quality and cultural fit than traditional recruiting methods.

Companies should use executive search when hiring for roles where the cost of a mis-hire significantly exceeds the cost of the search. This is most common for Controller-level positions and above, where technical judgment, leadership continuity, and reporting integrity directly impact business operations and external credibility.

Internal recruiting works well for high-volume, repeatable roles where your team has deep expertise in the discipline and candidate pool. It often fails for senior accounting and finance leadership because the strongest candidates are employed, not actively applying, and selective about career moves.

Executive search provides access to passive candidates who would never respond to job postings. These professionals are typically performing well, risk-aware, and will only engage in conversations when approached discreetly by someone who understands their discipline and can articulate the opportunity accurately.

Companies also engage executive search when confidentiality is required—replacing an incumbent, addressing undisclosed growth plans, or avoiding internal disruption. Job postings announce vacancies publicly; executive search operates with controlled disclosure.

The decision to use executive search should be driven by role impact, not urgency. Proactive, non-urgent searches often produce the best results because they allow time to identify and engage the right candidate rather than settling for the available one. For strategic guidance, schedule a consultation.

Executive search firms find passive candidates through proactive headhunting methodologies including proprietary talent databases built over decades, direct outreach to professionals at target companies, industry networks and referrals from trusted sources, and long-term relationship cultivation with high-performers even when they're not actively looking. At Pacific Executive Search, we maintain relationships with 10,000+ accounting and finance professionals across our markets, tracking their career progression, technical expertise, and industry experience so we can engage them when the right opportunity emerges.

Our process emphasizes direct, high-touch outreach rather than mass email campaigns or passive LinkedIn messaging. We cross-reference candidate profiles across multiple data sources, prioritize direct phone outreach, and engage candidates in thoughtful, two-way conversations. This approach consistently produces higher response rates and enables engagement with high-quality professionals who would not respond to automated outreach methods. Learn more about our executive search process.

Our executive search process is designed to reduce hiring risk and improve long-term outcomes through seven structured steps:

1. Specialization-Led Role Definition - We work consultatively to define roles based on real business needs and market realities, not generic job descriptions.

2. Immediate Activation of Existing Relationships - We engage professionals we already know within our accounting and finance network for fast, qualified candidate identification and early market calibration.

3. Search Calibration and Go-to-Market Strategy - Using live candidate feedback, we continuously refine the search to ensure alignment with both business priorities and market realities.

4. Direct, High-Touch Outreach - We take a deliberate approach with direct phone outreach and thoughtful conversations, not mass emails or automated messaging.

5. Screening and Candidate Presentation - Every candidate is rigorously evaluated across technical requirements, cultural fit, and genuine motivation before presentation.

6. Interview Management and Deep Debriefing - We go beyond surface-level feedback to surface risks, concerns, and closing requirements early.

7. Offer Management, Close, and Follow-Through - Our involvement continues through negotiation, transition, and periodic post-start check-ins to reduce early attrition.

Learn more about each step on our Executive Search Process page.

Yes. Our involvement continues beyond offer acceptance to support successful transitions and long-term integration. We provide active engagement leading into the candidate's start date, ongoing support throughout onboarding, and periodic post-start check-ins to surface and resolve issues early. This continued engagement significantly reduces early-stage attrition and misalignment, supporting long-term success for both clients and candidates. Post-placement support is included as part of our standard executive search process.

Search calibration is a core part of our process. After engaging our initial network of candidates, we gather live market feedback on the role's positioning, compensation alignment, and candidate receptivity. This real-time insight directly informs our go-to-market strategy and helps clients understand which profiles are resonating most strongly, where expectations may require adjustment, and which attributes are truly non-negotiable. Throughout the search, our debriefing process surfaces both client-side and candidate-side concerns early, allowing us to refine the approach in real-time rather than making assumptions. This continuous calibration replaces guesswork with informed, data-driven execution.

A typical Controller search conducted through executive search takes approximately 6 to 10 weeks from kickoff to accepted offer. The timeline depends on complexity, industry specificity, and decision-making alignment.

Our 7-step executive search process begins with specialization-led role definition, immediately activates existing relationships for fast market feedback, and includes continuous calibration to ensure alignment throughout the search.

The early phase focuses on defining success criteria clearly—technical requirements, leadership expectations, reporting structure, and future-state needs. Skipping this step often extends the overall timeline.

Candidate identification and outreach typically occurs in parallel. Because executive search targets passive candidates, early conversations focus on alignment rather than speed.

Companies that move efficiently through interviews and provide clear feedback tend to secure stronger candidates faster. Delays usually occur when priorities shift mid-search or when stakeholders are not aligned.

For accounting and finance leadership roles, executive search is often less expensive than the cost of a prolonged vacancy or a failed hire. The financial and operational impact of weak leadership in these roles compounds quietly but significantly.

Misstatements, reporting delays, audit issues, and internal control weaknesses rarely surface immediately. When they do, the cost—in time, credibility, and remediation—is substantial.

Executive search reduces these risks by prioritizing precision over volume. Instead of sorting through applicants, companies gain access to candidates who have already succeeded in similar environments.

The value of executive search is highest when the role influences external reporting, investor confidence, lender relationships, or strategic decision-making. Learn more about our engagement models.

An executive search firm needs clear role specifications including title, reporting structure, team size, and technical requirements such as CPA credentials, ERP systems expertise, industry experience, and compliance knowledge (SOX, GAAP, IFRS).

At Pacific Executive Search, our search process begins with specialization-led role definition, where we work consultatively with clients to define the role based on real business needs and current market realities rather than generic job descriptions. This includes understanding the core business problem the hire must solve and the strategic purpose of the role.

Company context is equally important: your stage of growth, ownership structure (family-owned, PE-backed, public), near-term business challenges, and how this role solves them. This context allows us to position the opportunity accurately when engaging passive candidates.

Compensation expectations must be realistic and market-aligned. Controllers with CPA credentials and Big 4 backgrounds command different compensation than non-CPA candidates with industry-only experience. Misalignment here extends timelines and creates frustration on both sides.

Cultural priorities matter as much as technical fit. Is your finance function strategic or transactional? Do you value process discipline or entrepreneurial flexibility? Does the role require heavy collaboration or independent execution? These factors determine which candidates will succeed long-term.

We typically conduct a 30-45 minute intake call to gather this information and align expectations before beginning outreach. The more clarity provided upfront, the more precisely we can target the right candidates.

We avoid candidate overlap with internal recruiting teams through upfront coordination and communication. Before beginning outreach, we request a list of candidates your internal team is already engaging (or has recently engaged), along with target companies or profiles you're already pursuing. Throughout the search, we provide regular updates on candidates we're approaching and ask for feedback on overlaps. This coordination ensures we're complementing your internal efforts, not duplicating them. Most clients find that our passive candidate networks have minimal overlap with active applicant pools.

We protect confidentiality during leadership searches through controlled disclosure strategies. For replacement searches (incumbent still employed), we approach candidates without revealing company identity until mutual interest is established and NDAs are signed. For growth or new position searches, we can disclose company identity earlier but maintain confidentiality around strategic initiatives, financial performance, or organizational changes. We never share candidate information with other clients or recruiters, and we provide regular updates to clients on who we're approaching to prevent inadvertent disclosure.

The most common mistakes companies make when hiring accounting and finance leaders include: prioritizing technical skills over cultural fit and leadership ability, moving too quickly and skipping proper vetting (or moving too slowly and losing top candidates), focusing only on active job seekers instead of passive talent, unclear role expectations and success metrics, compensation misalignment with market realities (especially for CPA-credentialed Controllers and public company experience), and failing to involve key stakeholders early in the process. We help clients avoid these pitfalls through structured search processes and honest market feedback. Read our guide to working effectively with recruiters.

A headhunter proactively identifies and engages high-performing professionals who are not actively job searching. Rather than waiting for applicants, headhunters build long-term relationships within a specific discipline and market, and approach candidates directly when an opportunity aligns with their experience and long-term career goals.

The difference between a headhunter and a traditional recruiter is approach. Recruiters typically rely on inbound applications from job postings. Headhunters take a targeted, proactive approach — identifying specific professionals and engaging them directly. This allows access to passive talent that would never apply through a job board.

Headhunters operate under either contingency or retained search models. Contingency search is success-based, meaning fees are paid only when a hire is made. Retained search involves an upfront engagement and is typically used for executive-level or highly confidential roles that require deeper discovery and search management.

Staffing firms focus on volume and often place temporary or transactional roles. Recruiting firms like Pacific Executive Search focus on permanent, senior-level positions that require specialization, discretion, and long-term alignment. The emphasis is on precision and quality rather than speed or volume.

Companies should engage a headhunter when hiring for specialized, senior, or confidential roles — especially when access to passive candidates is critical. Headhunters are particularly effective for finance and accounting leadership roles where judgment, experience, and alignment matter more than applicant volume.

Choosing the right recruitment strategy depends on the role's impact, hiring frequency, and internal expertise. For repeatable, core roles, in-house recruiting can be effective. For high-skill, high-impact roles outside your internal team's specialization, targeted recruiting through a specialized headhunter delivers stronger alignment and better long-term outcomes. You can explore this framework in more detail in our Recruitment Strategy Guide.

Specialization improves speed, quality, and accuracy. A specialized accounting and finance recruiter understands technical requirements, market compensation, career progression, and system experience. This focus allows faster identification of the right candidates and more effective vetting than generalist firms.

No. Pacific Executive Search specializes in professional-level accounting and finance roles, typically from Senior Accountant through CFO. We do not place bookkeepers or clerical accounting positions. For high-volume or transactional roles, a traditional staffing firm is often a better fit.

We work with middle-market and growth-oriented companies that view finance as a strategic function. Our clients value technical strength, business judgment, and long-term cultural alignment — not just filling a seat.

Yes, but our work is client-driven. We maintain long-term, consultative relationships with accomplished accounting and finance professionals, whether they are actively exploring opportunities or planning their next strategic move.

Staffing agencies operate on volume. We operate on precision. We do not screen through applicants or resumes. We identify the exact profile a client needs, engage those professionals directly, and present a curated slate of aligned candidates.

Our typical candidates are experienced accounting and finance professionals — often Big 4 alumni or CPA-qualified — who have progressed into senior accounting, FP&A, or executive finance roles. They are career professionals, not job hoppers.

Yes. In addition to Southern California, we actively support searches in Denver, Austin, Portland, and select additional markets where we maintain deep relationships and market knowledge.

You can still engage us. In fact, proactive, non-urgent searches often produce the best results. The strongest professionals are not actively applying — they are identified and engaged well before the need becomes urgent.

Our fee structure includes both contingent and retained models, depending on role level and complexity. Our focus is long-term results, not being the lowest-cost provider. Mis-hires and turnover are far more expensive than search fees.

Most searches take 6 to 10 weeks from kickoff to accepted offer, depending on complexity and stakeholder alignment. Because we engage passive talent through our 7-step process, we prioritize fit and long-term success over speed alone. Our immediate activation of existing relationships enables fast initial engagement, while continuous market calibration ensures we're finding the right candidate, not just the fastest available one.

Our advantage is depth, not scale. We have spent decades building relationships in specific markets and disciplines. We know the people, reputations, and patterns that national firms and databases cannot replicate.

Yes. We regularly support private equity portfolio companies with post-acquisition hiring, finance team upgrades, audit readiness, and leadership transitions. Our experience spans Controllers, FP&A leaders, Directors of Finance, and CFOs.

No. Pacific Executive Search does not use AI to screen or rank candidates. We intentionally avoid AI-driven screening because it introduces bias, prioritizes keywords over judgment, and disadvantages experienced professionals whose value cannot be reduced to algorithms.

AI screening is designed for volume-based recruiting models where large applicant pools must be filtered quickly. That is not how targeted headhunting works. Our searches begin with a defined target profile, not a list of applicants. Using AI for screening would add noise, not value.

AI-driven platforms filter candidates who have already applied. We do not rely on applicants. We identify the professionals our client needs, use technology to locate and reach them directly, and deliver a curated slate of aligned candidates.

We use technology for identification, research, and outreach — not evaluation. Our systems help us define target profiles, map relevant companies and career paths, track long-term professional relationships, and execute targeted outreach efficiently. All candidate evaluation is performed by experienced, specialized recruiters.