The Cognitive
Eight months. One sentence.
A CEO search sat open for eight months. The recruiter tried every sourcing tool they could find. Then they described the role in one sentence in The Cognitive. This page is what changed, and how to run a leadership search the same way.
Why every tool returned the same names
Most tools search for the word "CEO" in a title. So every tool, and every search firm, finds the same small group of people who already hold the title. They've been called many times. Many aren't a fit for this company's size or situation.
The people who could actually do the job often had other titles: they ran a division, a region, a business unit. A title search never shows them.
Side by side
| Every other tool | The Cognitive | |
|---|---|---|
| How many came back | A short list | More people back |
| How relevant | Anyone with "CEO" in the title, fit or not | Ranked by fit, each with the reason from their profile |
| Who was on it | The names every search firm had already called | Leaders no other tool had shown, whatever their title said |
How to search for a leader by what they've run
Five things to put in the sentence. Each one is something a profile can show.
What they ran
A company, a division, a region, a business unit. "Ran" beats any title.
The size it was
Use company size or team size. A leader who ran 200 people is a different hire from one who ran 20,000.
The industry, or the one next to it
Name the industry, and say if the next one over is fine. Leaders move across industries more easily than people think.
The situation
Founder-led, family-owned, private equity backed, public. The situation shapes the job more than the title does.
Where
Leaders move for the right job, but the board usually wants someone nearby. Say how far is too far.
Three sentences to start from
Change the details to your role.
Titles that hold the CEO job
Search for the work, and these come back too.
Run your stuck search today
Describe the role in one sentence. More people back, ranked by fit, each with the reason from their profile, plus email and phone for the ones you pick. Or book 30 minutes and we'll run your stuck search with you.