Executive Recruiters South Africa

 

 

What is an executive recruiter?

An executive recruiter is an individual, typically based at an executive search or recruitment firm, who helps companies to track down senior-level executives for roles that need filling.

This is a more specialised role than other forms of recruiting, as executive recruiters must find, analyse and interview C-suite or otherwise specialised candidates; and are often on retainer from the corporate client involved.

 

What duties does an executive recruiter carry out?

An executive recruiter will:

• work with big organisations to understand the requirements of a position/s;
• network and seek the most highly qualified candidates from the marketplace, who are generally already working for competitor companies;
• screen the candidate/s, by holding an initial interview or confidentially requesting documents from them, such as their CV and qualifications;
• provide other high-level hiring services, encompassing the likes of contract negotiation, performing background and reference checks, and preparation of any of the hiring documentation that is required by the corporate client.

 

What sort of roles does an executive recruiter tend to work on filling?

Executive recruiters are normally required to full high-level leadership, high-paying, and specialised positions within an organisation – specifically, C-suite positions (such as the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, or chief operating officer); leadership roles (such as a director, or senior manager); specialised jobs that are critical to an organisation’s strategic direction and growth (across technology, finance, or marketing, for example); and well-remunerated roles (i.e. those that offer excellent pay packages and additional benefits, which reflect how important that role is to the organisation’s overall present and future success levels).

 

What salaries are being offered in such positions?

According to Glassdoor,  the average salary for a CEO in Johannesburg is US$4.5 million (R81 930 143,25) per annum.

Of interest, is the act that some CEOs in the South African retail sector have been known to earn as much as R330k per day. See the comparative table below from 2023, compiled by BusinessTech:

 

Executive	Role	Total Pay	Average per day
Roy Bagattini	Woolworths CEO	R122m	R335k
Pieter Engelbrecht	Shoprite CEO	R64m	R177k
Pieter Boone	Pick n Pay CEO	R36m	R67k

It clearly takes a great deal of skill, charisma, and specialisation in the recruitment game to be able to coerce such individuals from their current role/s, into another one in the marketplace.

 

What do you need consider, to be able to work effectively with an executive recruiter?

• Figure out your specific hiring needs, by defining the role, skills, education, and experience your require;
• Research your options, so that you are sure to select the best firm for your needs;
• Most importantly, be sure to strike up a positive and healthy relationship, with plenty of give and take, with your selected firm – they are going to become your go-to for most, if not all, of your hiring requirements going forward, so it is vital to have an open and honest relationship with them, that involves regular meetings and plenty of checking in with each other.

 

Which five firms are considered the cream of South Africa’s executive recruitment landscape, and how do I get in touch with them?

Five of the most talented and well-regarded executive recruitment firms in South Africa, their taglines, and websites addresses, include:

• Korn Ferry – Be more than; https://www.kornferry.com/
• Heidrick & Struggles – We help our clients change the world; https://www.heidrick.com/en
• Spencer Stuart – Turning vision into results; https://www.spencerstuart.com/
• Egon Zehnder – Leadership for a better world; https://www.egonzehnder.com/
• Jack Hammer – Finding great leaders; https://jhammerglobal.com/

 

Why is it important to select the best of the bunch for your organisation’s executive recruiting?

You’ll want the most talented, experienced, and skilled executive recruiter in your corner for all your organisation’s high-level hiring requirements because the things that can go wrong if you choose unwisely are simply too many to mention.

Here are a few examples:

 

• underestimating the recruitment process;
• poor candidate selection;
• lack of clarity;
• late compensation discussions;
• weakened employer brand;
• limited candidate pool;
• misaligned expectations;
• lack of preparation or experience to effectively interview the candidate/s;
• lost customers;
• the potential backlash of a lack of confidentiality in tricky industry negotiations.

Here's a video clip from Stanton Chase, which explains the “Most common mistakes in executive search” and how to gain a competitive advantage with your own company’s next executive hire.

 

What global conferences can I attend to find out more about the executive recruiter industry and process?

Pierpoint suggests that the top 10 recruiting conferences to attend in 2025 (or if you’ve missed the first few, to consider for the future), are as follows:

• Talent Acquisition Week;
• SIA Executive Forum North America;
• SHRM Talent Conference & Expo;
• ERE Recruiting Innovation Summit;
• UNLEASH America Conference & Expo;
• Future of Work Summit;
• HR Tech Conference & Exposition;
• HCI Spark Talent 2025;
• LinkedIn Talent Connect;
• Gartner HR Symposium/Expo;
• World Employment Conference.

However, if your team is too tied up with work to travel, here are a few local South African events to consider:

• HR Indaba;
• Future of HR Conference & Awards;
• HR Tech.

 

Why should you not employ a contingent agency for the hiring of your organisation’s C-suite candidates?

There are at least five reasons why a contingent agency is not the right option when it comes to hiring senior leadership candidates, such as those who will occupy the C-suite.

• Firstly, contingent agencies do not have to be hired exclusively – meaning a unpleasantly competitive environment can be set up, that encourages haste over quality;
• Secondly, a large volume of CVs does not necessarily mean that any of them are a good match for the role that needs to be filled;
• Thirdly, such agencies are unlikely to have the resources or time to invest in the rigorous screening process required in such a case, or to be able to offer the expertise to handle such a candidate in a fortuitous way;
• Fourthly, a contingent agency is not required to hire for the long term – although, this is very much a necessity when placing a high-profile and expensive candidate;
• Lastly, contingent agencies may not have the time or inclination to build the industry relationships that are necessary to help attract and retain this level of talent.

For all these reasons and more, a retained executive recruiter is a much more preferable option – as they will invest the time and resources needed, and have a network that will allow them to alight on a suitable candidate/s in a confidential and professional manner.

Here’s an LinkedIn article that explains the matter in a bit more detail.