Notes from the
search desk.
Practical writing about hiring, recruiting, and the day-to-day of senior search. No filler.
- Hiring Leadership · MAY 11, 2026
How to Hire a Chief Compliance Officer in 2026
The practical guide for boards and CEOs hiring a CCO. When the role is genuinely a CCO vs. a senior compliance director, scope and reporting line, what they cost, regulator readiness, and how to read references that predict performance.
12 min readRead → - Hiring Leadership · MAY 6, 2026
How to Hire a Chief Revenue Officer in 2026
The practical playbook. When the role is genuinely a CRO and not a senior VP Sales, what scope to define, what they cost, where the candidate pool is, and how to read references that actually predict performance.
11 min readRead → - Hiring Leadership · MAY 5, 2026
How to Hire a Plant Manager in 2026
The practical guide for COOs and PE operating partners. When the role is genuinely a Plant GM and not a senior Production Manager, what scope to define, what they cost, what shift coverage and EHS posture to require, and what reference checks should actually surface.
11 min readRead → - Hiring Leadership · MAY 4, 2026
How to Hire a CISO in 2026
The practical guide for CEOs and boards. When the role is genuinely a CISO, what scope to define, what they cost, what their day actually looks like, and how to read references that surface judgment under pressure.
11 min readRead → - Industry Practice · MAY 2, 2026
Confidential Executive Search in 2026: How It Actually Works
A practical guide for boards and CEOs running a confidential search. What confidentiality really means, when to use it, how the firm protects you, what the candidate side looks like, and the patterns that break confidentiality every time.
10 min readRead → - Search Models · APR 30, 2026
Engaged vs. Retained vs. Contingent Search: Which Fee Model To Pick
A practical guide to the three executive-search fee structures, when to use each one, what they cost, and how to decide which is right for the role you're hiring.
10 min readRead → - Industry Practice · APR 28, 2026
AI in Executive Search 2026: What Actually Works, What's Still Hype
A practical breakdown of where AI is genuinely changing executive search in 2026, where it's overhyped, and what hiring leaders should expect from a search firm that uses it.
9 min readRead → - Hiring Leadership · APR 28, 2026
How to Hire a Hospital CNO in 2026
The board and CEO guide for hiring a Chief Nursing Officer. When the role is genuinely a CNO, what scope to define, what they cost, how nursing leadership and CFO partnership matter most, and what reference checks should actually surface.
11 min readRead → - Hiring Leadership · APR 26, 2026
How to Hire a Senior Wealth Advisor in 2026
The practical RIA and wealth-management firm guide. What "senior advisor" actually means in 2026, what they cost, what they bring (or don't), how to evaluate the book they say they can move, and what reference checks should surface.
11 min readRead → - Search Models · APR 23, 2026
Direct Hire vs Contract Conversion: The Economics in 2026
The practical math for hiring leaders deciding between a direct-hire engagement and a contract-to-hire conversion. Bill rates, conversion fees, total-cost-of-hire over 12 and 24 months, and the situations where each model is the right answer.
11 min readRead → - Healthcare Hiring · APR 22, 2026
RN Retention in 2026: Why Hospitals Are Losing Nurses and What Actually Works
A practical guide to the 2026 RN retention problem. The data, the structural drivers, and the specific operational changes that hospitals retaining RNs at above-market rates have in common.
10 min readRead → - Healthcare Hiring · APR 21, 2026
NP and PA Hiring Trends in 2026
The practical guide for healthcare operators hiring nurse practitioners and physician associates. The market in 2026, comp ranges by specialty and setting, scope-of-practice realities by state, and the staffing strategies that work when the candidate pool is short.
11 min readRead → - Healthcare Hiring · APR 18, 2026
The BCBA Hiring Crisis in 2026: How ABA Companies Are Filling Roles
Why BCBAs are the hardest clinical role to hire in 2026, what's driving the shortage, and the staffing strategies ABA companies are using to keep clinical capacity ahead of demand.
9 min readRead → - Hiring Leadership · APR 14, 2026
How to Hire a Chief Medical Officer in 2026
The practical health-system guide. When the role is truly a CMO and not a glorified Medical Director, what scope to define, what they cost, where to find them, and what reference checks should actually surface.
11 min readRead → - Hiring Leadership · APR 8, 2026
Technical Interview Questions for Executives
A field-tested bank of executive interview questions, by role, with scoring rubrics and notes on what each question actually surfaces. Use as-is or adapt to your scoping document.
13 min readRead → - Hiring Leadership · MAR 25, 2026
How to Hire a Hospital CEO
A board-level guide to running a Hospital CEO search. Scope, comp, the process, the medical-staff relationship, and what reference checks should actually surface.
11 min readRead → - Hiring Leadership · MAR 11, 2026
How to Hire a CTO in 2026
The practical founder's guide. When to hire one, what scope to define, what they cost in the AI era, and what reference checks should actually surface.
11 min readRead → - Hiring Leadership · FEB 26, 2026
How to Hire a CFO in 2026
The practical founder's guide. When to hire one, what scope to define, what they cost, where to find them, and what the interview process should actually surface.
10 min readRead → - For Recruiters · FEB 4, 2026
How to Start a Recruitment Agency in 2026
A practical, step-by-step field guide written by senior search operators. Niche selection, legal setup, technology stack, fee models, lead generation, and the alternative most senior recruiters wish they had considered first.
11 min readRead → - Construction · JAN 22, 2026
What to wear to a construction job interview
A practical guide for field, office, and executive interviews. The dress code changes with the role, here's how to read it.
7 min readRead → - Definitional · JAN 18, 2026
What Is a Headhunter?
A clear definition of what headhunters do, how they work, what they cost in 2026, and how they differ from a traditional recruiter.
8 min readRead → More posts on the way. The desk publishes when there's something useful to say, not on a calendar.