For Employers
Our engagement model is built around exclusivity, focus, and accountability. Here's exactly how we partner with clients — what we ask for, what we deliver, and what makes the partnership work.
The Engagement Model
Most executive search engagements are transactional. A vendor takes the job, runs a process, and delivers candidates. That model can work, but it isn't what we do. We built Altitude as a partnership-first practice — one where we work exclusively on a small number of searches at a time, integrate deeply with our clients, and stay accountable from kickoff through placement and beyond.
The mechanics below explain how we structure that partnership: what we ask for, what we provide, and the rationale behind every piece of the engagement. None of this is boilerplate — it's all designed specifically to produce the outcomes our clients hire us for.
The Four Pillars
We work on each search exclusively. No competing agencies running a parallel process. No internal team posting the same role on LinkedIn. One focused search, one accountable partner. This isn't a preference — it's a structural requirement, and it's what allows everything else about the partnership to function.
We cap our active workload at a maximum of two to three concurrent searches. Not because we couldn't take on more — because the quality of work we deliver isn't possible at high volume. Your search gets focused, hands-on attention from start to finish, not a fraction of a recruiter juggling fifteen roles.
Every active search includes weekly sync meetings — not status updates, but substantive conversations about what we're hearing, what's working, and what needs to adjust. Plus real-time market intelligence drawn from the 1,000+ profiles we review per search. You always know exactly where we are.
We don't disappear after the offer is signed. We stay engaged through the candidate's notice period and early months in the role to make sure the placement succeeds. And we treat every candidate — hired or not — as someone we'll likely be in touch with for years to come.
Engagement Terms
Standard executive search engagement, with fees structured against the placed candidate's first-year compensation. No retainer required to start — though for complex searches or those requiring deep market mapping, retained structures are available.
Engagements are exclusive for the duration of the search. We don't charge a retainer upfront in most cases, but exclusivity is the foundation that makes everything else work — and it's non-negotiable.
Standard 3-month replacement guarantee on every placement. If a placed candidate departs within the guarantee window, we run a replacement search at no additional fee. Extended guarantee structures are available for retained engagements.
Most searches reach offer stage within 6 to 12 weeks. We present a shortlist of 5–8 vetted candidates within two weeks of kickoff, and 90% of placements come from that first batch. Faster timelines are possible; we'll be honest about what's realistic.
Weekly sync meetings throughout the search, plus async updates as material developments occur. We don't believe in vague status reports — every update includes specific candidate-level and market-level intelligence.
Every engagement starts with two calls: a discovery conversation to assess mutual fit, followed by a deep-dive job intake to align on the role, compensation, non-negotiables, and process. Only then do we move to engagement.
What's Included
1,000+ profiles reviewed per search to provide data-driven intelligence on the available talent landscape.
20–30 candidates evaluated through 30–45 minute video calls before any reach your shortlist.
Each presented candidate comes with deep context: technical fit, motivation, compensation, and closability assessment.
Real market data on what comparable roles are paying, drawn from active candidate conversations.
Candidate preparation and feedback throughout the interview process to maximize the chance of a successful close.
Active management of offer construction, counter-offers, and the closing process from initial offer through acceptance.
Post-placement engagement during the candidate's notice period and first months to ensure a successful transition.
Standard 3-month guarantee on every placement, with extended structures available for retained engagements.
The Result
Fill Rate From First Short List
Of Our Candidates Get Interviewed
Offer Acceptance Rate
Typical Search Timeline
What They Say
I have worked with Sabina for many years now, she has helped me recruit talent for multiple companies (both VC-backed and Public) where I worked. She understands the business needs like no other recruiter, and embeds herself into the business to find the pool of candidates that best suits the company’s needs. In addition to the quality of her searches, she is effective in closing timely and always has the best interests of her clients and candidates in mind.
I have had the opportunity to work with many recruiters, and Sabina stands out as one of the best for several key reasons. First, Sabina brings senior-level rigor to her searches, developing a deep understanding of the roles and candidate profiles. Second, she thoroughly seeks to understand an organization’s needs. Finally, Sabina demonstrates an uncanny ability to understand hiring managers, which allows her to accelerate the time to hire, as the candidates she presents are uniquely aligned with the hiring manager’s needs.
I’ve partnered with Sabina on many challenging searches, and she consistently brings dedication and thoughtfulness to our partnership. I can count on her to embrace the nuances of the company and the role, and represent the opportunity to candidates in a way that resonates with them. Sabina’s focus is always on quality over quantity, and her perseverance is what sets her apart from other recruiters. Working with Sabina always yields great results, and I’d happily recommend her to anyone.
Sabina is an amazing recruiter. She delivers a high-touch, people-first process for both the candidate and the employer, all the while delivering clear and actionable feedback.
I know this from experience — at my previous company, not only did she hire me into the role but she placed five employees on my team.
I highly recommend Sabina to place talent for finance and accounting roles.
I worked with Sabina both as a candidate and a hiring manager.
The thing I appreciated the most with her as a hiring manager is that she is very thorough and thoughtful to understand the needs of a hiring manager. Her background in Finance is incredibly helpful for her to quickly grasp what you are looking for. She not only quickly captures what you need but also suggests things that you may not have thought about. She brings in candidates that are well vetted, highly qualified and good fits for the role.
As a candidate, I appreciated her candid support and guidance and the fact that she doesn’t try to force you into a job that would not be a good fit. She really thinks about whether the role and candidate as well as the hiring team are good fits for each other.
I would highly recommend working with Sabina and would work with her on all my job searches or hiring needs.
I had the opportunity to work with Sabina when we needed to hire our first FP&A employee within a very tight timeframe. With our company scaling rapidly, we were under significant pressure to find someone who could implement a new FP&A solution independently and start delivering results from day one.
Sabina was outstanding throughout the process. She took the time to listen and understand the unique challenges we were facing, kept us in the loop with regular updates, and was always available to discuss our progress.
What stood out was the caliber of candidates she presented. It was clear she really understood what we needed, and her careful screening process saved us a lot of time, ultimately leading us to the perfect hire.
Sabina also helped us navigate the compensation negotiations. She’s smart, patient, and added a lot of value to our search. I highly recommend her.
I worked with Sabina on a number of important roles in our Finance team and cannot recommend her highly enough. Her background in Finance & Accounting means she has a deep understanding of her clients needs and expectations and I was impressed by the caliber of candidates she delivered consistently with each role. Even when we held a very high bar for moving forward with candidates, Sabina was patient, understanding and worked as a team to find the right fit. I look forward to working with her again in the future!
Let's Get Started
Book a 30-minute discovery call. We'll discuss your hiring needs, walk through how our engagement model would work for your search, and figure out together whether it makes sense to partner.
