Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs Relating to Executive Search

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With the pressures of today´s workplace and the limited pools of successful experienced professionals, filling vacant senior positions can be daunting and extremely time consuming.

Our expertise and experience mean organizations don´t have to "reinvent the wheel" when it comes down to networking, sourcing, interviewing, and referencing. We save search committees time, help them meet a pool of candidates that they might not have been able to meet, and support them to make an informed decision for the organization. At DRG, recruiting for nonprofit executives is our sole function.

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Serving the nonprofit sector is not just a business for us. It´s the core of our firm´s mission. At DRG we understand that the nonprofit sector is a large and complex industry with issues, trends, and concerns separate from any other industry. We believe that our own focus helps our clients to focus. DRG´s professionals –who all come from the nonprofit sector–know how to consult with Boards; they understand how nonprofit businesses work because they come from similar businesses.

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David Edell and Linda Low founded DRG in 1987 at a time when there was an strong emphasis on the personnel crisis in the nonprofit sector. They focused on the needs of this growing and increasingly complex sector, and they established a unique search process that brings talented executives to the nonprofit world. Through difficult and changing times, they have successfully addressed the personnel challenges faced by many nonprofits by helping them find executives who are qualified to lead and manage change.

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DRG has doubled in size since 1996. Currently we employ six full-time accomplished consultants, all with noteworthy nonprofit backgrounds. They are supported by four full-time recruitment associates. In addition, we have a highly experienced managing director, who supervises research and operations, and a responsive administrative staff.

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The DRG team of skilled and active professionals represents decades of search and consultative experience serving a wide range of nonprofit clients. All come from successful careers in nonprofit organizations and have either sought out DRG or have been recruited by DRG because of their commitment and passion about the sector. And all continue to have active involvement in a variety of nonprofit boards and professional associations—extending their reach into the nonprofit world many times over. At DRG, each consultant brings valuable experience, perspectives, and performance to every search. They interface with clients and candidates, conveying a strong sense of commitment and passion. They look beyond their roles as recruiters and seek to help clients shape a vision for the future. See DRG Consultants

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DRG´s search process includes five phases: Discovery; Creating the Pool (Research & Outreach); Candidate Assessment; Selection; and Successful Conclusions. This five-stage search process emphasizes in-depth interviewing and reference checking of candidates along with a thoughtful analysis of the fit between the organization and the candidate. Searches typically require four months to complete.

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First we understand the challenges and problems facing the organization as well as its goals. Then we look for leaders who have seen the client´s problem before and have the skills and experiences to meet those challenges and move the organization forward. We look for the top executives who can lead, build, change, and inspire, and who will welcome challenges and solve problems.

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As an executive search firm, we believe that our best candidates are those that we´ve identified through innovative research, extensive networking and personal referrals. Nonetheless, we will often recommend that our clients allow us to place limited advertisements in targeted publications in order to ensure the widest possible outreach. Our focus is on professional journals and newsletters rather than the general media.

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Depending upon the nature of the search, DRG encourages a planned strategy whenever involving board and staff. It is almost always beneficial to let everyone affected by the search to have a voice in its initial phases. Whether through surveys, questionnaires, or meetings, we find a way to gather information and to give stakeholders the opportunity to express their views. As all searches vary, we help our client understand how best to use the community and staff resources available to them. During the initial stages of all searches, a search strategy will be developed to answer who, how, and when to involve volunteer leadership and staff. The goals is broad support for the selected candidate.

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DRG is often asked to help with structuring a compensation offer and to play a role in communicating that offer. We have been able to share the experiences and models of compensation agreements developed by our clients as a way of assisting clients to create agreements that best fit the needs of each organization and search.

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In keeping with industry norms of a retainer-based firm, DRG´s fees are one-third of the selected candidate´s first year salary. Our minimum search fee is $40,000. Search expenses are billed separately.

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Yes. Because of our confidence in understanding our client´s organization and needs coupled with comprehensive candidate assessment and referencing, we stand behind all searches with a promise. In the event that the candidate leaves within the time guarantee stipulated in the search contract for reasons other than internal change of position or promotion, we will work on an expense-only basis for six months to submit other suitable candidates.

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Because of the unique nature of all searches, timetables may vary considerably. However, we carry out the majority of our searches in four months.