Prospective Members

AESC accepts that in certain circumstances firms may undertake assignments at a lower level due to existing client relationships, skill requirements of candidates, and variation in titles between sectors and geographies, but the total proportion of work at or above VP/Senior VP/Director or equivalent executive level should not be less than 50%.

Executive search firms whose core business is unrelated to executive search but who have a strong retained executive search business qualify for membership provided that they meet the AESC membership criteria and Standards of Excellence.

Executive search firms who operate purely on a contingency basis do not qualify for AESC membership. High quality hybrid firms are eligible for membership provided their contingency business is branded and resourced separately. The separately branded contingency business is not eligible for AESC membership.

Executive Search Methodologies:

• Evidence of candidate interviews and assessment. The assessments should clearly show a level of analysis and judgement on the candidate’s ‘fit’ for a specific role.

• High quality documentation. Specifically, status reports, position and person profiles, engagement letters, candidate profiles, reference reports, and invoices.

• If applicable, psychometric tools and reports.

Performance Metrics:

• Percentage of searches completed (versus cancelled or closed by the client).

• Quality of the documentation and processes.

• Evidence of repeat business with one or more key clients.

• Time to client-approved shortlist.

• Evidence of client satisfaction through proof of engagement surveys, reports or client emails. This could also be gained through evidence of repeat business or client referencing. However, firms or sole proprietors who have established this type of feedback mechanism will be considered favorably.

• Evidence of systems to evaluate ongoing candidate satisfaction such as candidate satisfaction surveys or other feedback mechanisms. In the absence of such systems, AESC may request to contact two candidate references.

Evidence should be provided of a statement or a policy document that discloses some or all of the ways that an executive search firm gathers, uses, discloses and manages a client and/or candidates’ data. The firm needs to show they have deployed measures to protect a client and candidate’s data privacy and security.

Prospective members must submit:

• At least two client references, selected from a longer list of five or more.

• At least two member references, including those recommended by the prospective member but not limited to these references.

Specific qualifications and performance standards for a leadership advisory consulting projects are:

• Quality of documentation and processes.

• Projects finished on time and on budget.

• Evidence that the delivered outcomes and results listed in the consulting scope were achieved.

• Client satisfaction processes, follow up and ratings. This could also be indicated through evidence of repeat business.

• Full payment of consulting fees.

• At least two (2) client references, selected from a longer list of five (5) or more

• At least two member references, including those recommended by the prospective member but not limited to these references.

Any global network or alliance that requires each individual firm to join AESC before becoming a partner firm of the network or alliance will have this review process waived. Such networks and alliances should share their own membership documentation with AESC to demonstrate their commitment to AESC Standards of Excellence.