Recruitment & executive search · Singapore
Five to eight people, each spoken to before they reach you, with what was verified written beside their name. The fee model is named before the search starts, not after the offer.
Send a role briefWhat arrives
A shortlist is a set of decisions with reasons. Yours should say who was approached, who said no, and what was checked before anyone reached you.
Illustrative concept policy. The number of profiles and the window are agreed per role in the engagement letter, as are consent, confidentiality and data-retention terms.
What we place
Software, data, infrastructure and the engineers who keep a plant or a platform running. Permanent, contract and contract-to-perm.
Brief this desk ↗Desk 02Finance managers, controllers, analysts and the audit-to-industry move. Roles where the qualification and the reporting line both matter.
Brief this desk ↗Desk 03Operations managers, planners, procurement and logistics. Roles filled on shift patterns and site experience as much as on title.
Brief this desk ↗Desk 04HR, legal, marketing and the regional roles where a work-pass route has to be checked before the shortlist, not after.
Brief this desk ↗How a search runs
You brief the role, the must-haves and the constraints. We say honestly whether we can fill it before you engage us.
Market map, direct approaches and our own network. Every candidate is spoken to before they appear on a list.
You review five to eight profiles inside the agreed window and tell us who to move on.
Arranged around your diary, with feedback within a day so the candidate is not left waiting.
You decide; we run the negotiation, the counter-offer and the notice period with the candidate.
A check-in at the start and at three months, and the guarantee window if the hire leaves early.
| Stage | What you do | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Brief | The brief, the band and the deal-breakers | Say whether the role is fillable and on what model |
| Shortlist | Review inside the window, one clear answer | Approach, screen and verify before sending |
| Decision | Interview and decide | Schedule, feed back, negotiate |
How we are paid
Most agencies will not say how they are paid until you ask twice. The model and the trigger belong in the first conversation.
| Engagement | How it works | When it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Contingent | No hire, no fee; we may be one of several agencies on the role | A clear brief and a market with people in it |
| Part-retained | A smaller up-front commitment, the balance on placement | Specialist roles where the market is thin |
| Retained | Paid in stages as the search runs, one firm on the role | Senior, confidential or sensitive searches |
| Contract & interim | Day rate or monthly, with the margin stated in the contract | Cover, a project, or a role that may change shape |
One search, in order
Most briefs arrive with a title and a salary band. The ones that work also say what the person owns, which three things matter more than the rest, and what the team has already tried. That is the difference between a shortlist you can act on and a list of people who look right on paper.
Illustrative brief: a 40-person manufacturer needs a supply-chain manager. The brief names the must-haves (planning systems, a plant environment, willingness to work across two sites) and the constraint (no work-pass sponsorship). Six candidates are approached, four are interviewed by the consultant, three are shortlisted with expectations and notice periods in writing. Two are interviewed by the client inside a week, one offer is made and negotiated, and the start date and notice period are managed to the day. This is a scenario, not a completed placement.
One paragraph in the client's own words, so the brief and the people sent to you can be checked against the same thing.
The years, the systems, the licences and the results that were actually checked — attached to the claim rather than implied by a job title.
Stated on the profile, in the same place as everything else. A gap named before the interview costs nothing; a gap discovered afterwards costs the hire.
Model, percentage or retainer, and what happens on a replacement — in writing before a name leaves the file.
A clearer starting point
Three parts. Write them down once and the first shortlist stops being a guessing game.
Title, seniority, who the person reports to and what they own. The salary band matters less than the scope — a narrow band with a wide scope is the most common reason a search stalls.
Describe the roleThree things you will not compromise on, and the rest you can teach. If everything is a must-have, the shortlist will be empty and the market will tell you so.
List the must-havesLocation, work-pass eligibility, start date, budget ceiling and whether the role is confidential. The eligibility question is checked before the shortlist, never after the offer.
Set the constraintsOn reviews
“The first shortlist came with reasons — who they had spoken to, what was checked, and who had already said no. That is what made the decision quick.”
Supply-chain search · sample story
Sample story. Not a real customer review. Agency reviews are usually aggregated and unverifiable; ask for two placements we can call instead, and for the consultant who would run your search by name.The practical questions
The model is named before the search starts: contingent with no hire, no fee; part-retained; retained in stages; or a contract margin stated in the contract. The percentage is negotiated per role and written into the engagement letter rather than advertised.
Normally five to ten working days from a written brief, and the exact window is agreed in the engagement letter. If the brief cannot be filled inside that window, we say so at the start rather than sending profiles to look busy.
Yes, before the shortlist. Sponsorship, quota and eligibility rules change, and a candidate who cannot be employed in Singapore is not a candidate — it is a delay your team pays for.
A guarantee window applies to placements and is stated in the engagement letter, with what it covers and what ends it. Ask what happens to the fee, and whether a replacement search is included or charged.
Start a conversation
The title, what the person owns and the three must-haves. That is enough to say whether we can fill it.
Concept only. Nothing is sent or booked.