Executive recruitment: attracting the leaders who drive your organization’s growth

Executive search, also known as executive recruitment, is a specialized process aimed at identifying and attracting senior leaders: CEOs, CFOs, CHROs, vice presidents, and board directors. Unlike traditional recruitment, which relies on active applications, executive search is built on a proactive headhunting approach. Kenova directly approaches leaders currently in position, often unavailable through conventional channels, drawing on its network and credibility within the financial and corporate community.

Kenova specializes in the recruitment of C-Suite and senior leadership profiles, including: Chief Executive Officers (CEO), General Managers (GM), Chief Financial Officers (CFO), VPs of Finance, Chief Human Resources Officers (CHRO), as well as board directors. Our sector expertise centres on finance, investment, and corporate leadership, primarily in Quebec and internationally for multicultural mandates.

An executive search mandate typically takes between 3 and 16 weeks, depending on the complexity of the position, the scarcity of the profile, and the organization’s specific requirements. The timeline varies based on the hierarchical level (e.g. a CEO mandate may take longer than a director-level search), the availability of targeted candidates, and the speed of the client’s decision-making process. Kenova aims for an efficient pace, without compromising the rigour of the assessment.

Confidentiality is at the core of the Kenova methodology. Each mandate is handled discreetly: information about the position and the organization is shared only within a controlled framework, after an initial confidential contact with the candidate. Our recruiters do not use public job postings for sensitive executive mandates. Confidentiality is ensured through formal agreements and the professionalism of our teams, guaranteeing complete discretion for both the employer and the candidates approached.

Assessing an executive leader goes well beyond professional background. At Kenova, the selection process includes structured interviews focused on behavioural competencies and management style, situational leadership analyses, reputation checks with targeted references, and validation of alignment between the candidate’s values and the organization’s culture. This rigorous approach significantly reduces the risk of a bad hire, whose costs for an executive position can exceed twice the annual salary.