Sigma Recruitment runs retained executive search for manufacturing and engineering employers in Cardiff, South Wales and across the UK: managing directors, operations, engineering, quality and technical directors, and senior managers in hard-to-fill technical fields. Every search is handled personally by our founding director, with a market map before any approach and confidential headhunting of people who are not applying. Most retained searches reach an accepted offer in about six weeks, then the candidate’s notice period, which at this level is usually three months.
Specifically designed for the manufacturing, engineering and technology sectors, Sigma Recruitment’s executive search and headhunting service is delivered personally by Sigma’s founding director Rhys Williams, who has over 20 years of recruitment experience. The service is tried and trusted by clients across the UK, including in major industrial locations such as Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Oxford, Cambridge, Swindon and Reading.
The first thing we do when you retain us is qualify the vacancy. We will discuss with you the skills, competencies and personal attributes you are looking for. We will then carry out market mapping/research to quantify the talent pool prior to creating and signing off a suitable job advert and discussing possible advertising channels.
Competency-based screening comes next. We will compile and agree on candidate screening questions with you, before embarking on a digital marketing campaign designed to target passive talent. Once the search process has been mapped out and undertaken and we have potential candidates in mind, we will carry out screening interviews and shortlisting, before presenting you with CVs and interview notes.
Assuming you are happy with our shortlist, the next step is for you to carry out interviews at first, second, and potentially third stage. Sigma then handles offer management, the rebuttal of any counteroffers, contractual negotiations and agreement of start date. Our service doesn’t end there either. We provide full aftercare that includes checking in with the placed candidate for the first 3-6 months.
You can rely on Sigma Recruitment’s proven expertise, in executive search. Your assignment will be personally handled by one of our directors, with extra support provided by the wider Sigma team. We also promise to leave no stone unturned in our wide and deep talent searches across the UK and, if necessary, globally. All searches are conducted on a fully confidential basis, while our in-depth screening process ensures you won’t waste precious time meeting with totally unsuitable candidates. As well as attracting the best talent, the retained element of our fee allows us to pull out all the stops to secure the highest calibre candidates.
Typical vacancies suitable for executive search, include C-level, executive, director and senior management positions, for example managing directors, operations directors, engineering directors, quality directors and technical directors.
A headhunting/search approach can also be valuable where the talent pool is extremely limited and the market for certain roles very competitive for example pharmaceutical project managers and software developers.
What is the difference between executive search and contingency recruitment?
Contingency means you pay only when someone starts and several agencies may be working the same brief. Executive search is retained: part of the fee is paid at the start, the search is exclusive, and we commit the time to map the market and approach people who are not looking. For director-level and scarce technical roles that is the difference between a shortlist of applicants and a shortlist of the best people in the field.
How much does executive search cost?
A retained fee is agreed per assignment as a percentage of first-year salary, usually paid in three stages: on instruction, on shortlist and on start. We quote it before you commit and there are no hidden extras for advertising or research.
How long does a retained search take?
Market mapping and the first approaches take two to three weeks; a shortlist usually follows within four to six weeks of instruction; most assignments reach an accepted offer in about six weeks. Notice periods at director level are commonly three months, so plan for a start four to five months from instruction.
Which roles suit executive search?
Managing director, operations director, engineering director, quality director, technical director, plant and site director, and senior managers in fields where the talent pool is small, such as pharmaceutical project management, process safety and senior automation.
Is the search confidential?
Yes. Confidential searches are the norm when a role is being replaced or created quietly. Candidates learn the company’s name only when you agree, and we never advertise a confidential role unless you agree.
Do you work outside Cardiff and South Wales?
Yes. Executive search is run from Cardiff for employers across the UK and, where the role needs it, internationally; the sectors we cover are listed below.
