If I were appointing an executive search firm, I wouldn't start with the pitch deck.
I'd want to know who is actually going to do the work.
Executive search is one of those services where the person selling the assignment and the person delivering it can be very different. For a critical appointment, that matters.
Who will lead the search day to day?
Ask directly.
Who will speak to the client? Who will approach senior candidates? Who assesses them? Who decides whether somebody makes the shortlist?
A large firm's brand can be useful, particularly internationally, but the quality of the individual consultant and research is what the client experiences.
Do they understand the problem or just the job title?
A good search conversation should improve the brief.
The firm should challenge assumptions about background, location, remuneration and where the talent might come from. If every requirement is simply accepted and turned into a search specification, you're not getting much advisory value.
How will they search the market?
Ask which organisations and adjacent sectors they would consider and why.
You don't need a finished target list in the pitch, but you should hear a point of view. The best candidate may not sit in the most obvious competitor.
Also ask about off-limits restrictions. Some large firms may be unable to approach executives at significant numbers of existing clients.
What will you actually receive?
Get clarity on timetable, number of candidates, assessment, reporting, referencing, psychometrics and what happens if the initial market doesn't produce the right result.
“Comprehensive search process” can mean almost anything.
How are they paid?
Understand the complete cost, not just the headline percentage.
Are there separate research charges, expenses, advertising, assessment costs or additional fees if the candidate's salary changes?
I prefer fixed fees because both sides know the commercial position at the start, but whatever model you choose should be transparent.
Will they tell you not to search?
This is probably the question I'd care about most now.
If you have an internal candidate, an unclear role or a wider leadership issue, will the firm challenge the assumption that executive search is the right answer?
The best adviser may occasionally talk themselves out of a search.
That tells you something about whose decision they are trying to improve.