Educational executive placement firms are agencies that employ recruiters, (aka: “headhunters”), who find professionals to fill open educational positions. Recruiters work for the facilities offering job placement, unearthing qualified talent as expediently as possible.

There are different types of executive search firms in education. Each has a specific purpose and is useful for different types of staff recruitment. Choosing the right caliber of educational recruiting agency is essential to finding qualified staff members in the right time frame and within the school’s budget.

Before choosing an executive search firm for the education market, decide what type of firm you require:

1. Education search firms working on contingency are cost effective for talent searches of a general nature, such as qualified administrators or professors for core subjects.

2. Retained recruiters will travel extensively to find a specific person with precise qualifications who may be difficult to find through ordinary advertising.

3. Executive temporary recruiters specialize in finding talent for short-term positions, such as someone replacing an executive staff member during her maternity leave.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose education search firms offering contingency services if budget is a major concern

Contingency recruiters take job criteria from employers and utilize their resources to find candidates qualified for available openings. Contingency recruiters often work for numerous schools at a time. If no successful hires result from the recruiter's efforts, no payment is required.

I recommend: Isaacson, Miller is a socially responsible executive search firm working with educational recruiting nationwide since 1982. You can read executive profiles and choose a staff member to contact by clicking the name link. HR Personnel Services customizes recruiting solutions by client for placement of professionals in education and other industries. Contact HR Personnel Services to discuss service options.

Hire retained recruiters for an education executive search involving select qualifications

Retained executive search firms, education recruiters and other placement agencies work almost exclusively in narrow, specialized markets, finding a specific candidate for a specific position. Retained search firms in education generally earn a fee and expenses whether they find the right talent or not, adding a finder's fee for a successful recruit. They are pricier, but their success rates are outstanding. If you require educational talent with very specific degrees and experience, a retained recruiter is likely your best option.

I recommend: Kulper & Company, LLC, is a retained executive search firm with a passion for excellence and a client satisfaction rating of 4.75 out of 5. Subscribe to their email list to find out more about this outstanding staffing source. Witt/Kieffer is the nation’s largest education executive search agency. Have a specialized executive position to fill? Contact the experts at Witt/Kieffer today.

Locate executive search firms for schools that provide temporary talent

Qualified talent of a non-permanent nature is a necessity at one time or another for most schools and universities. Staff can go on extended leave for any number of reasons, such as illness, maternity or simply for personal reasons. Qualified substitutes are essential in the interim.

I recommend: Boyden offers worldwide educational executive recruiting, as well as a host of resource articles. For temporary or permanent positions, contact Boyden by location or associate. Cerius Interim Executive Solutions specializes in mid-sized organizations in educational and other sectors that are in need of temporary executives. Find your temporary staffing solution by contacting CIES today.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before hiring any executive search firms for education, be certain to verify credentials. Review each agency's list of references, as well as written copies of their professional code of ethics, operational procedures and privacy policy.