01
Shortlist Approval Rate
What percentage of candidates you submit are approved by the hiring manager on first review? Below 60%: the intake is broken. 80%+: the system is working. Our rate: 82%.
Documented Outcomes
These are not testimonials.
These are case files.
Every case study below includes the specifics a CEO needs to evaluate a search firm: the situation before we engaged, the method we used, and the result with the numbers that matter. No vague claims. No anonymised success stories.
Case Study 01
Alternatives Investment Director · $275K · 41 Days
Financial Services · New York · VP-Level · Revenue-Critical
The Situation
A specialized financial services firm needed to place an Alternatives Investment Director — a senior, high-stakes role requiring rare domain expertise in alternative assets. The seat was revenue-critical: the firm's alternatives practice was operating under capacity without this hire.
Two prior search firms had engaged on the mandate. Both had failed to close after 60+ days of engagement. The first firm presented 14 candidates over 8 weeks — none advanced past the second interview. The second firm ran 6 weeks before withdrawing. The hiring manager had lost confidence in the process.
By the time Majhi Group was engaged, the mandate was 4 months old, the pipeline was depleted, and the firm needed a close — not more process.
The Failure Analysis
Before sourcing a single candidate, we conducted a mandate failure analysis. What we found:
- →The role brief described a generalist alternatives analyst, not a specialist director. The prior firms sourced to the brief, not to the actual role.
- →The hiring manager's unstated success criteria included deep relationships in the LP community — a criterion not in the job description and never surfaced by prior firms.
- →The prior firms' shortlists optimised for resume fit. The hiring manager evaluated for network and presence — two criteria that require a different sourcing approach entirely.
The Method
01
Mandate Intelligence Brief (Day 1–2)
We rebuilt the role brief entirely from a 90-minute mandate intelligence session with the hiring manager and the firm's CIO. Extracted: 4 unstated success criteria, 2 deal-breaker risk flags, LP network requirements, and the specific sub-strategies where depth was required. This brief replaced the existing job description and drove all subsequent sourcing.
02
Targeted Sourcing (Day 3–14)
Sourced to the mandate intelligence brief, not the prior job description. Primary focus: candidates with active LP relationships in the relevant alternative strategies — a pool that overlaps minimally with LinkedIn keyword search results. Identified 6 candidates meeting the mandate criteria through network activation and second-degree referrals.
03
Evidence Dossiers + QMS Gate (Day 14–21)
Built evidence dossiers for all 6 candidates. 3 passed the QMS gate and were submitted to the hiring manager with full dossiers. Shortlist approval on first review: 3 of 3. No rebuilds. No additional sourcing rounds.
04
Interview Process and Close (Day 21–41)
Managed the interview process with weekly status reports and proactive alignment sessions with the hiring manager. Tracked candidate intent signals throughout. Offer made on day 38. Accepted on day 41. First-presentation acceptance.
The Result
41d
Total search duration
$275K
Total compensation at placement
60d+
Duration two prior firms ran without closing
1st
Presentation — accepted on first shortlist submission
"The gap between a 60-day failure and a 41-day close is not talent market access. It is execution infrastructure. The prior firms had access to the same candidate pool. What changed was the intake, the brief, and the system behind the shortlist."
What to Ask Any Search Firm
Three numbers every CEO should demand before engaging.
02
Offer Acceptance Rate
What percentage of offers extended to your candidates are accepted? Below 80%: the closing process is broken. 90%+: the system manages intent from day one. Our rate: 90%+.
03
Average Time to Close
What is your average time from mandate intake to accepted offer? Industry median: 65–90 days. With the Intelligence Hiring System: 50 days. Our rate: 50 days average.
The next case study could be yours.
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