How to Hire the Top 1% of Executives (Part 3)

Episode notes

Once you have prepared your story and built your network, the next frontier is understanding how recruiters work. In this episode of Mission One: The Executive Edge, hosts Dan Hampton and Gerard Miles round off their three-part job search series with a candid conversation on the role of the headhunter, how to engage them, how to stay visible, and how to turn those introductions into real career movement. They unpack the language of executive search, from retained to contingent to boutique, showing when each model applies and what it means for your search. Drawing from years of experience placing senior leaders across industries, they share how to identify the right partners, what to say when a recruiter reaches out, and how to present yourself in a way that is easy to remember, easy to share, and easy to place. Dan and Gerard also walk through the unspoken rules of engagement: why clarity beats volume in outreach, how concise follow-ups help recruiters advocate for you, and why transparency about timing or competing offers always works in your favour.