Executive Search:
Clear. Personal. To the point.
We do not simply fill positions. We find personalities that complement your strategy. With a deep understanding of culture and leadership, we bring decision-makers and executives together. Exclusive. Trust-based. At eye level.
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Why executive search fails without strategy
Executive search rarely fails due to the identification of suitable candidates, but because of a lack of strategic clarity. Roles, expectations and success criteria are often imprecise or shift during the process. Instead of impact, personality and leadership qualities, CVs, titles and career steps take centre stage.
Successful executive search requires:
- Strategic clarity
- Cultural understanding
- A structured, transparent process
- Clear stakeholder alignment
In addition, there is often an insufficient understanding of company culture: candidates who appear suitable on paper frequently fail to deliver impact within the specific context. This is further intensified by missing stakeholder alignment and – especially internationally – underestimated market and cultural differences.
In short: executive search fails when positions matter more than people – and when strategy, context and impact receive too little attention.
What makes Executive Search
with ANTES different
For us, executive search begins with a genuine understanding of the organisation, its culture and its strategic direction. That is why we place strong emphasis on bringing together all relevant stakeholders and defining a precise role and requirement profile based on the job profile – realistic, sustainable and from a 360-degree perspective.
In approaching candidates, we act without bias and at eye level. Alongside open and credible conversations, we use ANTES Profile to make motivators, strengths and cultural fit visible. This creates executive search that delivers lasting impact.
Our role
Sparring partner, advisor and translator – for all parties involved in the process.
We ensure transparency, commitment and equality at every stage. We see executive search as a dialogue at C-level, not as a purely operational search process.
Even after successful placement, we continue to support if desired: with structured onboarding, behaviour-based leadership training and team analyses. The goal is a stable, professional start and sustainable impact from day one.
Our ambition
Executive search at ANTES means: people first instead of process logic, personality before industry and exclusivity for true collaboration. We work with clear, transparent fees (28% market standard), sound diagnostics, cultural fit analysis and strategic personality assessment.
With more than 20 years of executive search experience, we do not find candidates – we find personalities who lead and move organisations forward.
Executive Search at ANTES
People First. Leadership First. Success follows.
Strong leadership is not defined by titles, but by personality.
That is why we place people at the centre of executive search – not checklists or forms. Our focus: personalities who shape culture, strengthen teams and move organisations forward.
Our contacts include managing directors, C-level executives, department heads and HR leaders – across all industries. Because personality knows no industry.
01
Exclusivity – clear responsibility instead of scatter loss
Executive search requires trust, discretion and clear accountability. That is why we work exclusively. Only then can we ensure a clear market presence, targeted access to the passive candidate market and a credible dialogue at eye level.
Open or parallel mandates dilute positioning and communication – exclusivity creates commitment.
02
Understanding before searching
Every search begins with a deep understanding of the role – professionally, culturally and personally. In addition to traditional requirement analysis, we use our DISC-based ANTES job profile.
It makes visible which strengths, motivators and behavioural patterns a leader must bring to be effective in your organisation.
03
Targeted approach – personal, direct, respectful
Top executives are rarely actively seeking new roles. Our conversations are not sales pitches, but professional exchanges at decision-maker level. Clear, precise and at eye level.
This creates interest through substance, competence and relevance – in an environment with many offers and little time.
04
Selection with substance – personality and role in alignment
Successful placements happen where personality and role truly align. That is why we design the selection process in multiple stages – from initial exchange to personal meetings.
This allows us to assess motivation, mindset and cultural fit in depth and secure sustainable decisions.
05
Focused presentation – quality over quantity
We do not present a wide range of profiles, but a deliberately limited selection of suitable personalities. Each option is professionally qualified and thoroughly assessed in terms of personality, motivation and cultural fit.
The result is maximum decision quality instead of unnecessary candidate volume.
06
Responsible support – until impact is created
For us, executive search does not end with the decision. We support the process until the leader has effectively arrived within the organisation.
Through clear alignment, expectation management and discreet process guidance, we ensure leadership creates lasting impact – professionally, personally and organisationally.
Discover in our short video how an ANTES job profile is created
Which parameters we analyse, how cultural factors are integrated and how we combine personality, role and organisational reality into a clear and sustainable profile.
Not convinced yet?
More insight. More clarity. More direction.
Successful executive search is more than filling a position. It determines strategic capability, cultural development and long-term business success. Leadership either creates impact – or it does not.
A partner who understands complex searches
I lead a successful consulting company; many of our clients are in the automotive industry. Our requirements were complex, and the search accordingly challenging. This made the support from ANTES and Thomas Fiskbæk as well as Sina Olehowski all the more valuable. They fully understood my goals and guided the search creatively. In the end, we found the ideal candidate. I look forward to driving growth with our new Head of Sales & Business Development.
When competence goes beyond the CV
We work regularly with ANTES and are consistently impressed by the learning curve within the process. CVs reveal little about actual suitability. ANTES stands out through strong consulting, deep understanding of our company culture and a clear focus on personality. The ability to recognise mindset and attitude – and match them effectively – is extremely valuable to us.
Success is built together
I would like to sincerely thank you for the trusting and positive collaboration over the past year. It was a great pleasure to get to know you personally and to explore exciting topics together. I very much look forward to continuing our exchange.
International placements require cultural understanding
Working with ANTES goes far beyond traditional recruitment consulting for us. Especially in international contexts, the team impresses with deep market and cultural understanding as well as a strong sense for personalities. Instead of focusing on CVs, ANTES identifies potential that often only becomes visible through personal interaction. This quality of consulting is a decisive success factor, particularly in complex international placements.
Start now with ANTES
Filling key positions determines the stability, performance and future viability of teams.
We identify relevant talent in a targeted and discreet way, conduct structured conversations at eye level and enable precise placements with high acceptance on both sides.
Good questions. Clear answers.
We like people who ask questions.
Because those who ask want to understand – and that is exactly what matters to us.
Here we answer the questions we are asked most frequently.
We present candidates only after all relevant steps of our search process are completed. This ensures we deliver a highly qualified shortlist of executives who are convincing both professionally and culturally and have genuine interest in the organisation and the role.
We make the pre-selection with the utmost care so that you can focus on a handful of outstanding candidates.
Early involvement of all relevant stakeholders ensures that strategy, culture and expectations are clearly understood. This increases candidate fit and creates acceptance and sustainable decisions from the outset.
The duration depends on market conditions, the role and requirements. However, based on our experience, we can usually present a qualified shortlist within 6–8 weeks.
Executive search rarely fails because of the search itself, but due to unclear requirements and lack of alignment. When CVs outweigh personality, culture and mindset, there is no real fit.
Other risks include too many stakeholders without clear alignment, long decision processes or unclear communication with candidates. Especially internationally, market and cultural differences are often underestimated.
Our executive search fee is transparent and clearly structured. At 28%, we are in line with market standards. It is important to us that from the outset it is clear which services are included – without hidden costs or later surprises.
