Atlanta’s executive recruiting and professional search market is one of the most active in the Southeast, driven by the city’s large concentration of corporate headquarters, the continuous influx of companies relocating regional operations to Atlanta, and the competitive senior talent market that characterizes a major business hub. Atlanta’s dominant industries including financial services, technology, healthcare, logistics, and consumer goods each generate consistent demand for executive search services as companies compete for senior leadership talent in a market where qualified candidates rarely respond to posted positions. The city’s role as a relocation destination for corporate headquarters from higher-cost markets has added a distinct category of executive search demand: finding Atlanta-based or relocation-willing candidates for leadership roles at companies new to the market. Atlanta’s recruiting market spans global retained search firms, specialized boutique recruiters with deep industry or functional expertise, and contingency search firms serving the mid-management level.
When selecting a recruiter in Atlanta, clarify whether you are engaging a retained search firm, which works exclusively on your search for a fixed fee paid in installments, or a contingency recruiter, which is paid only upon placement and may present your opportunity to candidates simultaneously with competing firms. For senior leadership and executive roles, retained search provides more thorough candidate sourcing, greater confidentiality, and stronger commitment from the recruiter’s senior partners. Verify the recruiter’s off-limits policy, which restricts the firm from recruiting out of your organization after placing a candidate. Confirm the search partner’s personal industry experience and specific Atlanta market candidate relationships, as recruiter quality varies significantly from firm to firm even within the same agency. Red flags include recruiters who cannot name specific successful Atlanta placements in your industry, firms unwilling to commit senior partners to day-to-day search execution, and arrangements that lack clear timelines and deliverables.
Top Recruiter Companies in Atlanta
1. ON Partners
Founded: 2006
Website: https://www.onpartners.com
Services:
- C-suite and board executive search
- Chief Executive Officer and President search
- Chief Financial Officer and CFO-track placement
- Chief Technology Officer and technology leadership
- Chief Marketing Officer and revenue leadership
- Private equity and portfolio company executive search
About: ON Partners has operated as a leading executive search firm since its founding in 2006, building a national practice with significant Atlanta market presence serving C-suite and board-level executive searches for public companies, private equity-backed businesses, and high-growth private companies. The firm’s recognition in Atlanta Business Chronicle rankings and Forbes coverage reflects its standing within the executive search community. ON Partners’ practice model places senior partners as both the relationship managers and the active search executors, avoiding the common retained search firm pattern of senior partners selling engagements while junior researchers conduct the actual candidate work. The firm’s private equity practice, conducting C-suite searches for PE-backed portfolio companies that need executive leadership upgrades post-acquisition, addresses a significant and growing segment of Atlanta’s corporate market given the city’s large private equity community.
2. ACCUR Recruiting Services
Address: 501 Greene St, Augusta, GA 30901
Phone: (866) 424-3996
Website: https://www.accur.com
Services:
- Consumer goods and retail executive search
- Food and beverage industry placement
- Alcohol and spirits industry recruiting
- Luxury goods and fashion executive search
- Healthcare and pharmaceutical recruiting
- Technology and digital commerce executive search
About: ACCUR Recruiting Services operates as a specialized executive search firm serving consumer goods, retail, food and beverage, and luxury goods companies with senior leadership searches, recognized by Forbes on its Top 100 Executive Recruiting Firms list for eight consecutive years. The firm’s industry specialization in consumer-facing sectors differentiates it from generalist executive search firms, providing clients with recruiters who understand category-specific leadership requirements, competitor talent pools, and functional expertise standards relevant to consumer goods and retail executive roles. ACCUR’s consumer goods practice is particularly relevant for Atlanta’s large consumer and beverage sector, home to Coca-Cola, Georgia-Pacific, and dozens of major consumer brands. The firm’s Forbes recognition across eight consecutive years reflects consistent client and candidate satisfaction ratings that cross-validate its service quality beyond self-reported metrics.
3. Talentfoot Executive Search
Website: https://www.talentfoot.com
Services:
- Sales and revenue leadership executive search
- Marketing and digital marketing executive placement
- E-commerce and digital commerce leadership
- Operations and supply chain executive search
- Technology and product leadership recruiting
- Mid-market and growth-stage company executive search
About: Talentfoot Executive Search serves Atlanta and national clients as a specialized executive recruiting firm focused on commercial leadership, technology, and operations placements for mid-market and growth-stage companies, reporting a 98 percent search fill rate that reflects the firm’s commitment to completing searches it accepts rather than abandoning difficult assignments. The firm’s specialization in commercial and revenue leadership, covering sales, marketing, e-commerce, and digital functions, addresses a high-demand segment of Atlanta’s executive search market where strong performance metrics are available to validate candidate records. Talentfoot’s mid-market focus makes it practically oriented toward Atlanta companies in the $20 million to $500 million revenue range that need executive search rigor without the fee structures calibrated to Fortune 500 search work. The firm’s digital commerce and e-commerce practice is particularly relevant for Atlanta’s growing technology and retail technology sector.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does executive recruiting cost in Atlanta?
A: Retained executive search fees in Atlanta typically run 25 to 33 percent of the placed executive’s first-year total cash compensation, including base salary and target bonus, paid in installments tied to search milestones rather than solely on placement. A search for a Chief Financial Officer with $250,000 base salary and $75,000 target bonus would carry a total fee of approximately $81,000 to $107,000. Contingency search for mid-management roles typically runs 15 to 25 percent of first-year base salary, paid only upon successful placement. For board director search, fees are typically structured as a flat project fee rather than a percentage of compensation. Most retained search firms in Atlanta require payment of the first installment before beginning work, reflecting the commitment of senior recruiter time regardless of placement outcome.
Q: How long does an executive search take in Atlanta?
A: Executive searches at the vice president and C-suite level in Atlanta typically complete in 60 to 120 days from search kickoff to accepted offer, with the timeline varying based on role complexity, candidate scarcity, and the hiring organization’s decision speed. Searches for highly specialized technical or industry-specific leadership roles that require Atlanta relocation extend timelines as passive candidates evaluate the move alongside the role. Searches at director and senior manager level, using contingency or lighter retained models, often complete in 30 to 60 days when conducted by recruiters with established Atlanta candidate relationships in the relevant function. Private equity-sponsored searches often move faster due to portfolio company pressure, with deal-critical leadership searches sometimes completing in 45 to 60 days when the search firm has relevant candidate relationships ready.
Q: How do Atlanta executive recruiters find passive candidates not actively job searching?
A: Experienced Atlanta executive recruiters maintain long-term relationships with senior professionals across industries, conducting periodic relationship touchpoints over years regardless of active search assignments. When a relevant search begins, the recruiter contacts known passive candidates who match the profile, presenting the opportunity confidentially before reaching any public market. Beyond direct relationship networks, Atlanta recruiters use LinkedIn Recruiter to identify candidates by title, industry, and employer, conduct competitor mapping to identify likely candidate pools at rival companies, leverage referral networks from past candidates and clients, and tap professional association and alumni networks relevant to the role. Retained search firms with Atlanta offices also benefit from their firm’s global candidate relationship database, allowing access to candidates placed in previous engagements who may be open to new opportunities.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s executive recruiting market provides companies with senior leadership search resources through ON Partners’ C-suite and board search practice with consistent Forbes recognition, ACCUR Recruiting Services’ specialized consumer goods and retail executive search with eight consecutive years on Forbes’ Top 100 list, and Talentfoot’s commercial and technology leadership placement with a 98 percent fill rate for mid-market and growth-stage clients. Each firm brings distinct industry expertise and search methodology to Atlanta’s competitive senior talent market. Contact each firm directly to discuss search scope, relevant placement experience in your industry, fee structure, and expected search timeline for your specific executive opening.