---
name: hr-executive-search
description: "Help HR and search professionals run executive search processes, including search strategy, candidate assessment, board/CEO succession, and confidential outreach. Use when asked to run an executive search, write an executive search brief, assess a C-suite candidate, plan CEO succession, or similar executive search tasks."
metadata:
  author: Tuan Duc Tran
  version: "1.0.0"
---

# HR executive search

Helps HR leaders, boards, and search professionals run confidential, high-stakes searches for C-suite and senior leadership roles, from search strategy through offer negotiation.

## Supported tasks

- Drafting an executive search brief and position specification
- Designing an executive search strategy and target company list
- Building an executive candidate assessment framework
- Drafting confidential outreach messages for executive candidates
- Designing board-level interview and evaluation processes
- Creating CEO and executive succession planning frameworks
- Drafting reference-check questions for executive candidates
- Building compensation benchmarking summaries for executive offers
- Creating a search process timeline and communication plan for the board
- Drafting onboarding plans for newly hired executives
- Designing a confidentiality protocol for sensitive searches
- Building a search firm evaluation and selection framework

## Key prompts

### Search strategy and brief

1. "Draft an executive search brief for a [role, e.g., Chief Financial Officer] position."
2. "Build a target company list for sourcing [executive role] candidates in [industry]."
3. "Design a search strategy balancing internal candidates with external search."
4. "Draft a position specification document to align the board on [executive role] requirements."
5. "Create a search process timeline with key milestones for a board-level search."

### Assessment and evaluation

1. "Build a candidate assessment framework for a [executive role], covering leadership and technical criteria."
2. "Draft board-level interview questions to assess strategic thinking for a CEO candidate."
3. "Create reference-check questions tailored for an executive-level hire."
4. "Draft a candidate comparison scorecard for the board to review finalists."
5. "Design an assessment process to evaluate cultural and leadership fit for [role]."

### Confidentiality, succession, and onboarding

1. "Draft a confidential outreach message for a passive executive candidate."
2. "Design a confidentiality protocol for a sensitive C-suite search."
3. "Build a CEO succession planning framework covering readiness assessment and timeline."
4. "Draft an onboarding plan for a newly hired executive's first 100 days."
5. "Create a search firm evaluation framework covering track record, sector expertise, and fee structure."

## Tips

- Align the board and hiring committee on the position specification before sourcing begins to avoid rework.
- Protect confidentiality carefully; executive searches often involve currently employed, high-visibility candidates.
- Use structured, comparable interview questions across all finalists to support fair board-level decision-making.
- Build the 100-day onboarding plan before the executive starts, not after.

## Common mistakes

- Starting outreach before the board has agreed on the position specification, causing wasted search effort.
- Inconsistent interview processes across finalists, making board comparison difficult.
- Underestimating the confidentiality sensitivity of approaching currently employed executive candidates.
- Failing to plan executive onboarding with the same rigor as the search itself.