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April 20, 2025
Key Takeaways
Choosing between a local or national search for your next executive hire greatly influences timing, cost, and candidate quality—each offering distinct advantages depending on your urgency and budget.
The executive hire is a stressful process. These roles are not just about filling a skills gap in an organisation. It’s about finding someone with the vision and drive to keep moving a company forward.
There are lots of factors to consider when hiring a new executive, with many of these decisions having a direct impact on the recruitment pool. Some choices will expand your search while others will narrow it. Whether this is the right or wrong thing all depends on what is right for your business at the moment.
In this guide, we’re looking at the factors that might influence whether you keep your search local or expand it to a national audience when hiring a new executive member. We’ll look at the pros and cons of each approach and how you can put this insight to work in your organisation.
Where you start your search for a next executive hire will have a significant impact on the candidates that you attract. A local search would mean limiting your targeting to candidates already resident in your area, or within a reasonable commutable distance. A national search would cast a wider net, and it could mean having conversations with candidates that could include mention of relocation.
If you’re looking to move quickly with your hire, it’s generally advised to stick to a local search. This will allow the candidate to get started quickly, without the stress of relocation. But if you have more time and want to make the optimum choice for the organisation, then a national search could serve you well – you might need to factor in a relocation budget to help attract the right candidate.
| Topic | Key Point |
|---|---|
| Local Search Benefits | Faster hiring, lower costs, minimal relocation complexity |
| Local Candidate Pros | Familiarity with organisation and recommendations from the network |
| National Search Advantages | Wider search area, more diverse candidate options |
| Drawbacks of National Search | Potential increased timeline and relocation requirements |
| Hiring Strategy | Start local; expand nationally if local search is unsuccessful |
| Agency Choice | Local agencies have area insight; national agencies offer broader candidate networks |
Keeping your targeting local offers a number of key benefits. The candidate might already be familiar with your organisation, or they might already know employees at your organisation from other roles. This increases the chances that you’ll be able to find candidates based on recommendations from existing employees.
Another benefit of the local search is that it avoids casting a new too wide. A wide net can be beneficial in some ways, but it can also slow down the recruitment process. And a sluggish recruitment process could leave you with your second or third choice, rather than your first choice.
A local search could also be cheaper, since you won’t be paying for candidates to travel to interviews, or factoring in a signing bonus for relocation.
A national search will open more doors and kick start more conversations. It’s also more likely that you’re bringing in someone completely new, which can be refreshing for an executive role. Hiring from this place of increased risk might be daunting, but it can also be hugely rewarding.
Another benefit of a national search is that you can take your time with the process and ensure you have the right candidate. Candidates might be considering relocating, so they won’t be taking this decision lightly. This means they are less likely to be using the role as a stepping stone.
And finally, there’s nothing that says you have to rule out local candidates when you start a national search. You are getting the best of both worlds when you expand your search field. This can ensure that no stone is left unturned in your search for the ideal candidate.
Speed & Cost Efficiency
Hiring locally can be faster and cheaper—ideal when you need to fill a leadership role quickly without relocation logistics.
Wider Reach & Quality Talent
National searches give access to diverse, high-calibre executives who might be the perfect transformative fit for your organisation.
First, you need to determine if you have the resources to hire a national candidate. This means you’ll need to factor in a relocation bonus – and this might be on top of a signing bonus, not instead of it.
Next, you need to establish your timeline for finding the right candidate. If you’re in a rush, keep the search local to begin with, and only expand if this search proves to be fruitless. If you have time, consider expanding this to include candidates further afield so you have a wider recruitment pool.
Another key consideration for organisations looking to recruit executive roles is whether you should work with a local or national recruitment agency. There are arguments for and against both.
With a local firm, you’ll get expert local knowledge but a smaller candidate pool. They might also be more niche and dedicated to a specific industry that operates in your area. This could also be a disadvantage, as it’s likely that they also serve your competitors.
With a national firm, you’ll gain access to a larger network of candidates, but this risks diluting the focus. Their recruitment professionals might not be familiar with your organisation or your area, which can make initial conversations with candidates less informative, leading to frustration further down the line.
Ready to secure your next executive hire? Submit your vacancy to CMD Recruitment today and let us help you find leaders who can take your business forward.
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