For Companies · Executive Search

The wrong hire at the VP level costs more than the search fee.

Hive designs the leadership role, aligns your stakeholders, and defines what success looks like — before a single candidate is evaluated. Most searches fail before they start. This is where we fix that.

Start with a Leadership Readiness Assessment →
See the services →
50+ VP+ Placements · Design · Product · Brand · PE-backed & Growth-stage · 20+ Years Inside the Hiring Room · Talent Architecture™
The real problem
Most executive hires fail before the search even begins. And by the time it's visible, the cost is already there.
Companies rush to fill VP-level roles before aligning on what the leader actually owns, how they'll operate, and what success looks like at 6, 12, and 18 months.
The result isn't a talent problem. It's a design problem — baked in before the search starts.
40–50%
of executive hires fail within 18 months — not because the wrong person was chosen, but because the right role was never designed.
Heidrick & Struggles · Leadership IQ · McKinsey & Company
01
They start with candidates, not clarity
Most search begins before success is defined. Strong candidates get evaluated against a role that was never designed for the business you're actually building.
02
They can't evaluate creative leadership
VP-level creative and product leadership isn't about output. It's about decision-making, influence, and systems thinking — none of which show up on a LinkedIn profile.
03
They disappear after placement
Traditional search optimizes for placement, not outcomes. No onboarding support. No success criteria beyond "they accepted." By the time misalignment shows up, the cost is already sunk.
Talent Architecture™
"We design the system first. Then we hire for it."
01

Design the role

Define mandate, decision rights, and operating model before candidates are considered.

02

Align stakeholders

Surface misalignment before it becomes a mis-hire. Everyone agrees on what success looks like.

03

Run a focused search

Only when the role is built do we source candidates — with precision and conviction, not volume.

04

Stay through integration

We stay involved through onboarding to ensure the hire actually works in practice, not just on paper.

Where to start

Clarity first. Search second.

01
Start here
Most engagements begin here
Leadership Readiness Assessment
Two weeks · Standalone engagement

A focused diagnostic to determine whether you should hire, redesign the role, or pause — and what leadership move actually makes sense for where you are right now.

  • You know something isn't working but aren't sure the answer is "hire"
  • A past leadership hire stalled, failed, or underperformed
  • The role feels overloaded, politically complex, or vaguely defined
  • You want confidence before committing to a six-month search
Investment
$10,000
Standalone · Two weeks
Start the Assessment →
02
One hire
After clarity is established
Executive Leadership Installation
High-conviction search · One role

For companies making a single, high-stakes creative, product, or design leadership hire — where the role will materially change how the organization operates.

  • You're hiring a VP, SVP, or C-level creative, product, or design leader
  • The hire will change how the organization functions, not just fill a seat
  • Your last hire didn't work, and instinct alone isn't enough this time
Engagement model
Retainer-based
Scoped per engagement
Book a scoping call →
03
Ongoing
For multiple hires over time
Talent Architecture™ Retainer
6–12 months · Embedded partnership

For companies making 2–3+ senior leadership hires where sequencing, structure, and continuity determine success.

  • You're building or rebuilding a creative or product organization
  • Leadership roles must reinforce each other — not compete
  • You want an embedded partner, not transactional placement
Investment
$15,000
Starting at · Per month
Book a scoping call →
Why Hive
We're not here to fill seats. We're here to get it right — and we'll tell you when not to hire.
Hive works with founders, CPOs, and Heads of Talent at inflection points — when the next hire will shape the next phase of growth.
We take selective engagements by design. High-stakes leadership decisions require judgment, not volume.
01 We design before we search
Hires are evaluated against a mandate built for your next stage — not recycled job descriptions from three years ago.
02 We understand creative leadership specifically
20+ years inside design, product, and brand hiring. We know what a great creative leader looks like — and how to evaluate it beyond output.
03 We stay through integration
We don't disappear at the offer. We stay involved through role design, decision-making, and onboarding — so the leadership you install actually works.
04 We'll tell you when not to hire
Most firms get paid to fill roles. We get paid to get it right — which sometimes means telling you to pause, redesign, or wait.
Honest about fit
"Hive isn't for every company. Here's how to know if we're right for you."
Right fit
Building for the next stage of growth and willing to invest in getting it right
Making a leadership decision that will impact the business for years
Open to hearing that the right answer might be pause, not hire
Want strategic rigor over resume volume
PE-backed, growth-stage, or undergoing a meaningful organizational shift
Not the right fit
Need to fill a role this month and speed is the only priority
Looking for a high-volume sourcing partner
Already have a clear mandate and just need a sourcing engine
Not open to outside perspective on the role design itself
What clients say

"We needed to fill a global design leadership role fast — Hive delivered. Within two weeks, we had a vetted shortlist, hired our ideal Experience Design Lead, and built a pipeline that will fuel our next phase of growth."

Chad Borlase
SVP Experience Design, leading data & tech consultancy

"Working with Hive shifted how we hire entirely. We went from 4 months of stalled searches to landing our ideal Marketing Lead in half the time — and we're still using their framework today."

Cheryl Allen
Operations Manager, Regional Logistics Company
Not ready to start?

Understand the framework first.

Read how Talent Architecture™ works — and why most leadership failures are a design problem, not a people problem.

Read the article →
Want to think it through first?

Book a 20-minute scoping call.

No commitment. We'll talk through your situation and tell you honestly whether Hive is the right fit — and where you should start.

Book a call →
Ready to start?

Start the Leadership Readiness Assessment.

Two weeks. A clear recommendation. The clarity to make a high-stakes leadership decision with confidence instead of instinct.

Start — $10,000 →
The next step
If this hire matters, don't start with a search. Start with clarity.
The Leadership Readiness Assessment tells you whether to hire, redesign, or pause — before you commit to the wrong move. Most companies just skip this step. And pay for it later.
Start the Assessment — $10,000 Book a scoping call