Higher Education & Nonprofit Executive Search Services

Organizational Assessment

Changes in the external landscape, new strategic directions or other internal dynamics sometimes require an organization to realign organizational structures and systems in order to continue to meet its strategic objectives. We will work with clients to assess current structures, systems, talent deployment and understanding of key priorities and organizational values and develop a strategy for implementing changes that will increase organizational capacity.

Board Development

Effective board leadership is essential for organizational success. Having the right mix of expertise, diversity, and commitment to advance and support strategic priorities requires constant attention to board development.  Sage can work with your organization and its nominating committee to build a pipeline of potential board members or seek specific talent for a board vacancy.

Pre-Search Consultation

For institutions that will conduct a search on their own without the assistance of  a search firm, it is important that the groundwork for success is carefully planned and executed. Prior to officially launching your search, we will conduct a site visit of one to two days, during which we will meet with individuals at or involved with the organization whose knowledge, position, and perspective can contribute to an in-depth assessment of the institution and the position. If appropriate, we will conduct benchmarking conversations with peer organizations to gather additional information and comparison data. Using this information, we will generate a confidential assessment of the organization, a detailed description of the position, and a recommended search strategy. This service helps the organization to clarify its goals for the position, to ensure buy-in from relevant constituencies, and to anticipate conflicts and confusion that may surface during the search. Clients who have created a new position in their organization or who anticipate challenges in recruiting may find this service particularly valuable.

Final Referencing

Hiring a candidate that has not been thoroughly referenced can be a costly mistake at best, a public relations disaster at worst.    No matter how amazing a candidate appears on paper or how well he or she performs in an interview, it is vitally important to test these assumptions by gathering 360 feedback from a candidate’s current and former workplaces.   When organizations conduct a search without a search firm, this final referencing can often fall through the cracks in the rush to hire.  Hire Sage to conduct timely, comprehensive reference checks on your final candidates.

Recruitment Training for Human Resources Staff

Organizations typically retain search firms for senior-level searches, leaving mid-level manager recruitments to their human resources staff. We are available for a one-day consultation to help human resources staff design recruitment techniques and strategies that in-house staff can implement effectively and efficiently.

Speaking Engagements

We are available to make presentations on a variety of search-related topics to membership organizations as well as to individual institutions.