The Search Quality Score Framework calculates a 0–100 quality score for each executive search mandate by weighting four dimensions: brief fidelity (did the shortlist match the brief?), candidate quality (assessed fit score of placed candidates), process excellence (SLO adherence, shortlist approval rate, candidate NPS), and outcome quality (offer acceptance rate, 90-day retention, hiring manager satisfaction). The framework enables quality benchmarking across mandates, recruiters, and time periods — making quality improvement a data-driven process rather than a subjective aspiration.
Why Quality Needs a Score
Without a quality score, quality management in executive search defaults to subjective review: "that was a good search," "the client was happy," "the candidate was strong." These assessments are not actionable and cannot be improved systematically. The Search Quality Score Framework converts quality into a measurable number — enabling specific diagnoses of quality failures, targeted interventions, and year-over-year benchmarking.
"You cannot improve what you cannot measure. A subjective quality review tells you a search was good or bad. A quality score tells you it was 72/100 — with a brief fidelity subscore of 90 and a process excellence subscore of 55 — which tells you exactly what to fix."
Quality Dimension Scoring Matrix
| Dimension | Weight | Metrics Included | Healthy Score | Underperformance Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brief Fidelity | 30% | Shortlist-to-brief match rate (recruiter-assessed); must-have criteria met per candidate; HM confirmation of brief alignment | 24/30 | Below 18/30 |
| Candidate Quality | 25% | Assessed fit score vs. brief at intake; reference quality; interview evaluation scores from panel | 20/25 | Below 15/25 |
| Process Excellence | 25% | SLO adherence rate; shortlist approval rate; candidate NPS (1–5); outreach response rate | 20/25 | Below 15/25 |
| Outcome Quality | 20% | Offer acceptance rate; 90-day retention; hiring manager NPS (1–10) | 16/20 | Below 12/20 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How is brief fidelity measured objectively?
Brief fidelity is assessed by scoring each shortlisted candidate against the must-have criteria defined at intake. A candidate who meets all five must-have criteria and two nice-to-haves scores higher than a candidate who meets three must-haves and four nice-to-haves. The fidelity score measures how well the shortlist reflects the intake brief — not how impressive the candidates are in isolation.
Can the Search Quality Score be used to compare different recruiters?
Yes, with a normalisation adjustment for mandate complexity. A recruiter handling primarily complex cross-functional C-suite searches will have different base quality scores than one handling straightforward VP searches. The framework includes a complexity weight that normalises scores before cross-recruiter comparison, ensuring the quality score reflects recruiter performance rather than mandate difficulty.
What happens when a mandate has a high quality score but a long time-to-fill?
High quality and slow velocity are not contradictory — some mandates are genuinely harder due to market scarcity, geography, or compensation constraints. The framework tracks quality and velocity as separate dimensions. A high-quality, slow mandate receives a high Search Quality Score but flags a velocity breach in the SLO dashboard — producing two distinct improvement conversations, not a conflated judgment that the search was "bad."