same discipline. Recently one of the leading firms had 17 assignments at the same time for finance directors or senior financial managers, many within similar commercial sectors.

A client may find that the best available people do not always appear on their shortlist because they have been allocated to other projects. The small firm is not restricted by 'volume' and is therefore able to produce impressive shortlists.

Flexibility and creativity
The small firm is usually much more entrepreneurial, willing to travel the extra mile and far more likely to produce unusual candidates as part of the final shortlist. The big search firm is more inclined to follow the brief religiously and produce safe candidates. Of all the appointments we have handled over the years, many of the most successful were filled by people who did not quite fit the brief. The subject of 'safe and boring' shortlists is one of the major complaints of clients.