For Employers
Most companies have lived through at least one painful hire. A role that took months longer than it should have. A candidate who looked right on paper and dropped out before the start date. A shortlist that arrived late and was not worth the wait.
We built Progressive to take that risk off your desk. We manage the full hiring journey, from the first brief through to a successful start, so the person you hire is prepared, committed, and still in the seat months later.
If you have received a proposal from us, this page covers how we work, what you receive at each stage, and what you can expect from the partnership.
We manage the full hiring journey
We do more than search. The work around the candidate is what protects your hire.
Before you meet anyone. We screen and prepare every candidate against your role-specific criteria before submission. You review people who match your must-haves, your experience level, and your team, so your interview time is spent on candidates worth interviewing.
Through the offer. We manage the offer and acceptance stage, negotiating the candidate’s needs against current market conditions and your resources, so the acceptance holds.
Through the resignation. We coach candidates through the resignation conversation and help them handle it cleanly. This is where placements are most often lost to counteroffers, and it is exactly where we stay closest.
Through onboarding. We keep in contact through the start date and into the new role, which reduces last-minute dropouts and gives the hire the best chance of lasting.
How this reduces your hiring risk
- Support candidates before interviews, so you meet better-prepared people and spend less time on weak interviews.
- Guide candidates through resignation, so there is lower risk of offers falling through and start dates slipping.
- Stay in contact through offer and onboarding, so there are fewer last-minute dropouts.
- Screen and prepare candidates before submission, so your shortlist is stronger and you have more confidence in the process.
How an engagement works
Brief and needs analysis. We meet to understand the role, the team, and what success looks like. We help finalise the job description and share current market knowledge on the profile and what it pays.
Search and shortlist. We map the market, approach active and passive candidates, screen and reference them, and prepare them before they reach you. You receive a shortlist with bio sketches confirming the skills and experience you asked for.
Interview and selection. We coordinate interviews and provide scoresheets on technical and behavioural competencies, backed by a qualified HR resource, with prompt feedback at every round.
Offer and acceptance. We manage the offer, negotiate, and work to secure an acceptance that holds.
Resignation and onboarding. We coach the candidate through resignation and stay with them through onboarding.
How we engage
We work in two main ways and recommend the right one for your role during the brief.
Retained search. Our most effective model for specialist, senior, leadership and confidential roles. The search is exclusive to us, run to a definitive timeline agreed upfront, with set deliverables at each stage. 100 percent success rate on retained searches since 2007.
Contingency search. Suited to roles with a wider available talent pool. We source and submit candidates, and our fee applies on a successful placement.
We lead with the value of the hire, and we walk you through the fee model that applies before any work begins. Fees are discussed openly as part of the proposal conversation.
What you can expect from us
- A defined point of contact for your search from start to finish.
- Honest updates, including when the market is telling us something you need to hear.
- Candidates screened, referenced and prepared before you meet them.
- A replacement commitment. If a placed candidate does not work out, we stand behind the placement. Terms are agreed with you as part of the engagement, so they fit the role and the search.
- Support that runs through to a successful start, not one that stops at the offer.
Choose the service that fits your need
Executive and Retained Search. Confidential, headhunted searches for specialist and leadership roles, delivered to a timeline agreed upfront. 100 percent success rate since 2007. Learn more
Contractor Services. Flexible, fully supported contract talent. We handle payroll, compliance and benefits so you can scale up or down without the administrative load. Learn more
Recruitment Centre Support. High-volume recruitment run by our team, with tailored scoresheets, KPI tracking and full audit trails. Built for hiring at scale or freeing up your HR resource. Learn more
Tell us about the role you need to fill. We will come back to you with a clear plan and a timeline. Talk to us about a role | Read our FAQ