Executive Recruiters in Utah

The market for executive recruiting firms in the U.S. is very small and specialized and many of the top 50 firms, like Korn/Ferry International and Spencer Stuart, account for a large market share. The entire executive recruiting industry throughout the country only includes about 6,000 firms, according to First Research.

What about in Utah? While you may be able to find several professional staffing agencies in the state, there are not that many recruiting agencies that deal specifically with executive and senior level job placement.

Executive jobs are few and far between and, unlike less senior-level positions, companies take a much longer time to fill them. Executive recruiters usually have a lack of jobs and not a lack of candidates contacting them. The lack of executive jobs also explains why there is a scarcity of Utah executive recruiting firms.

If you’re looking for an executive-level job in Utah, Empire Resume has researched the best firms in the state you can contact.

Driggs Search International

Driggs Search International is an executive recruiting agency based in South Jordan, Utah, which is 18 miles south of Salt Lake City. Brothers Scott, Kevin, and Ryan Driggs started the family-owned firm in 2002 and, over the years the agency has filled nearly 600 executive positions, according to its website.

For executive candidates, Driggs assures them their resumes are always treated confidentially. Since Driggs is paid by the employers, executive job candidates don’t have to pay for the placement services.

Driggs sets candidates up for success by helping them with career planning, resume tips, interviewing, and advice about counteroffers and how to resign gracefully. The recruiters specialize in filling senior management roles, such as CEO, CFO, CIO, COO, and VP.

The Diestel Group

The Diestel Group was founded in 1997 and is another big player in executive recruiting in Utah. Based in Salt Lake City, the firm provides executive search and management consulting services to Fortune 1000 and emerging startup firms.

The firm specializes in filling senior-level positions in several different functional areas, such as operations, marketing, sales, HR, finance, IT, public relations, and engineering. Diestel Group also has expertise in working with specific industries like financial services, IT, manufacturing, call centers, and nonprofits.

Recruiting Connection

Recruiting Connection is an executive search firm based in Salt Lake City that, according to its website, maintains a vast network of senior-level management candidates who excel in industries like accounting, finance, sales, and marketing.

The firm says it has a full-service recruiting and staffing process that includes in-depth interviews, detailed reference checks, background checks, skills assessments, and more. Founded in 2003, Recruiting Connection backs its services and candidates with a 90-day guarantee. If the placed candidate leaves the company within the first 90 days of employment, the firm will replace him or her for no additional fee.

Search Group Partners

Search Group is a recruiting firm based in Salt Lake City that provides local and nationwide searches. Empire Resume discovered that the firm has several different practice areas and it specializes in talent acquisition for finance, IT, health care, marketing, and office and administrative.

Search Group also specializes in executive recruiting and places candidates across a wide range of markets and industries. The firm fills senior management positions such as VP of Sales, CFO, COO, Chief Security Officer, and Managing Director.

Sanford Rose Associates

Sanford Rose is a recruiting agency in Salt Lake City that also fills senior leadership positions in the insurance, finance, construction, and business operations industries.

The firm has an office in Salt Lake City, but it’s part of a global firm with a worldwide network of 80 offices and a network of more than 12,000 candidates, according to its website. Though Sanford does fill executive positions, it also fills management positions and those for regular staff employees.

STM Associates

STM Associates is an executive recruiting firm specializing in recruiting senior leadership in the natural resources and energy industries. Founded in 1970, STM is based in Salt Lake City and it places executive candidates in management positions in both North America and throughout the world.

STM builds long-term relationships with employers and executive candidates, and its recruiters are deeply knowledgeable about trends in several global and domestic energy industries. Empire Resume discovered that the firm is client-retained, so all fees for job placement are paid by the hiring organization.

Robert Half

You’ve probably heard of Robert Half – its one of the biggest recruiters and staffing agencies in the U.S. The company has a branch office in Salt Lake City, along with offices around the world.

Robert Half was founded in 1948 and pioneered the idea of professional staffing. In 2019, the firm was named the No. 1 professional search firm in America by Forbes. Oh, and Robert Half is valued at $5 billion.

While Robert Half has a global reach, its office at Utah makes this behemoth a major recruiting player in the Beehive State. The firm fills all sorts of positions, including temporary work, but it also has a practice area in executive recruiting. On its website, Robert Half says its goal is to always fill C-Level and VP-level positions within 90 days or less.

RockBridge Search & Recruitment

RockBridge is an executive recruiting agency based in Draper, Utah. The firm specializes in filling executive positions in the financial services industry in the western U.S. with an emphasis on banking, accounting, and risk and compliance.

The firm says on its website that every search is unique, but it uses a tried-and-true process for each one that includes an in-depth needs analysis of the company and the position, candidate research, screening and interviewing, and client and new hire follow up.

Peterson Consulting Group

Peterson Consulting Group (PCG) is an executive recruiter that specializes in filling mid- to upper-level management positions in the construction industry. Based in Park City, Utah, the firm has a construction industry emphasis on heavy civil, heavy highway, public works, underground construction/treatment plant, and commercial construction.

According to its website, PCG has successfully placed more than 7,000 executives during its 23 years in business. The recruiter also says all its search assignments come with a replacement guarantee.

PrincePerelson & Associates

PrincePerelson is an executive recruiting firm based in Salt Lake City, Utah and has a wide range of areas they work with including, accounting & finance, clerical, marketing, customer service, engineering, manufacturing, HR, legal, nonprofit, sales and technology.

The firm offers professional placement, temporary staffing, project solutions, and executive search. They foster diversity in the workforce and appears in the Staffing Industry Analyst lists of Largest Diversity Staffing Firms in the US. The firm was founded by Jill Perelson and the firm is certified as a Small Women Owned Business.

Working with an Executive Recruiter

Now that we’ve listed some of the top executive recruiting agencies in Utah, you may be wondering, “Should I contact them directly?” The short answer is yes but know the bests way to approach them.

Executive recruiters rarely respond to candidates who just send unsolicited resumes, according to Taunee Besson on CareerCast. That’s because an executive recruiter usually relies on networking to find candidates whose credentials and experience match what their client wants. You’ll want to do more than just send an unsolicited resume and wait to hear from them.

LinkedIn is a primary place that recruiters spend time searching for new talent and vetting candidates, so it’s essential to have a strong LinkedIn Profile. A completed profile with your professional picture, good summary, your work history, skills, and recommendations will make you a much better candidate. Having people in your network give you recommendations and endorse your skills will increase your credibility and speak about the quality of work you deliver.

If you decide to email a recruiter directly, send a resume and cover letter only to one who works in your targeted industry. In the cover letter, explain what you’re looking for in your next job. In the email, suggest the recruiter can contact you whether he or she has an assignment available. Say you know several professionals in your network who might meet the recruiter’s needs, and then schedule a phone call and say you’d be happy to help.

The lesson here is that if you want to work with an executive recruiter, you should involve yourself as soon as possible in professional, community, and networking groups where you can meet one and build a relationship with one. Empire Resume has found that recruiters spend a lot of time cultivating contacts in the professional community, so networking, is your best chance of landing on a recruiter’s radar.

Why your Online Brand Matters

Building your professional brand online is another important factor to draw the attention of executive recruiters. When it comes to building your online brand, your presence on LinkedIn is vital.

Empire Resume advises being mindful of who your connections are on LinkedIn. A recruiter wants to work with an executive candidate who’s well-connected and actively involved in their industry. Of course, who you know is an important factor. But so is your membership in professional groups and associations and your board service.

It also matters what you’re posting on LinkedIn. Gone are the days where you can just create a great profile and leave it be. Being actively engaged on LinkedIn will increase your visibility and show where you stand on critical issues and how you interact with others in the professional community.

You don’t need to spend an inordinate amount of time on LinkedIn to be actively engaged. The best strategy is to share articles you find useful and interesting, post industry and executive management tips, and comment on things that your connections share.

Most recruiters treat LinkedIn just like your resume, meaning they’ll take no more than 10-seconds reviewing your profile. Recruiters typically scan your profile to see who you are (from viewing your profile picture and summary), quickly view your work history, see what value you’ve brought to your employers, and decide whether you’re a potentially good fit for their company.

Make your LinkedIn profile dynamic and engaging. Briefly show your value and who you are and why you’re the best candidate in your field.

Your LinkedIn profile is an extension of your resume with two exceptions: 1) you have a professional profile picture and 2) you can expand much further than a two-page resume by including a list of your skills, recommendations, projects, groups, courses, and much more.

Building Recruiter Relationships

Connecting with an executive recruiter can be tough, largely because most recruiters have more candidates than they have jobs to fill. Throughout the U.S., there are only about 6,000 agencies that specialize in executive recruiting. In this article, Empire Resume has listed the major executive recruiters in Utah and, as you can see, there aren’t that many of them and most are based in Salt Lake City.

The best strategy for connecting with recruiters is to build relationships with them before you need them. Reach out to recruiters who specialize in your industry and job title and cultivate the relationships over time. Make sure you offer value to the recruiter, as well, and introduce them to people you know and offer them insights they wouldn’t have known otherwise.

Executive recruiting is all about networking, and it’ll take time to build relationships with recruiters and agencies. Be patient and persistent an continue to build your online and LinkedIn brand and, eventually, one of your recruiting contacts may connect you with the executive job you were always looking for.

Maria Gold is a Content Manager/Writer for Empire Resume. She is dedicated to helping educate and motivate people with the latest career articles and job search advice. Her interests range from writing to programming and design. She is also passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology.