The War For Talent – Is Real
FACT: The top 10% of the GTM talent pool never has to look for a new job. The very best candidates are always poached FIRST by the very best headhunters.
Bearhug Recruiting Is Your Secret Weapon For Unlocking Your Early & Growth-Stage Leadership Dream Team
We Specialize In Helping Early & Growth-Stage Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software Startups Navigate the Scale-Up Journey From $1m to $50m+ Through the Acquisition of Top-Tier Senior GTM Leaders and C-Suite Executives.
Our clients choose us over other search firms (or doing the work themselves) for 3 key reasons:
Our Unconventional Approach:
Unlike most recruiters who recycle candidates from “their network”, we invest an inordinate amount of time to listen and ask tough questions that get to the core of your true needs. Then we source candidates from scratch targeting the exact people you need using a proprietary technique that turns Google into our candidate database.
After reviewing several thousand potential profiles, we curate a deeply vetted target list of ~50 people we’ll then go speak with to bring you the top 5-7 who are qualified, interested, and available to lead each of your key GTM functions.
This unorthodox sourcing approach + our uncanny ability to capture the attention of top performers (over 50% of candidates will tell you they’ve ignored every other recruiter) lays the foundation for a successful and extremely unique talent partnership.Our Zero Risk “Performance Partnership” Guarantee:
We take 100% of the risk off your shoulders. You’ll receive 2 interview-worthy candidates (or 1 you hire) within 21 days of search commencement or we'll refund your “engagement fee”. Plus our 2nd and 3rd invoices are 100% contingent on us hitting pre-agreed upon success milestones. So you risk NOTHING.
Historically, clients interview 3.7 candidates from our short list, and placements are made within 50.7 days (2.4x faster than the industry average). Additionally, our completion rate for search projects tops 95% (compared to the industry average of only 67%) which points to the fact that we do a much better job managing the variables that are within our control.
One of the key ways we do this is by limiting the capacity of each Bearhug search partner to 3 search projects MAX at any given time. This allows us to give you AND your candidates the white-glove experience required to convert the top 10% of the talent pool into being the GTM leaders you need for your startup.The Fluidity of Our Fee Structure:
Working with earlier stage startups requires being flexible in accommodating a wider array of differing client needs, internal capabilities, and budgets. Instead of charging you the traditional 33.3% fee, most times we’ll propose a flat-fee agreement. This keeps incentives better aligned, so you’re not just shown the most expensive candidates.
We’ve also been known to unbundle our service and propose a custom fee structure which could save you tens of thousands of dollars by only delivering on the parts of the workflow you actually need. As a boutique firm, we also don't have the overhead, complexity, or sourcing limitations of the larger firms. This allows us to complete almost any search faster, at a higher quality, for less money than any other search provider.
Bonus: In addition to Bearhug helping you fill critical gaps in your GTM network, and helping you hire the best GTM talent so your team can win, you also need to proactively build out your network while takin the time to tighten up each of your department’s recruiting funnels.
With each search engagement with Bearhug, we not only help you fish, but upon request, we will invest the time to teach you how to fish.
As our client, you’ll be “gifted” all the systems and templates used to run your search. Plus, we’ll even show you how to adapt our winning strategies for all your future recruiting needs (across every role and for each department).
Ready to Upgrade Your Leadership Team?
Book your free 30-minute intro call to explore the many ways we can bring tremendous value to your organization.
Click Here to Schedule Now 🚀
Need more proof? Keep reading and we’ll lay everything out for you step-by-step so you can see exactly how our partnership will work…
Our Customers Have Spoken
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![Kourosh Zamani Headshot]()
"Bearhug's in a category of its own. It's not even fair to compare them to other recruiters. Their process and work product blew me away."
Kourosh Zamani
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![Maria Khokhlova Headshot]()
"Bearhug helped us hire damn great department heads who've all built out strong teams. We’re growing 10% MoM & have expanded to 30 states!"
Maria Khokhlova
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![Himanshu Gupta Headshot]()
"Bearhug found our winning candidate within 7 days. Towards the end, it felt like they were our own Chief People Officer."
Himanshu Gupta
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![Robert Romano Headshot]()
“Working with Bearhug was worth every penny and every minute. I now have a new standard for how I'll recruit for all future hires.”
Robert Romano
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![Somya Kapoor Headshot]()
“I’ve recommended Bearhug to my board and will promote them to the other startup founders in my network. They've done an amazing job!"
Somya Kapoor
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![Richard DeFrancisco Headshot]()
"Of the 55 Executive Search Firms I've worked with, none had the follow-up, professionalism, thoroughness & enthusiasm as Bearhug Recruiting."
Richard DeFrancisco
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![Aaron Elder Headshot]()
“Bearhug's unwavering drive & persistence gave me the confidence they'd get the job done. We found an amazing "diamond in the rough!"
Aaron Elder
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![Ryan Alshak Headshot]()
“Bearhug's a N of 1 at what they do. Any VC portfolio company with go-to-market hiring would be very lucky to work with them.”
Ryan Alshak
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![Dmitry Korolev Headshot]()
"Now I really know what it means to be a "great recruiter". I'm afraid there is an impossible gap between Bearhug and the rest."
Dmitry Korolev
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![Ivan Lvov Headshot]()
“Bearhug helped us hire all of our GTM function heads. Monthly sales have grown ~3x. Plus our team freaking loved working with them!”
Ivan Lvov
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![Rohit Gupta Headshot]()
"Bearhug's hiring window was solid. The process was solid. Our needs were met effectively which is why I’ve come back for all our GTM roles."
Rohit Gupta
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![Sriram Ramachandran Headshot]()
"Bearhug's approach was structured & methodical which helped us ferret out candidates we simply would not find through other means."
Sriram Ramachandran
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![Josh Hailpern Headshot]()
"The experience with Bearhug was like a breath of fresh air. We hired a great new CEO and the way they serviced us was amazing.”
Josh Hailpern
Early & Growth Stage CEOs: It’s Reality Check Time.
Ready or not, you must face the following 7 truths:
Executive recruiting done right (especially for early-stage GTM roles) is hard.
Constant GTM recruiting done right is even harder.
Transitioning from founder-led everything, and passing the baton to other GTM leaders at critical inflection points is deeply uncomfortable (yet necessary).
Filling holes from unexpected (or planned) Executive leadership departures is painful, costly, and time consuming.
Executive recruitment while important, comes in sporadic volumes and requires a totally different skill-set, strategy, and approach (especially at the early-stage).
A single Executive mis-hire at the early-stage could cost you 18-24 months of lost productivity and upwards of ~$3m in hard cost and opportunity cost and might even sink the business.
While you might find success filling these key early-stage GTM roles using your network, your still missing out on ~95% of the best people the market has to offer your startup.
Two Questions Your Investors Are Asking Themselves Ahead of Each Board Meeting:
“Can this CEO recruit a world-class management team?”
“Can they do it AGAIN and AGAIN at each stage of the company’s growth?”
If NOT, it’s just a matter of time before they will vote to bring in a new CEO who can.
The 5 Reasons
Executive Searches Fail
You’ll inadvertently realize you’re unclear (or misaligned) on what’s truly needed in the job.
You’ll unexpectedly end up with a weak flow of qualified candidates (B’s/C’s vs. the A’s you really need)
You’ll end up having disagreements trying to pick from a list of similar finalist candidates.
You’ll hesitate and lose out on one or more A-players you fully intended to close.
You’ll be overly vested in your past hiring decisions and won’t fire (or replace) your current B’s and C’s for A’s fast enough.
US Recruiting – Data Snapshot
Why do 40% of Startups Outsource Recruiting?
Because they failed to fill the role on their own…
They’d prefer to focus on growing the business…
To improve the quality by using a specialist…
To dramatically reduce their cost per hire…
The Bottom Line: Candidate due diligence takes time. And time is what’s lacking in most startup executives' lives. Let us take the weight off your shoulders and give you back ~200+ hours of your time while making sure you build a world-class leadership team!
Speaking of making your life easier, have you seen our “Wall of Love” yet? If not check it out [here].
The Partnership Journey
You need help. We can deliver. But first, let’s invest a few minutes getting acquainted to ensure we’ll be a good fit.
Step 1
30-Minute Intro Call
This call is designed for all stakeholders to get acquainted and for both sides to get their high-level questions answered.
Should additional time be warranted, we’ll agree on a time for a second call to go deeper.
Step 2
60-Minute Deep Dive
This is a 1:1 project deep-dive between the Hiring Authority and your Bearhug Recruiting Partner.
We will discuss expectations, provide guidance on your strategy, and determine the probability of being successful together.
Step3
Custom Proposal
Each service proposal is custom-built after thoroughly assessing your requirement, reputation, internal hiring process, and our available capacity.
While we’re certainly NOT your cheapest option, it’ll be hard to partner with any other search firm once you’ve tried Bearhug.
❤️
Battle Tested Workflow
While placing senior GTM leaders into early & growth stage software companies is our core focus, our proven approach works for any role, seniority, company size, industry, or location.
By partnering exclusively with Bearhug, you can go ahead and start celebrating early.
Why?
Because Steve Jobs was right…
“I noticed that the dynamic range between what an average person could accomplish and what the best person could accomplish was 50 or 100 to 1. A small team of A-players can run circles around a giant team of B and C players.”
-Steve Jobs
Services Menu
“The Quick Catch”
Targeted passive candidate sourcing & automated outreach campaigns designed to book pre-approved candidates directly to the Hiring Authority’s calendar.
*Perfect for very early-stage startups with critical, yet less senior time sensitive hiring needs who are on a very tight budget.
“The Half Haul”
Everything in “The Master Platter” up to the point of presenting a 5+ person candidate slate and scheduling chosen candidates for 1st interviews (at 50% the cost).
*Suitable for early-stage price-sensitive startups with confidence in their internal team’s ability to finish what we started.
“The Master Platter”
Bearhug’s comprehensive white-glove service, that guarantees both clients & candidates have a world-class search experience (maximum risk reduction and guaranteed positive outcomes).
*Ideal for well-funded startups with critical senior-level GTM or C-suite hiring needs willing to pay for the top 10% of the talent pool.
The Business Case For Bearhug
Success Metrics
Let our KPI’s help your KPI’s go up and to the right as we help you cross the chasm from Seed to Series C.
Top 10%
2.4x Faster
What We Expect of You
Urgency: We’ll expect you have the intention of filling your vacancy within 90 days. If you want to move at a slower pace, you’ll be better off working with another search provider.
Whatever It Takes Attitude: You must be so committed to securing the strongest talent, that traditional HR protocol is secondary. Exceptional candidates often require exceptions to the rules.
Stakeholder Participation: All members of the search committee must approve the Search Blueprint & Scorecard prior to kick-off. Team collaboration from start to finish is mandatory for search success.
Communication: We require immediate and ongoing feedback from our clients throughout the search, and ask that you return our phone calls and emails within 1-business day.
Integrity: Your commitment to being on time for meetings with the Bearhug team and our Candidates must be your bond of integrity. The same goes for adhering to the rules of our signed fee agreement.
We Fish.
& We Dish.
What You Can Expect From Us
Client Onboarding: Our proprietary 2-hour “Search Blueprint & Scorecard” deep-dive intake session ensures every member of the search committee remains fully aligned from the start. This process ensures easier decision making in the end.
Collaboration & Transparency: You’ll get full visibility into our real-time daily activity metrics and candidate pipeline as it grows via our proprietary client portal. This allows you to help shape the search at each stage, ensuring we’re always going in the right direction.
Interview Preparation & Debriefing: Prior to interviewing our candidates, you’ll be provided with an incredibly robust write-up (and if desired, a verbal summary) on each candidate. We also conduct interview debrief sessions with both sides within 24 hours and log visible notes.
Reference Checks & Negotiations: We’ll do our part to ensure every finalists is fully vetted by strategically selected references, and are pre-closed with hypothetical offer scenarios. This will reduce friction and eliminate surprises during the negotiation process. You can expect our candidates to sign their offer letter within 24 hours.
Transition Support & Onboarding: Our work continues far beyond just getting the offer letter signed. We stay involved and support both sides through the candidate’s resignation, start date, and on through their first 12-months of employment.
Speed: Critical leadership hires often take 6-12 months. Yet, we aim to secure you a top-tier placement within ~60 days. You can trust we’ll make you look good in front of your Board.
Money Savings: Our competition charges 33.3% of the new hires first year comp, and you’ll often have to pay the full fee regardless of the placement being made. We typically charge a fixed fee so we’re NOT incentivized to bring you the most expensive candidates.
Time Savings: It can take 200+ hrs to run a comprehensive and exhaustive search process from start to finish. Why not let us handle this for you, so you and your team can stay focused building the business?
Time To Revenue: One of our KPIs is tracking our candidates “Time to Revenue” (the time it takes for the new hire to pay for themselves + cover our fee). It’s a benefit of our follow up cadence and something our clients value in addition to the reduction in overall cost per/hire.
Risk Reduction: Avoid the costly mistake of a mis-hire which for a senior role can exceed 15x their annual salary. Let’s reduce your risk by ~90%+ via our battle tested workflow.
Ready for your bearhug?
FAQs
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While we’re certainly NOT your cheapest option, it’ll be hard to partner with any other search firm once you’ve tried Bearhug.
Each service proposal is custom-built after thoroughly assessing your requirement, reputation, internal hiring process, and our available capacity.
One of our greatest competitive advantages is the flexibility of our pricing model. Invest the time to talk with us and there’s a good chance we’ll be able to accommodate both your recruiting needs and budget.
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Historically, our average search takes us 50.7 days from kick-off to getting a signed offer letter. However, that number is skewed due to some extreme outliers.
We have a lot of control over how quickly things happen during the first 30 days (getting people into your internal process) and very little control with how fast you move things along afterward.
However, we typically work with clients to align both sides of the workflow in order to complete any given search within ~60 days (+/- 15 day).
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While a competent Headhunter can help you fill any role you need, regardless of industry, function, seniority, size, or location, Bearhug has built its entire reputation on filling senior GTM roles (i.e. Marketing & Sales Leadership titles) + other C-Suite roles that are at least partially customer facing.
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100% of our search practice fits into either the “Environmental Technology” or “Enterprise Software” category (often both).
However, the team always gets the most excited to support founders and investment teams focused on building cutting edge solutions that bring sme form of digital transformation to the physical world.
These solutions often involve solving incredibly complex scientific and engineering challenges and reqire large capital investments and R& cycles before the product is ready to be commercialized. These solutions are often referred to as Frontier Tech, Hard Tech, or DeepTech companies.
Fun Fact: We publish a weekly recap of the most exciting startups that have raised venture capital [here].
You’ll notice the custom data model we’ve created to categorize each of them. The most popular tags show up in the footer of our website! -
We offer a Zero Risk “Performance Partnership” Guarantee.
(1) You’ll receive 2 interview-worthy candidates (or 1 you hire) within 21 days of search commencement or we'll refund your “engagement fee”.
(2) Our 2nd invoice is typically due at the point that you’ve chosen to move one of our candidates to the 2nd stage of your interview loop.
(3) Our 3rd invoice is only due upon making the placement, meaning 100% of the risk is on OUR shoulders. We either deliver, or you pay nothing!
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Yep! Head on over to our “Wall of Love” [here] to see what over 100+ people we’ve worked with have to say. Free to contact any one of them. They’ll all tell you we do great work!
Let’s Talk.
hello@bearhugrecruiting.com
(858) 779-4769
Bearhug’s San Francisco Bay Area Headquarters:
98 Graceland Dr.
San Rafael, CA 94901
Bearhug’s South-East Headquarters:
1985 Riviera Dr Ste 103 - 1156
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464