Retained executive search / Winchester, VA
Every Search Runs Out Of One Room On Pennsylvania Avenue.
I'm Mercator Talent. I take on one retained mid-market search at a time — building you a short, vetted slate, running the interviews on a written framework, and benchmarking the comp so your first offer is the one that lands.
How I work / retained vs. the alternative
The Difference Between A Retained Search And A Pile Of Résumés.
Plenty of firms will flood your inbox and bill you only if something sticks. That isn't what I do. Here's the honest contrast, side by side.
The retained way I run it
One client, one search, real depth.
- /I take a single engagement at a time and map the whole market for the role, not just who's already looking.
- /You get a short slate — usually three to five people I've spoken with at length and would vouch for.
- /Every candidate runs through the same written interview framework, so you're comparing like for like.
- /I bring comp data to the table before the offer, not after the candidate's already said no.
The contingent scramble
Twelve firms, fifty résumés, no judgment.
- /The same opening is worked by a dozen recruiters racing each other to submit first.
- /You're handed volume — keyword matches forwarded with little screening behind them.
- /Each call is freestyled, so your hiring panel ends up arguing about gut feel.
- /Comp gets discovered at the offer stage, which is exactly when good candidates walk.
Before we start / the questions I always get
What People Ask Me On The First Call.
How long until I see candidates?
Most slates land in your inbox six to nine weeks after we kick off. I'd rather take the extra week to talk to one more strong person than rush a name onto the list to hit a date.
Retained, not contingent?
Correct. I'm paid to do the work, not to win a race. That's what lets me turn candidates away as readily as I put them forward.
When do I pay?
In thirds — at kickoff, at the slate, and on the signed offer. Plain milestones, no surprises buried in the agreement.
Do you work outside Virginia?
Yes. I'm based in Winchester but run searches across the country, mostly remote with on-site final rounds.
What if the hire doesn't work out?
If someone I placed leaves within the first six months, I run the replacement search at no additional engagement fee. It happens rarely, and when it does, I treat it as my problem to solve — because I built the slate.
What's actually on a slate?
Three to five vetted people, each with a written interview summary and a comp read attached. Short by design.
What you keep / the three documents
Three Things End Up On Your Desk — And They're Yours To Keep.
An engagement with me isn't just a name and a phone number. It's a small file of decisions you can defend to a board.
The slate
Three to five candidates I've interviewed at length, each with a one-page summary of why they're on the list — and, just as honestly, where the risks sit.
The interview framework
A written set of questions and scoring notes built around your role, so every person on your panel evaluates the same things in the same order.
The compensation benchmark
A read on what this role actually pays in your market and level, so the offer you make is one a good candidate will say yes to the first time.
Engagement fees / billed per search
What It Costs To Work Together.
Flat, per-engagement pricing — no percentage games, no surprise multipliers. Pick the piece you need, or the whole search.
The Comp Read
$3,850 flat
Benchmarking on its own — for when you've found someone and just need to know what the offer should be.
- Market + level pay range for the role
- Base, bonus, and equity guidance
- A one-call walkthrough of the numbers
Interview Architecture
$6,400 per role
A written interview framework and scorecard for a search your team is running in-house.
- Role-specific question set
- Panel scorecards + scoring guide
- A 90-minute panel briefing
The Search
$31,500 per engagement
The full retained search — market mapping through signed offer, all three documents included.
- Full market map for the role
- Short, vetted slate with written summaries
- Interview framework + comp benchmark
- Six-month replacement guarantee
Leadership Build
from $72,000
Two or more connected roles — building out a leadership team where the seats have to fit each other.
- Sequenced searches, one coordinated plan
- Team-fit assessment across hires
- Scoped together on a first call
I'd rather hand you three people I'd stake my own name on than thirty I haven't met.Mercator Talent — Winchester, Virginia
Find the office
805 Pennsylvania AveWinchester, VA 22601
Most first conversations happen by phone or video — but if you're in town, the door's open during office hours.
Point me to Pennsylvania Avenue →Office hours
- Monday – Friday10am – 4pm
- Saturday10am – 4pm
- SundayClosed