Executive Search in Belgium for C-level Roles

You need to appoint a senior executive in Belgium: a CEO or managing director, a Country Manager, a sales director, a business unit director or a member of the management committee. Archetype has run executive searches for these roles since 1993, in French, Dutch and English. Almost half of our assignments come directly from CEOs, managing directors and founders. We work on a 100% retainer, with a fee agreed in advance in a written proposal, 12 weeks on average to placement and a 6-month replacement guarantee.

Confidential conversation between two executives in a Brussels boardroom — An executive search starts with a confidential conversation.

Executive search, headhunting, standard recruitment: what changes at executive level

A senior executive in post does not answer job ads. They have to be identified, approached discreetly, offered a credible project and assessed on what matters at that level: making decisions, leading a team and carrying change through. That is executive search in practice. The table below sets out how it differs from other approaches.

	Standard recruitment	Contingency search	Archetype executive search
Where candidates come from	Job ads, inbound applications	Direct approach, often partial	Systematic direct approach, sourcing strategy built for the assignment
How the firm is paid	Varies between firms	Only on placement	100% retainer, fee agreed before kick-off in a written proposal
Firm’s commitment	Varies	The firm is paid only if it places someone	Assignment seen through, however long it takes
Assessment	Interview	Interview	In-depth interview, case study, KOAN test, presentation with scorecard
After the hire	Rarely	Rarely	Follow-up over the first 3 months, replacement if the hire leaves within 6 months

Comparison based on the Archetype model. Other firms’ practices vary.

If you need a broader headhunting service across sales, marketing and management roles, see our headhunting recruitment agency page.

The leadership roles we recruit

Management roles make up 20% of our assignments: CEOs and managing directors, Country Managers, Segment Directors, sales directors and Marketing Managers. Our focus stays on Sales, Marketing and Management, the functions closest to revenue. Each has its own page, such as managing director recruitment and Country Manager recruitment.

How we run an executive search

Our process was rewritten in 2025 and validated by Federgon, which itself entrusted us with a strategic recruitment assignment, completed in 8 weeks. Our average across all assignments remains 12 weeks.

Archetype executive search in 5 steps

Step 1 · day 1Briefing with the boardWe challenge the role and the target profile. Written proposal within 48 to 72 hours, assignment signed in 12 days on average.
Step 2 · kick-offSourcing strategyRole scorecard, target companies and functions, direct approach in FR, NL and EN.
Step 3In-depth assessmentDeep-dive interview, case study and the KOAN test, the tool we have used for 30 years.
Step 4Detailed presentationScorecard, interview transcripts and KOAN reading for each candidate.
Step 5 · week 12 on averageAppointment and follow-upFollow-up over the first 3 months, free replacement if the executive leaves within 6 months.

At this level, discretion protects the candidate as much as your company: a departure announced too early can unsettle a team or a market. Read how to keep an executive recruitment completely confidential, and for the assessment grid, what criteria to assess the leadership of a future CEO.

We support clients and candidates before, during and after the hire. Not out of courtesy, by design. The first three months of a sales or management hire shape what happens for the next three years. If onboarding fails, the placement is lost, regardless of how good the sourcing was. That’s why our support doesn’t stop at contract signing. It’s also why our clients come back: they aren’t signing for a recruitment, they’re signing for a long-term partnership.

The Archetype method, since 1993

Hire externally or promote from within?

Before launching a search, many CEOs wonder whether an internal candidate could take the role. We can assess that person with the same method used for external candidates: in-depth interview, role-plays and case study, competency analysis and the KOAN test, followed by a spoken debrief. An assessment takes one to three hours depending on the depth required, at 1,500 to 3,000 euros. One anonymised example: for a multinational FMCG company, we assessed the management team and then recruited its sales leadership. See our assessment for recruitment page for the formats.

Timeline, fees and guarantee

Average placement time	12 weeks, from signing the assignment to the candidate signing
Model	100% retainer. Never a success fee
Fee	Set before kick-off in our written proposal, based on the level of the role, languages, technical complexity and the complexity of the assignment
Payment	Terms set out in the written proposal, before you sign
Guarantee	Free replacement if the candidate leaves within 6 months
Success rate	Over 75% of assignments carried through to final placement

Management level and languages are two of the four criteria that determine our fee, along with the technical complexity of what is sold and the complexity of the assignment. Our assignments split between Flanders (48%), Brussels (26%), Wallonia (16%) and the Netherlands (10%).

About Archetype

Archetype is a Belgian family business founded in 1993 by Marc Diamant and now co-managed with Davy Diamant and Steve Diamant. A member of Federgon, it won Talent Business Innovation of the Year 2025 for its ethical and structured use of AI.

Executive search in Belgium: frequently asked questions

What is executive search?

Recruiting senior executives through direct approach: the firm identifies and contacts people in post who are not actively looking, then assesses them before presenting them to you.

What is the difference between executive search and a headhunter?

Headhunting is the direct approach itself. Executive search applies it to senior roles and adds a structured assessment and a retained engagement with the client.

Retained or contingency search?

Archetype works only on a retainer. You invest at the start and we see the assignment through, even when the profile is rare and the search is long.

How much does an executive search firm cost?

For a senior role, the amount depends on the management level, the languages required, the technical complexity of what is sold and the complexity of the assignment. At Archetype it is set before kick-off in a written proposal and does not change afterwards. We work on a retainer, never on a success fee, with a 6-month replacement guarantee. The employer pays, never the candidate.

How long does an executive search take?

12 weeks on average to the candidate signing. An executive’s notice period comes on top and can be long.

Discuss your executive appointment with us

One confidential conversation is enough to frame the role and check that your package will attract the right people. You receive a written proposal within 48 to 72 hours. Archetype is a family business founded by Marc Diamant in 1993, a Federgon member and winner of Talent Business Innovation of the Year 2025.

Request a confidential call Call +32 475 24 71 61

Main page: Recruitment agency in Belgium for sales, marketing and management roles

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