MSA conducts searches for any leadership or Executive level position within the mortgage banking and financial services industry. Please see the “Our Clients” tab in the About Us section for a sampling of searches MSA has completed over the years.

The time frame in which you will begin to see a strong candidate pool emerge is generally within 30 days or so for most searches. However, every search is different. More time intensive searches include those that involve highly technically skilled candidates or those at the Executive level. Even in the most difficult assignments, you should begin to have Resumes presented for review within several weeks after retaining MSA to conduct the search.

Absolutely! Please ask your MSA Representative for a copy of our corporate References.

In the early days of MSA, we too worked on a contingency basis. However, we later shifted our Recruiting approach to that of a value added partnership role with our Clients.  Our retained client base receives top priority service when we engage in a search; we are dedicated to finding the absolute best talent the market has to offer.

A retained search also sends a clear message to the candidate pool – you are serious about hiring the best individuals for the job and you have retained an industry professional to make it happen.

We also wanted to make it a “win-win” for our Clients. Therefore, we have included a few benefits that most retained search firms do not offer:

• Performance Guarantee: We stand behind our Performance Guarantee with every Retainer we collect. If we do not provide quality candidates that meet or exceed your list of candidate criteria, you are eligible for a 90% retainer refund. As far as we are aware, no other retained firm offers this. We do not accept assignments we are not confident in filling or those in which there is no clear value proposition for prospective candidates. Because of this reason, we are very selective about the firms we represent and the searches we accept.

• Preferred Rate: Retained searches are offered at a savings from standard contingency rates. This can equate to substantial discounts on Placement Fees. The Retainer portion of the fee is paid in advance, prior to the search commencing. The amount of the Retainer is then deducted from the total Placement Fee at the time of hire.

We will start by going over the positions you need filled. We strongly encourage you to draft a Job Description for the position(s) you want to fill. Candidates appreciate this – and so do recruiters. If we feel that the compensation package you are offering is competitive and the list of candidate requirements are reasonable, we will forward our standard Executive Search Agreement for your signature. An invoice representing the Retainer portion of the Fee will be sent separately. Once we receive the signed Agreement and the Retainer, the search will officially get underway

The most critical factor in the success (or failure) of any search is the company’s responsiveness when a strong candidate emerges. Exceptional candidates are not on the market long. Word travels fast. Obviously, we do not expect you to “drop everything” and schedule an immediate interview the minute we submit a resume. However, once we have a recruited a qualified candidate who is excited about your company and interested in the opportunity, initial contact between the company and candidate should occur within 48 to 72 hours.

In addition to our Performance Guarantee, MSA also offers a Candidate Guarantee on every placement we make. If a candidate resigns or is terminated for cause within the Guarantee Period, MSA will replace the candidate once at no additional cost to the Client. The amount of time allotted for the guarantee period is not the same for all candidates and will be clearly outlined in the Search Agreement.