Getting the best candidate takes a lot of time. Ask yourself what your time is worth Is doing it yourself worth it after all? We save our clients time and money by filling positions more swiftly…
Blog / Q&A
Save money by hiring a professional
The value of hiring a professional to “get it right” is huge. It can be much less expensive than handling it on your own. Every time you replace an employee it can cost your business an average of 6 to 9 months of that employee’s salary…
4 Hacks for Smarter Hiring
Get the most out of your organization’s assets and earn a competitive advantage. Your People Strategies can help you hire and keep the right people…
Caring for candidates matters
Often employers are so focused on filling a position that they forget they’re actually recruiting individuals. As an expert in my industry, it’s my role to help remind you that you are dealing with people—individuals with values, emotions, voices, and choices to make....
What makes us different than the rest?
In today’s market place where there’s an app for pretty much everything, what makes a profession and executive recruitment firm like Essence Recruitment different? IT’S YOU! At Essence, our primary focus is you the client. Don’t give me wrong, technology is definitely...
How important is onboarding?
Today, managers understand and agree that it is time and money well spent to invest in recruiting the right employee the first time. The value of partnering with an executive recruitment firm has been demonstrated to be successful time and time again. However, in my...
What’s your leadership style?
Not so long ago I came across this quote from Albert Einstein that states “the true measure of a leader is how they treat their employees, not their equals,” and it reminded me of some of the conversations I often have with my clients. When it comes to leadership and...
Employee referrals may have negative consequences: U.S. study
Canadian recruiters say they will continue to promote employee referral programs, even as a study out of the United States suggests there may be negative consequences to this approach. One-third of new job offers go to recruits who had a referral, according to...
Employee referrals work!
A few weeks ago, I shared some of my thoughts about employee referral programs with the Canadian HR Reporter Weekly for an article they published on that subject. Some people think that when employers use employee referrals there is less diversity in the workplace. In...
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
What makes Essence different from other search firms?
We don’t treat not-for-profit search like corporate hiring because it isn’t.
Not-for-profit leadership demands more than experience. It requires navigating board governance, funding constraints, community accountability, stakeholder dynamics, and mission alignment all at once. For 15 years, this has been our focus.
We understand the realities of this sector. Limited resources. High expectations. Public accountability. Deep emotional investment. That’s why our searches are structured, disciplined, and intentional, not transactional.
We challenge assumptions. We ask harder questions. We guide clear conversations around compensation, fit, and long-term sustainability before an offer is ever made.
This isn’t about filling a vacancy. It’s about protecting your mission and positioning your organization for what’s next.
We don’t just bring candidates. We bring leaders built for not-for-profits.
Questions Employers Ask
What kinds of organizations do you help?
Essence works primarily with not-for-profit organizations across Canada, partnering with boards and executive teams to recruit senior leadership. We also support private and growth-oriented organizations seeking executive and senior-level talent. Our work spans sectors; our speciality is leadership.
I've never used a recruiter before, how does this work?
Great question, and you’re not alone! Many of our clients are working with a search partner for the first time. Typically, organizations come to us when:
- They’ve tried hiring on their own but aren’t finding the right candidates or have the reach
- The role requires a confidential or discreet recruitment process
- They don’t have the time, capacity, or in-house expertise to manage the search
- They are looking for outside opinion
Once we understand your situation and what success looks like for your organization, we build a tailored recruitment plan. From role definition and market outreach to interviews and onboarding support, we manage the process from start to finish. Every search is unique, but the goal is always the same: to help you find the right person to join your team and move your organization forward.
How do you find candidates?
Every search begins with a focused strategy tailored to the role, organisation, and sector. While we do post publicly when suitable, our successful placements result from a targeted, deliberate approach. We are continually maintaining a nationwide network. That said, we don’t limit our search to our existing network. We conduct proactive outreach, industry research, and referrals to ensure we’re identifying the best possible candidates for each role, not just the most available ones.
What types of roles do you fill?
We specialize in recruiting for leadership and executive roles, typically at the manager, senior manager, director, and C-suite levels. Many of our clients are not-for-profit organizations that need strategic support in hiring key members of their leadership teams. We focus on long-term culture and fit, leadership alignment, and values-based hiring.
Do you help us determine salary and offer details?
Absolutely, this is an important differentiator. Many organizations underestimate how critical compensation strategy and offer structuring are. We facilitate clear, candid conversations that align expectations, and long-term strategy before an offer is ever made.
What happens after a candidate accepts an offer?
Our work doesn’t end when the contract is signed. We continue to support both you and your new hire through the onboarding process. Your recruitment plan includes onboarding priorities to help ensure a smooth transition, set clear expectations, and position the candidate for long-term success within your organization.
Questions Job Seekers Ask
Do you help people find new careers?
We’re an executive search firm, which means we work on behalf of our clients to seek executives to lead their organizations. While we don’t provide general job placement services, we do connect with individuals with opportunities that align with their experience and career goals. We encourage you to review our current listings and apply directly to any roles that match your qualifications. Not every opportunity is posted publicly, so if you’re interested in being considered for future roles, feel free to send us your resume.