Let’s set the conditions to attract and recruit talent.

When you center the priorities of candidates in your recruitment effort you get aligned, efficient, and self-aware: just what everyone is looking for.

When do you win or lose access to top talent? It’s often before your recruiting process starts.

We advise leaders on Team Design, Hiring Process, Succession Planning, & Governance Practices.

Why? Mission-aligned candidates will only opt into your process when they have meaningful visibility into the opportunity, they know their time will be respected, and they sense that you understand deeply what you are asking someone to do. The transparency you create helps you attract people who can add value to your organization.

We work with your team to define precisely what you need, generate insights, and achieve alignment before your search launches.

We Partner with You and Your Team

A boat dock stretching out into a lake with autumn foliage on the opposite bank. Photo courtesy Cardigan Mountain School

We understand that a candidate’s track record of being effective in one mission-driven operation is no guarantee of success within your specific organizational culture. That means you require tailored solutions specific to your needs and context.

Whether you choose us for search, or to complete an organizational readiness exercise before launching your own recruiting effort, our aim isn’t just to fill a seat but to solve a business problem together. We see ourselves not just as recruiters, but as partners to boards and leaders.

Why invest in team design?

The success that someone can have in a new role depends on how your team operates now and what they believe is effective.

If your team does not understand this newly redefined role, or you haven’t made the case for change clear, candidates will sense this during the recruiting process and opt out.

Before a search commences we capture key elements of your mission, your team, and your goals. That analysis allows you to create the advantage that organizational self-awareness affords when you are ready to start recruiting, either with our support or independently.

Professionals Discussing Leadership Talent Options

We chart a path forward when clients are asking questions like:

  • We meet highly desirable candidates, but why aren’t we landing more of them?

  • How can I assure supporters that their gifts, and our resources generally are put to efficient and effective use?

  • How do I handle the new candidate expectations that are out there, given what our team is used to around here?

  • Where is the opportunity within this office, and what capabilities do we need to achieve our aspirations?

  • What does the organizational chart look like at other comparable places?

  • How do I move the needle on diversifying our staff?

  • What would a succession plan look like for a longtime leader?

  • How should I define these roles as we reshape our senior leadership team?

We help you see around corners and create a plan of action.

When you partner with us:

We bring empathy, an independent view, and our perspective from across clients to help you move through the barriers to your organization’s performance.

We ask difficult questions, we are curious, and we listen. We don’t tell you how to run your business, but we challenge your assumptions and provide grounded solutions as if we were a committed member of your team.

How do we know when we have been successful? When you have confidence to successfully execute a plan and focus on leading.

Aerial view of boat dock on a lake representing an organizational chart

Our principal consultants manage each component of your engagement - you won’t have people you haven’t met speaking with your stakeholders.

You can expect us to operate on your timeline, with discretion and sensitivity. Because we understand the tradeoffs and downstream effects of any intervention we might craft, our recommendations are tailored just for you, not copy and paste. Our recommendations are framed to support your highest priority actions, including reinvestment in the current team.

Curious about what a partnership with Narwhal Talent Partners could look like?

Download a PDF of Client Success Stories

If you’re curious and ready to explore what success could look like, complete the form to download a few of our success stories.

What our clients say:

“I love it, to see a school assessed properly. It’s really helpful to talk through things with someone confidentially to keep my head on straight. Your report helps me in more ways than you know.”
- Head of School

“You restored my faith in consultants.”
- Head of School

“I’ve shared your report defining our new role with the Board of Trustees Chair, the marketing committee, and with the team. Now we’re ready to launch. Let’s go to search.”
- Head of School

“So grateful to have worked with this talented team at Narwhal - a true partnership!!”
-Head of School

Curious to learn more?

Schedule time on our calendar at your convenience. We would be happy to introduce ourselves and explore whether we can be helpful to you.