How we WORK
Engaged Search
Few things are more important to the success of your business than getting key hires right. Engaged search provides the expertise and high-end service level of retained search, with a strong pay-for-performance aspect. Our fee structure includes a flat engagement fee to start the search, but the vast majority of our fee isn’t earned until your new hire starts. We understand that working with an executive recruiter is an investment and we’ve designed our 4-stage Recruiting Blueprint search process to ensure you get a strong return on your investment. Of course, we also offer a guarantee. Yet, we prefer to get it right the first time, which is why our last replacement was over a decade ago.
You can learn more about each of the 4 stages of The Recruiting Blueprint below, but the best way to learn if we’re worth the investment is to book a no-obligation Discovery Session to learn if Building Gurus is the right recruiting partner for you.
FEATURED HIRING EXPERT FOR:






Our 4-Stage Search Process
The Recruiting Blueprint

Scope + Specs
Our search process starts with a kick off call to help us understand your business and culture. Then we dig into the opportunity. We can even use a patented job benchmarking process to set you up for success.

Design + Deliver
We combine your ideal hire profile and our expert-level knowledge of recruiting for top sales reps, managers and leaders in building products to design your customized recruiting strategy that delivers best-in-class sales, leaders, and executives.

Vet + Validate
With your Ideal Hire Profile at the heart of our search, we’ll identify and review hundreds of people, conduct in-depth interviews and ultimately present the top 1% of the market so you can choose with confidence.

Welcome + Warranty
This is when the focus shifts from recruiting to retaining. We rarely get it wrong (in fact, it’s been over a decade), but if we do you’re covered by our guarantee. When they start, we don't stop. We keep in touch for a full year after they start.
SCOPE AND SPECS
We’ll start with an initial kick-off call where we’ll take a deep dive into your organization and the nuances that truly determine if an executive will thrive there, going way beyond job descriptions and required experience. We’ll leave with a clear & compelling positioning statement and avatar of your ideal candidate.
DESIGN AND DELIVER
Next, we’ll create a recruiting blueprint and pitch along with a list of every high-potential leader who meets your needs with at least 3 ways we’ll be able to contact them. During this phase, we cast a broad net and then work to narrow down our network into top choices and you benefit from our existing relationships with qualified professionals.
VET AND VALIDATE
We’ll identify and review hundreds of people and profiles, conduct in-depth interviews and ultimately present the top 1% of the market so you can choose your new executive with confidence. We use our SELL Interview Method to conduct in-depth interviews that not only qualify candidates but excite the right ones. By the end of this step, you’ll have received detailed submittals including each candidates history, expectations, and testing results so you’ll know exactly who you want to bring on board!
WELCOME AND WARRANTY
We’ll handle all the negotiations and coach all parties through cold feet, counter offers, and any concerns that might come up. Once the position is filled and your candidates start date arrives, we pass the torch to your HR team while staying in touch with you and the candidate to make sure everything is going smoothly.
We’ve placed hundreds of candidates, and it’s rare that we get it wrong — but if things don’t work out, you’re covered by our 90-day guarantee. (Spoiler Alert: we haven’t had this happen in over a decade, so we seriously doubt that you’ll need this option.)
Rikka Brandon is the founder and Chief Executive Recruiter of Building Gurus, a leading executive search and consulting firm that works exclusively with building product manufacturers and distributors to find, hire, and retain top building products talent.
Often sought out for her expertise, Rikka is a member of National NKBA Leadership Recruitment committee, a frequent speaker at national conferences, a contributing writer to publications including LBM Journal, the NKBA blog, ProSales, Remodeler and more.
