When Decision-Makers Engage Us
Not every role is equally critical.
But where personnel decisions become virtually irreversible, risk, leverage, and responsibility increase dramatically.
Our clients typically turn to us when a personnel decision has strategic impact — and conventional selection processes are no longer sufficient.
Typical roles and mandates in which personnel decisions become decision-critical.
Critical Leadership and Key Roles Under Pressure
A leadership or key position must be filled under intense time and performance pressure.
Shareholders, supervisory and advisory boards, and executive management expect a decision that is both swift and robust—because the appointment carries implications that go far beyond technical or functional performance alone.
Less Apparent Risks
While multiple candidates can demonstrate strong professional credentials, potential risk factors may emerge below the surface, including aspects such as personality, leadership approach, and cultural alignment.
Need for Independent External Perspective
In some cases, shareholders, advisory boards, or investors seek an additional independent perspective to support decision-making, based on objective assessment approaches.
Strategic Decisions with Limited Reversibility
The consequences of an incorrect decision would be difficult to remedy from a strategic perspective—for example through reputational damage, unsuccessful transformation initiatives, or failed market entries.
Our Core Contribution
Hoffarth Consulting supports decision-makers in approaching critical leadership decisions with greater confidence before those decisions take effect.
The central component of our work is an independent, evidence-informed executive assessment. It provides clarity in situations where experience, intuition, and a résumé alone are insufficient.
Particularly in complex decision-making contexts, this approach helps to surface:
- individual leadership and personality-related risk factors
- cultural and organisational alignment
- blind spots inherent in conventional selection processes
Executive search, second-opinion mandates, and advisory formats may be built on this foundation on an optional basis and serve to support the consistent implementation of such strategic decisions.
Even when based on methodologically sound assessment, personnel decisions remain complex entrepreneurial decisions and inherently involve uncertainty.
Why Clients Engage Us
Since 2005, we have supported organisations through transformation, digitalisation, and restructuring initiatives—contexts in which leadership quality and decision-making capability are critical factors influencing outcomes.
Executive search emerged in our work not as an end in itself, but as a response to a recurring observation:
unsuccessful appointments rarely fail due to a lack of professional competence, but rather as a result of insufficient assessment, blind spots, and inadequate decision logic.
For this reason, executive assessment and leadership advisory are not ancillary services for us, but the consistent evolution of this approach—grounded in evidence-informed expertise and many years of consulting experience.
Our work has been shaped, among other things, by projects in the context of public-sector institutions and international organisations such as the World Health Organization, as well as engagements involving the German Federal Government and the United States Government. In addition, we support mandates within private equity- and venture capital-backed companies, start-ups and scale-ups, as well as mid-sized enterprises and globally operating corporations across a wide range of industries. No endorsement is implied.
„We are convinced that unsuccessful leadership appointments rarely fail due to a lack of professional competence, but rather as a result of insufficient assessment, blind spots, and inadequate decision logic. Our objective is to support decision-makers in situations where experience, intuition, and a résumé alone are no longer sufficient—and where human factors meaningfully influence outcomes.
For this reason, we combine rigorous executive search with robust assessment and strategic advisory. Our work is aimed at supporting clarity, strengthening risk awareness, and translating personality, leadership, and culture into sound decision-relevant insights—from initial identification through to the final decision.“
Kerstin Hoffarth | 袁满 | M.Sc. | E.M.P.H. | B.Sc. | M.F.A. | Managing Director |
When market dynamics, time pressure, and confidentiality converge
In such situations, it is not speed that matters, but the quality of the decision basis, transparency around risks, and stakeholder acceptance.
When Suitable Candidates Are Not Actively Looking
We identify and approach executives and key individuals in a targeted and discreet manner within clearly defined target markets. This process is based on a structured market and competitive analysis, as well as a precisely calibrated search profile.
Your Value Proposition
- Access to highly qualified, passive candidates
- A focused, curated direct approach designed to improve relevance
- Discretion and confidentiality in sensitive mandates
When Acceptance and Sustainability Matter More Than Speed
We take responsibility for the end-to-end planning and coordination of recruitment processes at management and executive level—from role definition through to the final decision.
The focus is not on speed, but on alignment, sustainability, and acceptance among all relevant stakeholders.
Outcome
A decision basis designed for long-term relevance.
When Interview Impressions Alone Are Not Sufficiently Robust
Our structured, behaviour-based interviews go well beyond conventional selection conversations. They examine candidates’ decision-making styles, leadership contexts, as well as patterns associated with success and failure.
Benefits
- More substantiated assessments of performance-related factors and cultural alignment
- A higher degree of comparability across candidates
- Reduced exposure to subjective bias
When Decisions Need to Be Prepared for Board-Level Review
You receive clearly structured, well-substantiated candidate reports that go beyond a summary of the résumé:
- contextualisation of competencies and experience
- analysis of leadership and personality style
- assessment of cultural alignment
- transparent analysis of opportunities and risks
The reports are prepared with decision-making in mind and are suitable for executive management, shareholders, and supervisory or advisory boards.
When a CV and Interview Alone Do Not Provide a Sufficient Decision Basis
We apply individually designed assessment approaches, tailored to the role, the organisation, and the specific decision context. These may include psychometric instruments as well as qualitative analyses of personality and motivation.
Particularly relevant in the context of:
- key and trust-based roles
- internal promotions
- succession and development decisions
Objective
Greater decision confidence beyond interview impressions and the résumé.
When Complexity Needs to Be Managed—Not Just Candidates
We manage the entire selection process in a professional and efficient manner. This includes transparent communication, coordination of all process steps, and a respectful candidate experience.
Your Advantage
- A positive impression of your organisation among candidates
- Reduced burden on internal resources
- Clearly structured decision-making processes
All of these components are designed to help surface decision-related risks at an early stage, before they begin to take effect.
When decision-related risks can no longer be managed on intuition alone
We support organisations, shareholders, and governing bodies in safeguarding critical executive-level personnel decisions through independent, methodologically rigorous processes designed to avoid conflicts of interest.
Advisory & Diagnostics Services
In critical personnel decisions, experience alone is often insufficient. We support organisations, shareholders, and governing bodies in enhancing the quality of executive-level decisions—independently, on a sound methodological basis, and free from conflicts of interest.
Leadership & Management Diagnostics
We conduct in-depth interviews and psychological suitability assessments for senior leaders—independent of any search or placement mandate.
Areas of Application
- internal promotions
- succession decisions
- critical key and trust-based roles
Scope of Services
- structured in-depth interviews
- psychological and suitability assessment methodologies
- an executive diagnostic report providing a substantiated assessment of potential performance-related factors and cultural alignment
Your Value
- a robust decision basis for shareholders, supervisory boards, and governing bodies
- a contribution to risk awareness and more informed appointment decisions compared with customary approaches
- independence without conflicts of interest arising from search or placement mandates
Second-Opinion Engagements
We provide an independent second opinion on already identified candidates, with a focus on aspects that are frequently overlooked in conventional selection processes.
Typical Use Cases
- C-level, partner, and managing director appointments
- private equity portfolio companies
- family-owned and owner-managed organisations
Focus Areas
- blind spots and psychodynamic risk factors
- cultural fit versus culture add considerations
- alignment with the specific governance and decision-making culture
Benefit
Decision-makers are not purchasing an additional candidate opinion, but targeted risk mitigation prior to a difficult to reverse personnel decision.
Executive Onboarding & First 100 Days Advisory
We support executives during the most sensitive phase following an appointment—regardless of whether the placement was made by us.
Key Focus Areas
- clarification of expectations between the executive and key stakeholders
- systematic stakeholder mapping
- identification of psychological risk factors
- definition of early warning indicators
Format
- a combination of one-to-one sparring and structured feedback loops with shareholders
- structured three- or six-month advisory engagements
Board and Shareholder Advisory on Personnel Decisions
We act as a sparring partner for boards and investors in personnel matters that are critical to decision-making.
Client Groups
- advisory and supervisory boards
- private equity investment teams
- family offices
Services
- personality and decision-making briefings
- risk and decision memoranda
- facilitation of complex personnel decisions
Positioning
We translate human factors into strategically relevant decision logic—clearly articulated, well-founded, and suitable for board-level deliberation.
Psychological Team and Culture Diagnostics
We analyse entire leadership teams with a focus on dynamics, tension points, and scalability.
Particularly Relevant In
- phases of rapid growth
- M&A transactions
- international expansion
Analytical Focus
- dysfunctional patterns and lines of conflict
- decision-making and power structures
- cultural friction points
Outcome
An executive team report with clear, actionable recommendations—without resorting to traditional team development or training formats.
Subscription Models for Existing Clients
For selected clients, we offer ongoing advisory formats.
Example
Executive Talent Advisory Retainer
Scope of Services
- ongoing diagnostic perspectives
- sparring on sensitive personnel matters
- interview and decision-design support
- ad hoc second opinions
Advantages
- fully deliverable in a remote setup, ensuring efficiency without additional coordination effort.
- clearly structured, predictable collaboration with a high level of reliability.
- long-term strategic partnership delivering sustained and increasing value.
Our KPIs – Selected Process and Experience Metrics
The following metrics are intended to provide context regarding our working approach and operational processes.
They do not constitute any guarantee of outcomes for individual mandates.
| KPI | Definition | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Mandate Completion Rate | Percentage of search mandates successfully completed (filled or concluded as agreed) | >95% |
| Time to First Candidate Presentation / Time to Shortlist | Time required to present initial candidates or a first shortlist | 2–10 business days |
| Time to Placement | Time from mandate start to contract signature | 30–60 days (varies) |
| Submission-to-Hire Ratio | Number of candidates presented per hire | 1.5–7:1 |
| Offer Acceptance Rate | Percentage of offers accepted among presented candidates | >90% |
| 12-Month Retention Rate | Percentage of placed candidates remaining in role for at least 12 months | >95% |
| Client Satisfaction Score | Average client rating (e.g. on a 1–5 scale) | 4.8/5 (avg.) |
| Candidate Satisfaction | Candidate feedback (e.g. on process quality and communication) | >4.9/5 |
| Confidentiality Breach Rate | Documented breaches of discretion or confidentiality | 0% (historical) |
| Diversity Placement Rate | Share of diverse candidates (e.g. gender, background) among placements | mandate-specific, e.g. ~30% |
Source: Hoffarth Consulting, 2025
The metrics are based on internal analyses of completed mandates. They represent average values and are dependent on role requirements, mandate scope, market conditions, and organisational context.
„As part of our collaboration since early 2024, Kerstin Hoffarth and her team at Hoffarth Consulting have supported [our company] on several demanding executive search mandates—with very positive outcomes.
Despite a challenging recruitment market, key positions were filled within a reasonable timeframe with highly suitable candidates. I was particularly impressed by the analytical depth of the candidate reports, which were complemented by excellent interviews.
Ms Hoffarth approaches the selection process in a highly structured, analytical, and well-founded manner, and combines this with clear communication and persistence in engaging preferred candidates.
I can recommend the collaboration with full confidence, both on a professional and personal level, and look forward to many future projects together.“
Author of the testimonial – Deputy Head of HR, Germany
Discretion is a core principle of our work. Further information on the source is available upon request via our white paper.