Unlike most recruiting firms, we don't measure time to fill. Time to fill includes how long your calendar takes to clear, how many interview rounds you want to run, and whether a finalist declines at the offer stage. It's a terrible recruiter metric — and tracking it is a convenient way for recruiters to hide behind their client's process.
We measure Time to Identify (TTI) — the number of days from search kickoff to the moment we surface the person who gets hired.
We own this number. It reflects our sourcing depth, our judgment, and our network.
0daysaverage TTI
0daysmedian TTI
Across Director, VP, and C-suite level searches in engineering, product, operations, and go-to-market.
TTI Distribution across our most recent 30 completed searches
Under 2 weeks55%
2–4 weeks21%
1–2 months18%
Over 2 months6%
Like an investor evaluating trailing returns — not since-inception performance — we measure across our most recent 30 completed searches. It's a rolling window that reflects how we're operating right now, not how we performed two years ago. Teams evolve, markets shift, and we believe you deserve to see our current form.
Time to Identify
0days
average
0days
median
Across Director, VP, and C-suite level searches
Resonance placement records · trailing 30 searches
Search Success Rate
0%
2× the industry average · 30 placed hires out of 42 search engagements in the same period
// How we compareRetained-quality outcomes. Contingency terms. Just better.
Contingency Firms
Volume model · no exclusivity
Time to identify
Not tracked
Firms optimize for volume of submittals, not sourcing precision
Fill rate
20–35%
Most searches go nowhere — spread thin across many clients
Reqs per recruiter
20–40
Factory model; hard to go deep on any single search
Client investment
Low upfront
No fee unless placement — but low success rate often means wasted months
Boutique · high-touch · contingency & contained
Time to identify
19 days avg
9-day median · our most important number
Fill rate
71%
Near-retained outcomes (80–90%) at contingency terms — no retainer required
Reqs per recruiter
~7
Focused, not spread thin — we go deep on every search
Client investment
Flexible
Contingency or contained, tailored per search — no retainer required
Retained Exec Search
Exclusive · upfront fee · slow
Time to identify
45–60 days
Industry-standard sourcing timeline for senior searches
Fill rate
80–90%
High — but they only take guaranteed, exclusive mandates
Reqs per recruiter
5–10
Focused — but slow and expensive to engage
Client investment
Upfront retainer
33–40% of fee paid before a single candidate is presented
Contingency fill rate: industry estimates range 20–35% (Staffing Industry Analysts, general market data). Retained exec search benchmarks: 80–90% fill rate, 90–120 day typical timeline (industry-standard engagement terms). Resonance operates primarily on contingency with a 71% fill rate — 2× the industry average for contingency and approaching retained-level outcomes. Resonance data: internal placement records, trailing 30 placed searches and all engagements within the same period (42 total).
// Current CapacityWe take on select roles from select clients
Active search load — 4 recruiters
010203035 max
28
/ 35 searches
80% capacity
Active searches per recruiter (avg)
7
Open searches available
7
// Active Searches28 open · Seed to Series B startups · company names withheld · as of March 25, 2026
Function
Title
Level
Location
Status
Engineering
Sr. Mechatronics Engineer — Applications
Senior
New York, NY
In progress
Engineering
Sr. Mechatronics Engineer — Robot Platform
Senior
New York, NY
In progress
Engineering
Founding Software Engineer
Founding
New York, NY
In progress
Engineering
Founding AI Engineer
Founding
New York, NY
In progress
Engineering
Co-Founder / Founding Engineer
Founding
Brooklyn, NY
In progress
Engineering
Sr. Robotic Software Engineer
Senior
Los Altos, CA
In progress
Engineering
Sr. Machine Learning Engineer
Senior
Los Altos, CA
In progress
Product
Head of Product
VP
Remote
Offer
Product
Product Designer
IC
New York, NY
In progress
Product
Product Designer
IC
Remote
In progress
Operations
VP, Investor Relations & Strategic Operations
VP
New York, NY
In progress
Operations
Executive Consultant Advisory
Senior
Remote
In progress
Operations
Strategic Projects Lead
Senior
New York, NY
In progress
Operations
Chief of Staff
Senior
San Francisco, CA
Offer
Operations
Chief of Staff
Senior
San Francisco, CA
In progress
Operations
Chief of Staff & Portfolio Ops Lead
Senior
NYC or SF
In progress
Operations
Chief of Staff
Senior
New York, NY
In progress
Operations
Chief of Staff
Senior
Los Angeles, CA
In progress
Operations
Chief of Staff
Senior
San Francisco, CA
In progress
Operations
Chief of Staff
Senior
New York, NY
Just opened
Operations
Chief of Staff
Senior
Austin, TX
Just opened
Operations
Chief of Staff
Senior
San Francisco, CA
Just opened
GTM
Growth Marketer
Senior
Remote
In progress
GTM
Narrative Lead
Senior
Remote
In progress
GTM
Sales Lead
Senior
Los Angeles, CA
In progress
GTM
Sales Lead
Senior
Remote
In progress
Marketing
VP of Marketing
VP
Remote
In progress
Marketing
Brand Marketer
Senior
Los Angeles, CA
In progress
Methodology: "Time to identify" = days from search kickoff to the moment we surface the person who ultimately gets hired. It does not include client interview scheduling, offer negotiation, or start date. "Success rate" = searches resulting in a placed hire divided by all closed searches (excludes on-hold and queued roles). Company names and role titles withheld to protect client confidentiality. Competitive benchmarks: Contingency fill rate estimates from Staffing Industry Analysts general market data. Retained exec search benchmarks from publicly quoted industry timelines (90–120 day typical engagement) and fill rate ranges (80–90%).
We take on a limited number of searches each month.
If you're hiring for a critical role at a VC-backed startup, let's talk.