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I have used four search firms over fifteen years. Elite is the first to have told me, on two separate occasions, that they could not help. Both times they were right. That has earned them the work I do bring them.
Testimonials
A selection of unedited reflections from candidates and clients we have worked with across Europe. We obtain explicit, written permission before publishing — and we publish in full, including the inconvenient bits.
Note for editor — the testimonials below are illustrative samples. Replace with real, permissioned quotations before publishing.
“Elite Recruiters spent three hours on the brief before they ever opened their database. That alone told us we had picked the right firm.”
From Clients
I have used four search firms over fifteen years. Elite is the first to have told me, on two separate occasions, that they could not help. Both times they were right. That has earned them the work I do bring them.
We briefed the role on a Tuesday. The first credible candidate was sitting across from me ten days later. She is now running the business in our largest market.
The reference work is what separates them. Six independently sourced references on each finalist — none of which were on the CV — and the awkward question we had quietly worried about was raised by them, in writing, before we had to.
Their fee was meaningfully lower than the incumbent firm we replaced, and the work was visibly better. We are not in the habit of recommending suppliers; we recommend Elite without reservation.
From Candidates
I had spoken to half a dozen search consultants over the years. Elite was the first to ask me what I did not want to do next. The conversation lasted an hour. The role I eventually accepted came six months later, and was exactly what I had described.
They told me, two days before the final interview, that they had picked up a concern from a reference and wanted to discuss it openly. I appreciated the honesty more than I can say. Two years on, I am still in the role and the relationship continues.
I was not actively looking. I told them so. They listened, made no attempt to change my mind, and stayed in touch on a quiet quarterly cadence for almost two years. When the right role finally arrived, I was ready.
The counter-offer conversation was, frankly, the hardest professional moment of the year. Their partner walked me through it on a Sunday evening, without rushing, without spinning. The advice was on my side, not on the side of the placement fee.