Hi there Reader!

If making a career power move is among your 2024 goals, you'll want to read this edition of The Trajectory closely. Because, today, my friend, I'm giving you an exclusive inside scoop on the top executive search firms that are actual allies for WOC in the job search process.

Every year, the incredible team at Women of Color in Fundraising & Philanthropy (WOC) releases their list of the search firms doing exceptional work in placing talented WOC like us in great roles. This year's rankings are based on factors like firm size, geographic reach, and their actual placement stats for women of color.

On the larger firm side, the rankings include powerhouse names you'd expect, like Korn Ferry, Russell Reynolds, and Isaacson Miller. These big players have the resources and client relationships to really move the needle.

But don't sleep on the boutique firms either! Firms like Uproot Talent, Colibri Consulting Group, and Howe-Lewis International may be smaller, but they're doing majorly impactful work centering and championing WOC candidates.

So without further ado...!

Top Large Firms:

1. ​ThinkingAhead Executive Search - Recruits for global clients across industries including nonprofits with $10M+ budgets.
2. ​Campbell & Company - National nonprofit consulting firm providing executive search for organizations with $3M+ budgets.
3. ​Isaacson, Miller - Focuses on recruiting leaders for mission-driven organizations. 76% of 2021 placements were WOC or POC.
4. ​Pearl Street Collective - Woman-owned firm working with social justice and higher ed clients from <$1M to $1B+ budgets.
5. ​Diversified Search Group - Woman-founded/led with services across Koya and other specialized brands. 78% of 2021 placements were WOC or POC.
6. ​Cook Silverman - Woman-owned focusing on senior nonprofit roles in education, environment, healthcare, social services, etc.
7. ​Imagine Consulting - Black, LGBTQ+, woman-owned providing recruitment for education and nonprofits.
8. ​On-Ramps - Serves the social sector with most placements identifying as POC.
9. ​GoodCitizen - Supports social sector orgs with executive search and leadership advisory across 40+ geographies.
10. ​Lindauer - Offers search, leadership and talent services for large nonprofits ($10M+) across sectors.

Top Boutique Firms:

1. ​Uproot Talent - Latina-owned serving social impact clients in arts/culture, education, philanthropy, youth development.
2. ​Carlson Beck - Retained search for philanthropy and nonprofits in education, youth development, housing, arts/culture, healthcare.
3. ​Colibri Consulting Group - Latina-owned providing talent acquisition / executive search for social impact clients.
4. ​Howe-Lewis International - Woman-owned firm serving arts, environment, healthcare, education, human services, philanthropy clients.
5. ​Boyden Boston - Part of global Boyden firm leading executive searches for nonprofits, education, healthcare, arts/culture.

No matter which firms you engage with, here's a few tips for getting the most out of the partnership:

1. Don't be shy! Search consultants appreciate direct and upfront communication about your background, goals, and needs. The more they understand you holistically, the better matched opportunities they can connect you with.
2. Ask questions to assess their commitment to DEI. Top firms will have specific processes and accountability measures to ensure an equitable search process for you as a WOC candidate.
3. Get clear on what you're looking for. Firm specialties, company cultures and values, leadership styles, and compensation requirements––get crystal clear on your non-negotiables before reaching out, so recruiters can laser focus their efforts.
4. Advocating for yourself may feel uncomfortable, but it's a must. Give your recruiter concrete talking points to position you strongly with clients. Highlight your accomplishments and unique value proposition.
5. Once you're well into the process, get their advice! Search consultants are often privy to inside intel on companies and hiring managers that can give you an edge in interviews.

The bottom line: Top search firms can be powerful partners in your career journey as a WOC By being selective about who you work with and managing that relationship skillfully, you'll increase your chances of landing a role that is the perfect next step.

Let me know if you have questions!

Always here to support your career success and cheer you on,
Cynthia

Your Move:

I shared a few weeks ago about the VIP Days I offer to executive and senior WOC leaders who are serious about increasing their Visibility, strategically building (or growing) their platform and status as a thought or industry leader––building that Career Insurance I've been talking about.

Here’s what my VIP Day includes:

• One VIP Day (in-person if you’re in NYC) with me to build out your plan to strategically increase your Visibility and get you to your larger goals #DoneForYou
• A tailored, step-by-step roadmap and strategic plan to advance in the next quarter or two
• Dinner and drinks on EC! (If you’re not in the NYC area, don’t worry, I’ve got something for you all too)
• One executive coaching session with me 3-5 weeks afterwards to build on the work

At this point, I’ve got one of these left, and I love rolling up sleeves with folks (because you don’t need me to tell you: time is your most precious resource!). So if you’re interested, hit reply now and LMK! The first person to grab this final slot, I’m gonna sweeten the pot by slashing $500 off the package and I’ll even throw in two 15-min “emergency” phone calls with me as an added bonus!