from Gergely Orosz | by Gergely Orosz

If you thought tech compensations are high, wait until you hear about the fees to headhunt for senior positions. €100K or $150K to execute a search (no guarantee a hire will be made) for senior engineering leadership positions (DoE, VPE) is where it tends to start.

For those thinking "oh my god why so expensive?" Companies aren't wasteful: they don't engage with headhunters while they can hire themselves. But there's a point when you run out of your friends, friends of friends and their friends. And the cost is justified for key hires.

Don't forget I'm talking about leadership hires.A common use case: "We are a company with HQ in {CountryX} and are opening a new office in {CountryY}. We need someone to head it up. Ideally they are local & have done something comparable." Hard to find these people by yourself.