Transforming the executive search landscape through the prioritization of speed-to-hire, affordability, and inclusivity: SucceedSmart

The company drastically reduces search times from the traditional 24-26 weeks to an average of 4-6 weeks, making the process 3x faster.

 Sanjay Sathe, founder and CEO of SucceedSmart, is no stranger to disrupting established industries. Previously, Sanjay spearheaded RiseSmart's evolution from a concept birthed from his personal experiences into a major disruptor in the $3B outplacement industry. RiseSmart secured $25M of Venture Capital from Silicon Valley VCs, amassed an impressive roster of Fortune 1000 companies, and became the fastest-growing outplacement firm in the world. In September 2015, RiseSmart was acquired for $100M by Randstad, the $29B global HR Services giant, where it continues to operate independently as the global brand for the outplacement industry.

The experiences from RiseSmart set the stage for Sanjay's next venture. As he observed the traditional executive search industry that existed in the US market for over 50 years, he recognized the need for radical change. SucceedSmart was born out of this need to breathe fresh life into a stagnant industry. Sanjay envisioned an AI-led marketplace that offered corporations direct access to pre-screened executive candidates and provided benefits like speed-to-hire, affordability, transparency, and predictability. Meanwhile, executives would gain a free, lifelong career platform backed by a community of diverse leaders. They would also enjoy confidentiality, direct access to Fortune 1000 corporations and venture-backed startups, support of a DE&I mission, a robust peer network, and six months of free executive coaching. This concept became the foundation of SucceedSmart, fueling its mission to revolutionize the executive search industry.

The Silicon Review reached out to Mr. Sathe, and here’s what he had to say.

Interview Highlights

Q. What strategies does SucceedSmart implement to maximize client satisfaction?

SucceedSmart is disrupting the $7B ‘traditional’ executive search space, an industry that's over 90% offline and lacks any innovation or infusion of technology throughout the last 50 years. The current model is priced exorbitantly versus the value provided and it’s transactional, exclusionary/clubby, and lacks a focus on diversity. SucceedSmart provides an AI-driven executive talent platform that takes a modern and democratized approach to executive search. Our platform is faster, better, affordable, and unbiased, which naturally lends itself to promoting diversity candidates. We also make sure there’s a human-in-the-loop, at all times, to support our Fortune 500 and startup clients as well as our executive members.

The following factors maximize client satisfaction and so contribute to our success.

Efficient Searches: SucceedSmart drastically reduces search times from the traditional 24-26 weeks to an average of 4-6 weeks, making the process 3x faster.

Improved Responsiveness: While less than 20% of executives typically reply to LinkedIn messages, SucceedSmart boasts an impressive 80% response rate, effectively solving the issue of low responsiveness.

High-Quality Candidates: Through the strategic utilization of executive recruiters to guide the process, SucceedSmart ensures that only well-matched, quality candidates are considered, saving clients valuable time.

Promotion of Diversity Candidates: By adopting a 'single-blind' approach to reviewing candidates, SucceedSmart prevents both conscious and unconscious biases from influencing the hiring process. We also leverage partnerships with diversity organizations to source top leadership talent across multiple demographics.

Enhanced Privacy: SucceedSmart allows executives to control access to their complete profiles, enabling them to decide which corporations can view critical personal information.

Increased Transparency: The platform brings about 'information symmetry' in executive search, creating a balance of power between executives and corporations by providing all parties with the same information to make informed decisions.

Unique Perks: SucceedSmart rewards executives who land a new opportunity through their platform with six months of free executive coaching to help them assimilate sooner and add value to the company.

Cost-effective Services: Offering searches at one-third the price compared to traditional executive search firms, SucceedSmart delivers valuable results without the high cost.

Human-Centered Technology: The platform marries proprietary AI technology with the skills of professional recruiters. This combination offers a transparent and democratic platform that leverages technological innovation and human expertise.

Q. Can you provide us with one or two success stories describing the challenges your clients faced and how SucceedSmart helped them overcome those challenges?

Success Story: Finance/Banking Case Study SucceedSmart fills a 150-day open position in just 32 days.

Introduction: A leading specialized US bank faced a significant challenge when it reached out to SucceedSmart in September 2022. The bank had a key leadership role open for over 150 days. SucceedSmart came in with a fresh perspective and a unique approach that changed everything. Impressed with the slate of candidates SucceedSmart presented within four days, the hiring manager immediately moved forward with interviews. It was a game-changer for the bank. With traditional search firms, the bank had struggled for months to find the right fit. But with SucceedSmart's innovative approach, the role was filled in just 32 business days - a fraction of the time it had taken. And that was just the beginning. The bank has continued to partner with SucceedSmart on numerous other roles across the organization.

The challenge of matching accomplishments, location, and cost: The bank was on a mission to find the right candidate for a critical role, but despite numerous interviews, it needed help finding a great candidate. The bank needed someone with the right qualifications, salary expectations, and importantly, the ability to reside within a particular geographic area to work closely with the leadership team onsite at the bank’s headquarters. It was a tall order, but the bank wasn't willing to settle for less. With its innovative technology and modern approach to talent acquisition, SucceedSmart identified the perfect candidate, representing a game changer for the bank, and proof that anything is possible when you have a great partner by your side.

The Result: SucceedSmart filled the position in just 32 days which had been open for 150 days.

Q. No doubt SucceedSmart is charting new territories in this segment. Given how frequently circumstances change, what plans for transformation are you pursuing to remain relevant now and in the future?

Expanding Technology Horizons: Our proprietary AI technology is already disrupting the executive search industry. We intend to evolve our technology in lockstep with the latest innovations to provide our clients and executive members with the best experience. You will soon see our advanced Generative AI offerings.

Strengthening Partnerships: We plan to broaden our network of partnerships to more diversity organizations, industry associations, and educational institutions.

Enhanced focus on privacy & security: Living in the digital age makes privacy and data security quite important. We will continue to prioritize and enhance privacy features, enabling executives to have even greater control over their personally identifiable information.

Enhancing the user experience: We value the feedback we receive from our executive members and clients. It’s one of the best ways possible to consistently improve our platform.

Addressing emerging markets: As the business world becomes more global, we recognize the importance of catering to additional markets. We are exploring strategies to localize our services to best serve clients across different regions and cultures.

Q. Is there anything you would like to add before we wrap up?

We, at SucceedSmart, have achieved prestigious recognition at the influential 2023 Globee^® Disruptor Awards, winning the prestigious Gold Globee for our innovation within the HR Industry/Category in addition to being named as a 2023 Top 10 Recruitment Solutions Provider by HR Tech Outlook Magazine, alongside industry heavyweights like ZipRecruiter, iCIMS, and Bullhorn. These awards further affirm our disruptive force and relentless pursuit to revolutionize executive search.

These achievements and our recent winning of seven distinct Stevie Awards highlight the vital work we are doing to transform the executive search landscape through the prioritization of speed-to-hire, affordability, and inclusivity.

Sanjay Sathe | Founder & CEO

Sanjay Sathe, who has considerable expertise in global leadership, considers himself a "Global Citizen" after having lived and worked in several countries with organisations including Sabre Holdings, Lufthansa, HSBC, RiseSmart, Randstad, GenomeSmart, and Konica Minolta.

“By adopting a 'single-blind' approach to reviewing candidates, SucceedSmart prevents both conscious and unconscious biases from influencing the hiring process. We also leverage partnerships with diversity organizations to source top leadership talent across multiple demographics.”