Talent Acquisition & Executive Search in Chile
Talent acquisition for critical roles: first profiles in 2 to 4 weeks, psychometric assessment of every finalist, and an 8-month guarantee. Executive search (headhunting) for passive talent—not job ads alone. A flat fee by role level.
Hiring a critical role in a growing technology team
Start with the decisions this person will own, the outcomes you expect and the autonomy the role needs. Direct search is useful when expertise is scarce or the mandate requires confidentiality. An open search can work when qualified applicants are available; we agree the mix around the role.
Prepare the conversation: role, hiring country, reporting line, salary budget and priority outcomes.
Headhunting and Executive Search for senior and executive roles
Direct search for the best passive talent in the market and end-to-end selection for critical roles—with the same psychometric rigor at every stage to ensure candidate retention.
Experience translated into a clear process
We provide direct attention and methodological traceability. We describe our experience by context and type of work while protecting the identity of organizations and candidates.
Regional university institution
Assessment and selection for academic and management roles, with defined criteria and methodological traceability to support the institution's decision.
Evidence to compare finalists
We combine competency interviews and psychometric assessment in an executive report explaining role fit and areas that need attention.
Search + evidence in one cycle
When the role is critical, we do not separate hunting from validation: every finalist we present goes through a psychometric battery and competency interview (STAR/BEI) before the offer.
High-criticality sectors and roles
We work across technology, AI, mining, construction, IT, and commerce: from senior Account Managers and leadership roles to CCO, CTO, C-level, and emerging growth, performance, and data roles.
Stages of Our Headhunting Process
A structured workflow for talent attraction and precision selection.
Role Profiling
Exhaustive technical definition of competencies, role requirements, and organizational culture fit.
Search Strategy by Role
We set the mix per role: for critical, executive or scarce positions the weight is on direct passive-talent search; for more standard profiles we add specialized job boards alongside selective hunting. We never rely on the posting alone.
Candidate Pre-screening
Thorough résumé screening comparing career trajectory and expectations against your company profile.
Psychometric Assessment
Application of predictive psychometric tests on Obrii App and STAR-based competency interviews.
Reference Validation
Thorough verification and audit of performance and ethical fit directly with previous managers.
Fit Technical Report
Executive report, comparative dashboard, and role-fit analysis.
Candidate Presentation
Guided presentation of the highly qualified finalist shortlist to the executive or selection committee.
Final Selection & Close
Active support in closing the process and retention guarantee.
An 8-month guarantee and psychometric assessment of every finalist
We design a custom talent attraction pipeline that does not depend on spontaneous applications. We reach the ideal passive candidate and assess them to an exceptional psychological standard.
Active search & market mapping
We proactively map the target market to attract highly competitive profiles and valuable passive talent.
8-month guarantee
If the hire underperforms or leaves within 8 months, we repeat the full search at no additional cost.
Elite psychological assessment
We integrate our robust psychometric suite and empirically valid interviews into every finalist presented by default.
Close & retention guarantee
We support final selection through process close. If the hire underperforms or leaves within 8 months, we repeat the search at no additional cost.
Headhunting Service Levels & Fees
A flat fee by role level, not a percentage of the candidate's salary. We adapt headhunting depth and scope to the level of responsibility, with a transparent process and no surprises.
How to choose, which model fits, and what to expect from Obrii
The SERP for “best headhunters Chile” is full of rankings without criteria. These three sections summarise what to evaluate before signing a mandate—with full detail in our guide—how market models compare, and what we do not do so expectations stay clear.
Criteria for choosing a headhunter
A good headhunter is not the one who appears most in a listicle: it is the one who understands your mandate before sending résumés. That means confidentiality, realistic timelines, salary band, and culture—not just the job title.
Before comparing proposals, review seven points: (1) whether the role justifies direct passive-talent search; (2) whether the profile is built with you—descriptor, KPIs, and must-haves—not copied from the job ad; (3) how they map the market (target industries, outreach to passive candidates); (4) how they validate finalists—STAR/BEI interviews, deep reference checks, and, for trusted roles, psychometric assessment with an actionable report; (5) fee model and exclusivity, comparable across providers; (6) retention guarantee if the hire underperforms or leaves in the first months; (7) boutique vs global firm fit by role level and company size.
Red flags: a shortlist in 72 hours for a scarce executive role, refusing to discuss salary band, confusing headhunting with posting on job boards or LinkedIn, or promising a “database” with no written methodology.
Read the full guide: how to choose an executive search firm in Chile
Models: boutique vs Big 4, staffing vs job boards
Not every provider does the same thing even when they use the word headhunting. It helps to separate three axes: firm size and network, fee model, and attraction channel.
Global executive-search firms (Amrop, Spencer Stuart, Robert Walters, and similar) often win on senior networks, regional mandates, and international directory presence. Local boutiques win on direct attention, mid-market focus, speed, and predictable pricing. A multinational country manager is not the same mandate as an operations manager at a Chilean SME: the “best” depends on the role, not a ranking.
High-volume staffing prioritises time-to-fill and active applicants. Job boards (Laborum, LinkedIn Jobs, etc.) extend reach when the market is active, but relying on the posting alone misses passive talent who are not applying. Headhunting—or executive search—prioritises candidates who are not job-hunting and a deeper process per search.
At Obrii we operate as a headhunting boutique with integrated psychometric assessment: direct B2B search for critical roles, a hybrid mix by role (passive search plus selective outreach when the profile warrants it), flat fees by level, and an 8-month guarantee. We do not compete on volume or opaque percentage-of-salary fees.
What we do not do
To avoid misunderstandings when comparing proposals, the following is outside our service:
- We do not charge an opaque percentage of the candidate’s salary: we work with flat fees by role level ($620 / $930 / $1,200 / $2,100 USD, plus Chilean VAT), detailed in each proposal.
- We are not a mass-recruitment agency or a “CV database”: we do not sell applicant volume or high-throughput processes without finalist assessment.
- We do not rely on job postings alone: for critical roles the weight is on direct passive-talent search; a posting may add reach but never replaces hunting.
- We do not publish “best headhunters in Chile” rankings: that would be marketing without auditable criteria. We prefer to explain method, timelines, and guarantee.
- We do not blend headhunting with services outside the selection cycle: we focus on executive search and psychometric assessment of finalists.
When your operation needs to scale with Obrii App
Obrii App is born from our consulting practice: it brings into one flow —from selection to cost structure— what you today solve with scattered tools. AI prepares the evidence; the decision stays yours. Built for Chile and all of Latin America.
No credit card · Start with a process, an interview guide or a task.
Selection
AI CV Screener and structured BEI/STAR interviews.
Talent
Psychometric suite and actionable competency maps.
Culture
Pulse climate surveys and early burnout detection.
Structure
LATAM labor costs and traceable decisions.
What clients ask most
Quick answers on scope, timelines, pricing, and our talent acquisition / headhunting retention guarantee.
- What does an Obrii B2B headhunting process include?
- Role profiling with the client, direct and referral-based search across Chile and LATAM, structured interviews, psychometric assessment of finalists, executive report, and support through process close. Every search includes an 8-month guarantee: if the hire underperforms or leaves, we repeat the search at no additional cost. Payment terms are agreed by role; typically a kickoff advance and the balance when the candidate signs the contract.
- How long does an executive search process take?
- We deliver the first profiles within 2 to 4 weeks of the role kickoff. A typical B2B headhunting process closes in 4 to 8 weeks depending on role criticality, talent availability, and technical complexity. For urgent processes we offer an accelerated modality.
- How much does headhunting cost?
- We work with flat, transparent fees by role level: $620 USD for administrative or technical profiles, $930 USD for specialized professionals, $1,200 USD for leadership/management roles, and $2,100 USD for senior executive or country-level searches (plus Chilean VAT). Equivalent UF figures are 11.9 / 17.85 / 23 / 40. No percentage of candidate salary. Payment is role-dependent and set in each proposal; typically a kickoff advance (around 40% for operations and setup) and the balance when the candidate signs the employment contract.
- How does the retention guarantee work?
- 8-month guarantee: if the hire underperforms or leaves within that period, we repeat the full search at no additional cost to your company.
- Is headhunting the same as talent acquisition?
- Talent acquisition is the broader HR problem (“we need to hire well”). Headhunting or executive search is the method we use for critical roles: direct outreach to passive talent, not only job-board postings. At Obrii we solve that with boutique headhunting plus psychometric assessment of finalists—not high-volume staffing.
- How do I choose an executive search firm in Chile?
- Ask whether they work in English, invoice in USD, understand Chilean labour law, and can search bilingual or expat-adjacent roles without treating Santiago as a generic LatAm market. Criteria, fee table, and red flags: /en/blog/how-to-choose-an-executive-search-firm-in-chile.
- Do you search for candidates outside Chile?
- Yes. We operate remotely across Latin America for executive search with Spanish-speaking candidates. For on-site processes we prioritize Chile (Santiago and regions).