Born from Private Equity,

Built for Small Businesses

Our Process

When I started at Permanent Equity, my first assignment was clear: figure out how to elevate the talent across our portfolio. How do we find great leaders for these companies? How do we vet them? And how do we convince them to join us? 

We tried solving it the typical way—working with outside recruiters, leaning on personal networks—but it quickly became obvious the traditional model didn’t translate. Our companies live in that tricky middle ground: big enough to need real leadership but small enough that every hire has outsized impact. Search firms kept sending us candidates who were either too far removed from hands-on work or priced like they were joining a Fortune 500. It just wasn’t working.

I didn’t set out to build a recruiting firm. 10th St. was born out of necessity, not ambition. My team and I  started by creating an internal capability to solve our own talent needs.

But word got out. Other investors and operators (many of them close friends!) were facing the same challenge and started asking for help. What began as an internal resource slowly grew into something bigger.

Our work has always been grounded in firsthand experience. Every step of our process was shaped by tight feedback loops; hiring for real roles in our companies where the wrong hire doesn’t just sting, it sets you back a year. We’ve seen what happens when you miss. And we’ve also seen the transformation that takes place when you get it right.

What follows is not only our process but the why behind it. 

Enjoy,

The Weight of a Missed Hire

The stats surrounding bad hires are well-documented. The Department of Labor estimates costs at 30% of first-year earnings. HR consultants put the figure around $240,000 per mistake. But these numbers don't capture what it truly feels like:

  • That sinking feeling when a leadership hire isn't working out

  • Watching company momentum stall as a crucial role remains unfilled or poorly filled

  • The weight of difficult performance conversations that yield little improvement

  • Explaining to investors why growth targets were missed due to leadership gaps

When running a $15M or $50M company, every hire matters profoundly. There's no deep bench to absorb the impact. There's no expansive HR department to handle the fallout. The consequences land directly on the leadership team's shoulders.

The 10th St. team understands this reality because we've navigated it firsthand—facing difficult decisions to part ways with leaders who weren't working out, then having to restart the entire process while maintaining team confidence.

Our Four-Phase Search Process: Built for High-Stakes Hires

After years of refining our approach through direct experience with growing companies, we've built a process specifically for high-stakes hires. This isn't theoretical—it's a framework proven effective when every hire matters:

Here’s how each phase of the process works:

The Collaborative Intake Call

Most searches fail before they even begin. Why? Because people rush to fill seats without doing the upfront work to define what success actually looks like.

This is where most executive search firms miss the mark. This is where we spend a lot of time and resources to ensure we get it right. 

Before we even kick off a search, we send you questions that force you to think deeply about this hire. 

  • Questions that might make you uncomfortable. 

  • Questions most search firms don't ask.

  • Questions that surface unspoken assumptions.

  • Questions that push you to clarify what success actually looks like.

Here’s just a preview of what some of those questions look like: 

  1. What keeps you up at night about this position?

  2. What happened with the previous person, if applicable?

  3. Where do you need this department or function to be in 18 months?

  4. What characteristics have led to success or failure in your company culture?

We define key backgrounds, skills, and experiences needed for success—not just on paper but within your specific team dynamics. We discuss realistic expectations and timelines while customizing the process to your specific search needs.

We've seen firsthand how these difficult conversations at the beginning prevent far more painful ones in the end

Soft Skills Benchmarking

Technical skills only tell half the story. We've hired people with perfect resumes who couldn't navigate our culture. We've also taken chances on people with less experience on paper who became transformational leaders.

That's what prompted the introduction and continued use of proprietary multi-science assessments: to define the behavioral traits and motivators needed for success in your specific environment. We establish clear benchmarks that separate the "Essential" qualities from merely "Beneficial" ones.

The end result? Finding a leader who thrives versus one who looks good in interviews but flounders on the job.

The Incumbent Post-Mortem

If you're replacing someone, we need to talk candidly about what worked and what didn't. This requires clients to be reflective and real about what blame they may bear in why things didn’t work out. How can we set the next candidate up for more success? These conversations have saved countless organizations from repeating the same expensive mistakes.

Was the previous person technically brilliant but couldn't develop talent? Did they excel at execution but struggled with strategic thinking? We identify what worked, what didn't, and use these insights to refine our search parameters and avoid repeated hiring mistakes.

The Candidate Benchmark

This is arguably the most critical step in the process for a successful search. Everything we learn culminates in a comprehensive Candidate Benchmark that serves as our guiding framework throughout the search. We map essential core competencies along a weighted spectrum allowing us to evaluate prospects across multiple dimensions and identify those rare individuals who possess the precise blend of technical skills, behavioral traits, and motivational drivers needed to excel in your specific environment

This document aligns our expectations and yours, ensuring we're rowing in the same direction. You'll review and sign off on this benchmark because alignment at this stage prevents misunderstandings later.

We've been on both sides of searches that went sideways because this step was rushed or skipped entirely. Trust us, it's worth the time.


Targeted Search Strategy

Finding exceptional talent isn't about volume; it's about precision. The leaders who will transform your business aren't scrolling job boards – they're succeeding somewhere else and need a compelling reason to consider something new.

We build a comprehensive approach to identify ideal candidates by utilizing the information defined in Phase 1, as well as market research, compensation analysis, and competitive mapping. We focus on quality over quantity, which our boutique size makes possible. We run fewer searches per recruiter, giving yours the focused attention it deserves.

Multi-Touch Marketing Campaign

Generic outreach gets generic responses or none at all. We connect with and engage top talent through carefully crafted outreach campaigns tailored to resonate with the specific defined personality types.

Using the soft skills benchmarking from Phase 1, we craft messages that speak directly to the motivations of high-performers, combining both the rational and emotional elements that drive career decisions.

Compelling Marketing Materials

We create detailed Executive Role Summary decks that showcase your opportunity in ways that resonate with top talent. These materials become powerful tools in helping candidates see themselves in the role and your organization.

We've seen candidates flip from skeptical to enthusiastic after reviewing these materials. It's a piece of the process that impresses from the very beginning and demonstrates the professionalism of your organization.

By positioning your opportunity with the sophistication it deserves, we attract candidates who might otherwise dismiss the opportunity.


Rigorous Candidate Filtering

Standard interviews typically reveal only a partial picture of a candidate. The 10th St. approach deliberately goes deeper.

Candidates who pass our initial filters move into structured screening, which may include cognitive assessments, skills-based tests, custom questionnaires, and role-specific case studies. The identified screening tool is selected collaboratively during the Plan & Prepare phase with our clients. This methodology ensures we're not just finding candidates who can perform the job but identifying those who will truly thrive in your specific environment.

Our evaluation framework applies consistent criteria across all candidates, using tools and resources that most internal HR teams simply don't have access to. This systematic approach eliminates subjective biases and allows us to recognize the subtle distinctions between candidates who solely check boxes and those who possess the precise blend of capabilities, behaviors, and motivators needed for transformational impact in your organization.

Structured Screening Interviews

Our comprehensive intake process transforms how we interview candidates. Instead of generic conversations, we speak with the depth and context of an insider to the hiring company. We are able to communicate as someone who genuinely understands business challenges and culture. 

The screening interviews are structured in a way that the conversations flow very naturally while still proactively evaluating candidates against the Candidate Benchmark we established together, bringing context and nuance to conversations. We look beyond the resume to assess how candidates have navigated challenges similar to yours, asking targeted questions that reveal whether they're a "Bullseye," "Compatible," or "Adaptable" match for your specific environment.

We maintain consistency in how each candidate is measured, both in terms of qualifications and alignment with your team's values. This structured approach eliminates the subjective biases that often derail hiring decisions while providing candidates with an authentic preview of your organization through our credible representation.

What we're looking for goes beyond capabilities – we're identifying people who will truly thrive in your environment because we understand that environment from the inside out.

Candidate Presentations

Clients are presented standout candidates during our first Cohort Presentation, complete with a detailed Candidate Profile. Screening and evaluation continue on a rolling basis until the right fit is found.

You'll typically meet 4-8 standout candidates, complete with our summary notes and interview highlights. We keep sourcing and screening until we find your ideal match—without additional fees.


Client Interview Process

At this point, we've done the heavy lifting of finding and evaluating dozens or hundreds of potential candidates to present you with a select group of top contenders.

We help design an interview approach that's thorough without being excessive. We know your time is precious and how easy it is for good candidates to get lost in drawn-out processes.

Multi-Science Assessments

Candidates complete our proprietary assessment suite focused on Behaviors, Motivators, and Habits. This approach allows us to identify those with high potential who possess the right qualities to succeed in your environment.

These sophisticated tools reveal how people are wired to work, lead, and solve problems. The insights we gain allow for deeper, more meaningful conversations from the start and help us create customized Interview Guides for your team.

We've found that these assessments are particularly valuable when identifying up-and-coming talent with high potential, who may not have the exact experience but possess the right qualities to succeed.

Based on learnings from the assessment process, we provide your team with detailed Interview Guides that highlight areas to explore with each candidate, ensuring consistency while addressing the specific nuances of each person's profile.

Offer Strategy & Negotiation

We partner with you through the offer stage, serving as a bridge between you and the candidate. Our team helps navigate this delicate phase to ensure everyone feels valued and aligned.

We've seen too many searches fall apart at this critical juncture. Our approach keeps communication clear and expectations aligned, increasing the likelihood of a successful close.

Strategic Onboarding

We don't disappear once the offer is accepted. We conduct a strategic onboarding session with key stakeholders, using insights from our assessment process to create a tailored integration plan.

The first 90 days are critical to a new leader's success. Our continued partnership through this phase sets your new hire up for lasting impact, ensuring your investment pays off.

By addressing potential challenges proactively and building on identified strengths, we help ensure a smooth transition and faster time-to-productivity.


Our Commitment to Results

Our payment structure reflects our confidence in this process: 1/3 at kickoff, 1/3 at candidate presentation, and the final 1/3 contingent upon signed offer. We succeed when you succeed.

This isn't just a nice sentiment — it's how we've structured our business.

The 10th St. Talent Difference

What truly sets us apart is that we've been in your shoes. We understand the unique challenges of growing companies because we've built them ourselves.

  • True partnership: We operate as an extension of your team, not a vendor

  • Comprehensive candidate insights: We combine deep operational understanding with proprietary assessments that evaluate behaviors, motivators, and habits—not just skills and experience

  • Operational expertise: Our approach is built on what actually works, not recruitment theory

  • SMB expertise: We understand the type of talent that succeeds in growing businesses where versatility and ownership mentality matter more than narrow specialization

Our belief is simple: You shouldn't need unlimited resources to access exceptional talent. Our boutique approach gives growing businesses the sophisticated talent solutions you deserve with the practicality and personal touch their size demands.

The Bottom Line

We've lived through the pain of poor hires and the transformation that comes with getting the right leadership in place. When you're ready to invest in a process that actually works, we're here to help.

The cost of doing this wrong is far greater than the cost of doing it right. Let's talk about your next pivotal hire.