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For Executive Search Firms and HR Consultancies

The best search firms don't just
deliver a candidate.
They make the hire stick.

For executive search firms and HR consultancies who want to be indispensable to their clients: Arrington Coaching integrates into your placement and consulting process to develop the leaders you place, close the gaps you identify, and give your clients a reason to call you first — every time.

Let's Build This Into Your Process See the Programs
Why the Best Firms Add Coaching 5× The top-performing search firms are 5x more likely to focus on executive coaching than firms losing revenue. Bullhorn GRID 2025 Industry Trends Report
Experience 18+ Years in Practice
Reach 20 Industries Served
Track Record 1,000+ Leaders Developed
Model Client Pays. You Benefit.
18+
Years of Practice
1,000+
Leaders Developed
20
Industries Served
5
Google Reviews
4.9 / 5
Course Rating
60+
LinkedIn Recommendations

Who We Work With

Two firm types. Two distinct value propositions.

What we do for an executive search firm is not what we do for an HR consultancy. Both relationships are built for the firm to look better to their clients, not to hand off a problem.

For Executive Search Firms

Stop delivering a candidate. Start delivering a successful hire.

Roughly 40% of senior executive hires are pushed out, fail, or quit within 18 months. Most of those failures happen in the first 90 days and have nothing to do with the candidate's competence. They are integration failures. The leader could not build credibility fast enough, align with the organization's expectations, or make the shift from doing the work to leading it.

The search firms that win repeat business and command premium fees do not just deliver a candidate. They deliver a successful hire. Arrington Coaching integrates into your placement process so your client gets structured leadership development from day one. Your client pays the coaching fee directly. You protect the placement, deepen the relationship, and give the client a reason to call you first on the next search.

40% of senior executive hires are pushed out, fail, or quit within 18 months (Heidrick & Struggles)
2× annual salary, the conservative floor on the cost of a failed executive hire (SHRM)
5× more likely to focus on executive coaching: top-performing firms vs. firms losing revenue (Bullhorn GRID 2025)

Where we fit in your process

  • → Pre-placement preparationBefore the leader's first day. We work with them on what to expect, how to read the organization quickly, and where the early credibility risks typically show up. Reduces integration time from the start.
  • → 90-day integration supportThe highest-risk window for every placement. Structured coaching through the first three milestone periods keeps the placement on track when it matters most.
  • → Significant scope increaseA leader stepping into a role materially larger than anything they have held before. Experience does not automatically transfer at scale. Development does.
  • → High-stakes placementsHigh-visibility role, demanding stakeholders, or a client with a history of leadership turnover. When the cost of a failed placement is reputational, not just financial, coaching is part of how you protect your firm.

For HR Consultancies

You identified the gap. We close it.

Your assessment found the undertrained managers. Your gap analysis documented what needs to change. Your engagement produced a clear recommendation. Then your client asked what to do about it.

We do not compete with your consulting work. We extend it. When you bring us in as a delivery partner, your clients experience your engagement as end-to-end, not a hand-off. Your recommendation becomes a measurable outcome your firm can point to. There is room for your firm in the economics, and we structure it to fit how you work. No paperwork required to start.

60% of new managers receive no leadership training when they step into the role (Center for Creative Leadership)
7× median ROI on executive coaching (PwC and ICF global survey)
6-9 mo of a manager's salary is the typical cost to replace them, before lost productivity and team disruption (SHRM)

When to bring us in

  • → Newly promoted managerHigh performer promoted without formal training. The most common and most preventable failure mode we serve.
  • → No onboarding infrastructureYour client has no formal leadership development. Your engagement identified the gap. We fill it.
  • → Post-assessment with no delivery planYour work produced a gap analysis. We turn the findings into behavioral change.
  • → Inherited a struggling teamA leader stepping into pre-existing morale or performance problems. Without support they absorb the history rather than change it.
  • → Newly placed or promoted leaderDirector, VP, or senior leader in the first 90-day integration window.
  • → Significant scope increaseA leader whose team, function, or responsibility has grown materially. Experience alone does not bridge the gap.

The Program Suite

Four programs. Every leadership level.

Every leader your client needs developed enters at the right point for their situation. The programs connect, but each stands completely alone.

01 Flightpath
02 Launch
03 Velocity
04 Momentum

Flightpath  /  6-Month Engagement

Coaching plus curriculum. Built for managers who are ready to grow but not yet at the executive level.

The right entry point when weekly executive coaching is not yet warranted.

Flightpath combines one monthly coaching session with one Leadership Pipeline Builder course per month. Leaders get structured curriculum tied directly to their current challenges, supported by coaching that applies it in real time.

For HR consultancy partners, this is the program to recommend when a gap analysis has identified manager-level development needs across the organization. Scalable, structured, and measurable across multiple leaders simultaneously.

→One 60-min coaching session per month →One Pipeline Builder course per month →Async access between sessions →Mid-point and close outcome reviews →Scalable across multiple leaders
Discuss Flightpath

Launch  /  90-Day Engagement

For newly placed or promoted leaders in the critical first 90 days.

The program built for every executive placement. For search firm partners, Launch is a standard part of how the best firms protect their work.

The first 90 days determine whether a placed or promoted leader succeeds or begins to quietly fail. Launch addresses the three factors that matter most: credibility with the team, alignment with organizational expectations, and the shift from doing the work to leading it.

Weekly sessions, async access, and milestone reviews at 30, 60, and 90 days. Every engagement closes with a written outcome summary your client can point to.

→One 60-min coaching session per week →Async access between sessions →30, 60, and 90-day milestone reviews →Stakeholder alignment strategy →Early-win identification and execution →Written outcome summary at close
Discuss Launch

Velocity  /  6-Month Engagement

The full development arc. For leaders who need more than a fast start.

The right engagement when behavioral change, not just integration, is what the leader needs.

Velocity builds the behavioral and strategic capabilities that separate leaders who plateau from leaders who advance. Accountability systems, team performance, executive presence, and stakeholder influence. The work that changes how a leader leads, not just what they do.

Weekly sessions, a leadership assessment at launch, and outcome reviews at 90 and 180 days. Velocity produces the kind of change that organizations notice, and that partners can point to when their client renews a relationship.

→One 60-min coaching session per week →Leadership assessment at program launch →Async access between sessions →Team performance and accountability work →90-day and 180-day outcome reviews →Executive presence and influence development
Discuss Velocity

Momentum  /  Annual Retainer, Billed Monthly

For leaders sustaining long-term performance with a senior thinking partner on call.

No re-onboarding. We already know the leader, the organization, and the full history.

Momentum is what comes after a structured engagement. Two sessions per month, open async access, and a coach who has already done the hard work of understanding this leader and this organization. The ongoing relationship that keeps a high-performing leader sharp and accountable.

Available as a natural continuation from Flightpath, Launch, or Velocity, or as a standalone for experienced leaders who have prior coaching history and want a sustained relationship without a fixed program structure. Invoiced monthly in advance on the first of each month.

→Two 60-min sessions per month, pre-scheduled →Async access, 24-hour response commitment →Annual commitment, billed monthly in advance →Natural continuation from any program →Available standalone for experienced leaders →No re-onboarding required
Discuss Momentum
Flightpath / 6-Month Engagement +

Coaching plus curriculum. Built for managers who are ready to grow but not yet at the executive level.

One monthly coaching session plus one Leadership Pipeline Builder course per month. Scalable across multiple leaders. Right for HR consultancy partners with manager-level development needs.

Discuss Flightpath
Launch / 90-Day Engagement +

For newly placed or promoted leaders in the critical first 90 days.

Weekly coaching, async access, milestone reviews at 30/60/90 days. The program built for every executive placement. For search firm partners, Launch is a standard part of how the best firms protect their work.

Discuss Launch
Velocity / 6-Month Engagement +

The full development arc. For leaders who need more than a fast start.

Accountability systems, team performance, executive presence. Leadership assessment at launch. Outcome reviews at 90 and 180 days. The engagement that changes how a leader leads.

Discuss Velocity
Momentum / Annual Retainer +

For leaders sustaining long-term performance with a senior thinking partner on call.

Two sessions per month, open async access, billed monthly in advance. Continues naturally from any program or available standalone. No re-onboarding. We already know the work.

Discuss Momentum

How It Works

Simple to start. Built around your firm.

You stay in control of the relationship. We handle the leadership development. Your client gets a hire that sticks. Here is what that looks like in practice.

1

You spot the moment.

A placement just started. A leader was just promoted into a bigger role. A client mentions a manager who is struggling. Any of these is the right moment to bring us in.

2

You make the introduction.

A short handoff, a three-way call, or simply have your client name you on our intake form when they reach out. No paperwork to get started. No process for you to manage.

3

We do the work. Your client pays us directly.

We scope, deliver, and document the engagement, structured around the leader's first 90 days and the specific risks of their transition. The hiring organization pays the coaching fee directly, so there is no cost to your firm and no overhead on your team.

4

You become the partner with the right connections.

The placement succeeds, and your stock rises. You are not just the firm that filled the role. You are the partner who brought the right people to the table, with relationships that make the hire stick. That is what earns the next search and the reputation as the firm worth calling first.

How the economics work

We keep this simple and we shape it around how your firm operates. Depending on the relationship, the structure is one of three. We settle which one fits on our first call, before anything is formalized.

Model 01

Client pays direct

Your client engages us directly and you protect the placement at no cost to you. The cleanest arrangement, and the one most search firms start with.

Model 02

Referral relationship

Where it fits your firm and your client agreements, we arrange a referral relationship on the engagements you send our way. We structure it cleanly and transparently.

Model 03

Delivered under your brand

For consultancies, we deliver as part of your engagement so the work carries your name and the margin stays with you. You own the relationship end to end.

How we work alongside you. The client relationship is yours and it stays yours. We work in tandem with you, never around you. We may introduce your client to other leadership development work we offer, but anything outside our lane, your search, staffing, and HR work, we point straight back to you. Our job is to make your client's hire succeed, which makes you the partner they keep calling.

What Clients Say

Results You Can Measure.
Stories You Can Feel.

The people who know the work best are the ones who have been through it.

“

Skeptic Converted

I was referred to David by an associate of mine. I had never worked with a business coach and wasn't really interested in working with a coach. Once I met David, he quickly changed my mind. Working with David is like having a personal trainer for your business. He is extremely motivating, he holds you accountable, and constantly offers a fresh perspective on how you can overcome the obstacles you face running a business.

Carl Cleanthes
Carl Cleanthes Business Owner
“

Executive Coaching

David adds value by identifying issues and solutions from the viewpoint of a neutral party. That point of view matched with his experience provides a framework for his clients to make better decisions. His approach is the right mix of challenge and support. I've been able to institute and execute the strategies and plans discussed in our sessions with my team.

Shawn Buddenhagen
Shawn Buddenhagen Chief Operating Officer

"David is a tour de force of positive energy. I trusted him to challenge me to be better every day and I'm glad I made that investment in myself. Generational transition at my family owned business had many pitfalls. David never backed down when asking tough questions and for that I am very grateful."

Matt Fine
Matt Fine President

"I achieved deeper insight into myself but also how others perceived my contributions. This allowed me to improve in soft skill areas and be more mindful of how important effective communication is. David made our sessions easy to work within my busy schedule."

Michelle Hines
Michelle Hines Chief Financial Officer

"I can confidently say that each of my goals were not only met but were exceeded. I have developed a more influential executive presence, made significant impacts on strategic objectives and promoted 3 members of my team."

Valencia McCrimmon
Valencia McCrimmon Senior Director

"I am now achieving career goals that were previously stuck in a holding pattern. I would recommend David to anyone looking for a coach with the desire and willingness to take time learning you as a person, understanding your behavioral attributes, and holding you accountable to your personal and career growth plans."

Kevin Williams
Kevin Williams Chief Financial Officer, Davenport Group

"He will quickly understand you, become your friend and your biggest cheerleader, and hold you accountable to the goals that you set for yourself, often pushing you past where you thought you could go."

Ravjot Pasricha
Ravjot Pasricha Senior Vice President, Engineering

"He coached me towards positive results such as increasing customer satisfaction, Net Operating Income, and building effective and productive relationships with my team. I highly recommend any organization make the investment of Dr. Arrington's services into their leaders at every level."

Reuben Canty
Reuben Canty Senior Executive Director

These are eight voices. There are more than sixty on record.

Read More Client Stories →

Common Questions

What firms ask before
building this into their process.

In most cases the hiring organization pays the coaching fee directly to Arrington Coaching. You present leadership development as part of a full-service engagement, either as a separate line item your client approves or absorbed into a premium placement fee that reflects the added value you are delivering. Either way there is no cost to your firm and no overhead on your team.

The exact structure flexes to how your firm works. Depending on the relationship, that means your client engages us directly, we arrange a referral relationship where it fits your firm and your client agreements, or we deliver under your brand as part of your own engagement. We settle which one fits on our first call, before anything is formalized.

Once the engagement is confirmed we handle everything: scoping, delivery, milestone reporting, and outcome documentation. You are copied on key milestones so you can speak to the work confidently with your client. No paperwork is required to start. The conversation comes first.

No. We do not place leaders, conduct HR assessments, or provide organizational consulting. We develop leaders after they are placed or after the gap has been identified. Our work begins where yours ends.

For executive search firms, we develop the leaders you place. For HR consultancies, we deliver the behavioral change your gap analysis recommends. The client relationship is yours and it stays yours. We work in tandem with you, never around you. If a client needs search, staffing, or HR work outside our lane, we point them straight back to you.

The best point to introduce coaching is before the leader's first day. Pre-placement preparation works with the incoming leader on what to expect, how to read the organization quickly, and where early credibility risks typically show up. It reduces integration risk from day zero and signals to your client that your firm thinks further ahead than most.

If coaching starts at placement, the Launch program covers the first 90 days with weekly sessions and milestone reviews at 30, 60, and 90 days. That is the highest-risk window for any placement, and structured support through it is the clearest way to protect your work.

Other natural integration points include a significant scope increase, meaning a role materially larger than anything the leader has held before, and high-visibility placements where the reputational cost of a failed hire goes beyond the financial one. For HR consultancy partners, the right time is when your gap analysis or assessment has produced recommendations your firm cannot deliver internally.

The research on executive coaching shows a median return of seven times the investment, based on a global PricewaterhouseCoopers and ICF survey. Our own client outcomes include a $1.6 million revenue increase over eight months and a 24% year-over-year profit improvement following a coaching engagement.

The framing that lands best with clients is simple. Coaching from day one reduces the risk of a failed hire. The first 90 days determine whether a newly placed leader integrates or begins to quietly struggle. Structured support through that window is how you protect the investment your client just made in this hire.

When you reach out, we will walk you through exactly how to frame this for your specific client and what to expect at each milestone, so you go into the conversation with the full picture.

We track progress throughout every engagement with structured check-ins at defined milestones. Concerns surface early rather than at the end. If something is not landing, we address it directly rather than continuing on course.

Because your firm's reputation is attached to how this goes, we keep you informed throughout. If a client relationship is at risk for any reason, you will hear it from us before you hear it from the client. That is not a common situation, but it is how we operate when it happens.

We scope every engagement around what the client actually needs, so we share specific numbers in conversation rather than publishing them here. What we can tell you is that our programs are positioned in the range where the ROI case is clear and the decision does not require budget committee approval at most organizations.

The more useful frame for your clients is the cost of the alternative. SHRM puts the cost of replacing a failed executive at a floor of two times their annual salary, and higher once lost productivity and team disruption are counted. That number tends to reframe the coaching investment quickly. If you want specific program pricing to inform a client conversation, reach out and we will walk you through it.

A question we did not answer here?

Reach Out Directly

Start With a Conversation

The firms clients call back
are the ones who made the hire stick.

Delivering a candidate is a transaction. Delivering a successful leader is a relationship. Let's talk about how to build the second one into how your firm works.

No paperwork to start. No commitment required for the first conversation. We figure out how this fits your process before anything is formalized.

Let's Build This Into Your Process → See the Programs
18+ Years ● 20 Industries ● 60+ LinkedIn Recommendations ● 5 ★ Google Reviews
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