Post-Placement 90 Days: A Recruiter's Playbook

Recruiter guarantee periods expire at 90 days. A recruiter who tracks the first 90 days keeps the placement and earns the second mandate. What to track, when to intervene, when to stay out.

The three signals

Week 4: has the CEO taken at least one visible hard decision?
Week 8: is the leadership team hiring more senior, or the same seniority?
Week 12: does the sponsor still use 'we' about the CEO, or 'they'?

When to intervene

Only when the sponsor asks, or when a second reference call reveals a drift the sponsor has not surfaced. Never intervene on style disagreements. Intervene on missed board reports and missing decisions.

When to stay out

Once the CEO has replaced two direct reports. That is the point where the placement is theirs and intervention becomes noise.

https://niklaslindahl.com/guides/first-90-days-from-a-recruiters-side