ingeniam – Executive Search & Human Capital Consulting

27.06.2025

It’s always the right moment to reflect on fee structures.

The question of appropriate consultancy fees often leads a shadowy existence – rarely addressed openly, even less frequently thought through strategically. Yet the quieter summer months offer an ideal opportunity to reflect on a fundamental business reality: Why do consulting services cost what they do? And why is this pricing not only justified but economically essential?

The Hidden Cost Drivers

Current industry analyses make it clear: Daily rates in consulting are far from arbitrary. They follow detailed calculation models that reflect the realities of the business. Personnel expenses – including social contributions – make up nearly two-thirds of all costs in management consulting. This alone illustrates how people-intensive the industry is.

But the visible service is only part of the equation. A large share of expenditure is tied up in non-billable work: market research, preparation of complex proposals, and client discussions that don’t result in an engagement. On average, consultants spend around 20 working days per year on offers that don’t convert. It is evident that successful mandates must also absorb the cost of unsuccessful ones.

Specific Challenges in Project-Based Services

Executive research and similar specialized consulting fields face additional challenges. Costs arise from deep preparatory work, multi-step assessment procedures, and intensive personal conversations – often invisible, yet decisive for project success.

This investment in quality pays off. International studies show that failed C-level hires can cost companies three to five times the annual salary of the position in question. In this light, a thoughtful fee structure is not about profit maximization – it’s about minimizing risk.

Time for Transparent Communication

While pricing may seem an unglamorous topic, its importance goes far beyond individual industries. At its core, it’s about the value we place on expertise, the trust we build through structured processes, and the courage to talk openly about economic realities.

Especially in times of increasing AI integration, human judgment and experience become key differentiators. Companies that take this seriously should use the summer slowdown to reflect on their pricing models – and to communicate openly what high-quality consulting really costs and why it’s worth the investment.

This perspective builds on thoughts shared by Dirk Lippold and other experts who have long called for greater transparency in the economic foundations of consulting services – insights that remain highly relevant today.

Your Experience Is in Demand

How do you handle the topic of fees – whether as a consultant or a client? Which strategies have helped foster transparent communication and mutual understanding around costs? Where do you see the greatest added value – and where the most frequent misconceptions?

Share your perspective in the comments. Because only through honest dialogue can we develop fair and comprehensible standards – together.

Consulting in transition: How AI and digitalization are changing the everyday life of consultants

10.06.2025

by Stephan Breitfeld

A field report by Stephan Breitfeld, Executive Researcher

Between high-tech and knowledge of human nature

Executive search relies on experience, intuition – and now more than ever on intelligent technologies. Everyday consulting is changing noticeably: artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools are a concrete companion in day-to-day business.

Digital tools along the entire customer journey

We use generative AI specifically in preliminary research – for example to identify target companies or to create initial text modules. Platforms such as Heygen enable video presentations, while tools such as DeepL or transcription AIs save valuable time during correction and documentation. Even the individual candidate folder is now created with the help of AI: It contains location, salary range, skills profile and an individually calculated Z-score for comparability.

Our aim is to offer our clients full transparency at all times. With digital “Search Strategy Reports”, we create a comprehensible basis: insights into the target companies, classification of candidate profiles, project progress – everything can be viewed at any time. The client decides for themselves when and how intensively they want to be informed.

100% digital – if desired

Our processes are – if requested by the customer – completely digitalized: from initial contact to structured online interviews and in-depth assessments using external scientific tools. But one thing remains constant: direct human contact. Authenticity, trust and empathy are particularly important in the sensitive area of top-level appointments. Conversations about shared interests such as sport or travel create closeness – sometimes more effectively than any algorithm.

Obstacles? Resources rather than resistance

We hardly encounter any technological barriers – data protection is regulated and acceptance is high. The greater challenge lies in implementation: time and budget often limit what would have been technically possible long ago. The ideas are there – the practical integration is the bottleneck.

Outlook: Advice will be modular and AI-supported

In five years‘ time, consulting will be even more individualized. Customers will book more targeted modules – from market analysis to candidate evaluation. AI will take on a valuable assistance function: as a sparring partner, data analyst or copywriter. I remain convinced that executive research is a people business – no matter how powerful digital tools may be. Highly specialized knowledge, market expertise, situational sensitivity and personal responsibility cannot be outsourced. This is precisely the raison d’être of professional researchers in the future: they combine the best of both worlds – technology and human judgment.

FOCUS – TOP Personal Dienstleister 2025

Best practice: skills-based recruiting rethought

24. April 2025

by Stephan Breitfeld

New role, new requirements – and no clear candidate pool

A medical technology company is looking for an executive for digital transformation. The newly created position of Chief Digital Health Officer (CDHO) requires innovative strength, technological expertise and regulatory knowledge. However, traditional candidates from the industry often do not have the necessary digital experience. A traditional search would severely limit the selection – a new approach is needed.

A change of perspective: expertise beats industry affiliation

Instead of focusing on career paths, the company precisely defines the skills that are relevant for success. The focus is on technological expertise, transformational strength, regulatory understanding and the ability to make innovations marketable. The search is deliberately extended beyond medical technology – to where digital transformation is already a reality.

The selection is not based on CVs, but on practical assessments. In structured case studies and simulations, candidates demonstrate how they develop digital business models, overcome regulatory hurdles and convince various stakeholders.

The unconventional candidate – and why he fits the bill

A Chief Digital Officer from the telecommunications industry was found. He has managed a large-scale digital transformation, established data-driven business models and mastered regulatory challenges. At the same time, he has a connection to the healthcare industry: he completed his Master’s degree at a medical technology company, where he worked in IT for several years. This experience not only gives him a technical understanding of the industry, but also a sensitivity to its particular challenges.

18 months later: a successful transformation

The new CDHO establishes a digital platform for remote patient monitoring, integrates AI into medical products and sets up a dedicated internal Digital Innovation Lab. Agile methods are finding their way into product development and strategic partnerships with tech companies are accelerating progress.

Conclusion: skills-based recruiting significantly expands the talent pool

The case shows that the best candidates can often be found outside of familiar industries. Those who think beyond traditional career paths and focus on transferable skills will secure decisive competitive advantages.

Think outside the box. Let competencies decide, not the CV.

Frohe Ostern

Verstärkung bei ingeniam im Januar 2025

Borries von Müller ist im Januar als Partner zu ingeniam gewechselt und verstärkt den Bereich Technology. Mit mehr als drei Jahrzehnten Erfahrung in Fach- und Führungspositionen in internationalen DAX-Konzernen sowie einer globalen Unternehmensberatung bringt er umfassende Expertise im Technologiebereich mit.

Er verfügt über langjährige internationale Erfahrung in den Bereichen Human Resources, Organisationsentwicklung und Talent Management, insbesondere aus globalen Unternehmen der Gesundheits-, Automobil- und Luftfahrtindustrie. Seine Expertise umfasst die Einführung moderner HR-Systeme, die Optimierung von Organisationsstrukturen und -prozessen sowie Leadership durch Transformation. Zu seinen Kernkompetenzen zählen die Rekrutierung und Entwicklung von Führungskräften auf Führungsebene sowie die Gestaltung nachhaltiger HR-Strategien auf internationaler Ebene.

Borries von Müller

Partner
Kontakt
Telefon:+49 / 69 / 9 59 09 19 19
Mobil:+49 / 170 / 8 19 33 83
E-Mail:borries.vonmueller@ingeniam.de

Verstärkung bei ingeniam im Oktober 2024

Sophie Lang Dumont ist seit Ende letzten Jahres ein wertvolles Mitglied unseres Teams bei ingeniam und verstärkt uns als Associate Partner im Bereich Legal Services und Professional Services. Ihre berufliche Laufbahn begann sie in einem Pharmaunternehmen und einer renommierten Kanzlei, bevor sie in die Personalberatung wechselte.

Seit über sieben Jahren berät Sophie Lang Dumont internationale Kanzleien und Unternehmen in drei Sprachen, insbesondere bei der Besetzung juristischer Positionen und der beruflichen Weiterentwicklung von Anwälten.

Vor ihrem Eintritt bei ingeniam Ende 2024 war sie Partnerin in einer deutschen Executive Search-Boutique in Frankfurt am Main.

Sophie Lang Dumont

Associate Partner

Kontakt
Telefon:+49 / 69 / 9 59 09 19 60
Mobil:+49 / 160 / 94 79 66 91
E-Mail:sophie.langdumont@ingeniam.de

Herzlich willkommen, Sophie! 🚀

Verstärkung bei ingeniam im März 2025

Seit Mitte März verstärkt Valeska Sternberger als Associate Partner unser Team im Bereich: Financial Services & Professional Services bei ingeniam. Mit über 20 Jahren Erfahrung im Executive Search und tiefem Branchenwissen bringt sie wertvolle Expertise in unser Unternehmen ein.

Valeska hat in ihrer Laufbahn sowohl in Fach- und Führungspositionen bei internationalen Unternehmensberatungen als auch als selbstständige Beraterin für renommierte Executive Search Boutiquen und globale Unternehmen gearbeitet. Ebenfalls war sie als HR Senior Consultant und Head of Recruiting tätig, wo sie den gesamten HR Employee Life Cycle verantwortete und HR-Prozesse optimierte.

Ihre umfangreiche Erfahrung in der Beratung von Kandidaten und Unternehmen sowie ihr breites Netzwerk machen sie zu einer idealen Ergänzung für unser Team.

Valeska Sternberger-Bachmann

Associate Partner

Kontakt
Telefon:+49 / 69 / 9 59 09 19 80
Mobil:+49 / 173 / 6 58 89 08
E-Mail:valeska.sternberger@ingeniam.de

IIC Partners ist unter den globalen Top 40 Recruiting Unternehmen bei Hunt Scanlon Media! 🚀

„Hunt Scanlon reviewed an exhaustive list of global recruiting providers and culled it down to the 2021 top 40 global talent providers that now dominate the recruiting business worldwide.“

Im Ranking 2025 wurde IIC Partners unter die weltweit stärksten Recruiter gewählt und darf sich damit zu den „Top Global Talent Providers“ zählen!

Wir freuen uns über diese tolle Auszeichnung für IIC Partners und sind stolz als ingeniam Executive Search & Human Capital Consulting GmbH & Co. KG seit 2010 Mitglied von IIC Partners zu sein.

How companies are revolutionizing their approach to talent acquisition

28. März 2025

by Stephan B. Breitfeld

In the first part of our article, we highlighted the growing importance of skills-based recruiting. But how can this concept be implemented in practice? And what challenges are associated with it?

From requirements profile to skills matrix

The transition to a skills-based approach requires a fundamental change in perspective: the focus is no longer on the traditional career path, but on the skills that are actually available. This involves the use of a skills matrix that specifically defines the skills relevant to a position – regardless of how and where they were acquired.

New selection process: AI-supported analyses and simulation-based assessments

Traditional application folders are becoming less important. Instead, evidence-based procedures are gaining relevance. Skills mapping helps to precisely identify key competencies. Simulation-based assessments allow candidates to be observed in real-life scenarios. Data-based skills analyses create a more objective basis by incorporating existing work samples, structured case studies or digital footprints.

Executive researchers routinely use these tools for the benefit of their clients, supplementing their own expertise to precisely identify skills and potential – always in the context of the vacant position and the specific corporate culture.

Challenges in implementation

As promising as the concept is in theory, its implementation is challenging. One key point is the necessary cultural change. In many companies, the focus on formal qualifications is deeply rooted. The traditional screening of CVs conveys a sense of security – a rethink in HR departments and specialist areas is therefore essential.

The measurability of skills also poses a challenge. While qualifications or professional experience are clearly documented, the assessment of skills requires reliable yet flexible methods. Competency models that are too rigid can overlook individual strengths, while purely subjective assessments are prone to bias.

Added to this is technological integration. New analysis tools and AI-supported systems must be seamlessly integrated into existing HR processes in order to utilize their benefits efficiently.

Last but not least, regulatory aspects play a role. In some markets and industries, traditional requirement profiles are enshrined in law. Companies must therefore ensure that new methods meet both internal compliance guidelines and legal requirements.

Conclusion

Skills-based recruiting can help companies to identify talent more precisely – provided that the methods are used professionally. Executive research combines analytical tools with human expertise and strategic advice. The result is a sustainable selection process that goes beyond short-term trends.

Read a concrete best-practice example in the next article in our series: How a medical technology company successfully filled a key position with skill-based executive search.