We don't do corporate non-answers. If the question is worth asking, it deserves a straight response.
Three things. Network depth — our cleared candidate relationships are built over eight years of sector-specific work, not scraped from LinkedIn last week. Sector fluency — we understand ITAR, EVMS, AS9100, and DCMA exposure at a practitioner level. We're not learning the acronyms on your dime. Selectivity — we decline 40% of inbound searches. That's not a flex. It's the only way to ensure the searches we do take are ones we can win.
Yes. EXO was purpose-built for aerospace, defense, space, and advanced manufacturing. We don't work outside those sectors. That's not a limitation — it's the point. The candidate market is highly specialized, clearance requirements are real filters, and compensation benchmarking varies dramatically from general manufacturing. A firm that works across 20 industries cannot know this market the way we do.
Alex Ganz, directly. Every EXO engagement is personally led by the founder. You're not handed off to a junior recruiter after the kickoff call. The person you talk to in week one is the same person presenting candidates in week three. That's not common in this business. For us, it's non-negotiable.
Our ideal client is a PE-backed or closely held A&D company in the $25M–$1B revenue range with 50–1,000 employees. We have deep familiarity with TransDigm portfolio companies and Tier 1–3 DoD suppliers specifically. That said, we also work with commercial space companies and advanced manufacturers outside those revenue bands when the sector fit is strong.
Direct hire: 4–6 weeks from intake call to signed offer, on average. Retained search: 6–10 weeks depending on role complexity, clearance requirements, and geography. These are not marketing numbers — they're based on actual completed searches. That said, every search is different. If the comp is off-market or the requirements are unusually narrow, we'll tell you on the intake call and reset expectations before we start.
Every candidate comes with a Search Intelligence Brief — not just a resume. The brief includes:
You make the decision with information, not a stack of resumes and a gut check.
Typically 3–5 qualified candidates per search. We don't send eight to show volume. Every candidate presented has been voice-screened and passed a two-tier disqualifier standard: hard eliminators first (clearance, technical requirements, relocation), then behavioral and cultural depth. If a candidate doesn't pass that standard, they don't get presented. Three strong candidates are worth more than eight questionable ones.
We provide weekly status updates on every retained engagement — even when the update is "here's what we've found and here's why we're adjusting the strategy." If a search is stalling, we'll identify the root cause and bring you a recommendation before you have to ask. Common causes include comp misalignment, spec drift, or a market that's tighter than expected. We'd rather surface that early than let it drag for three months.
Fee structures are discussed directly on the intake call and agreed before any work begins. Every engagement is structured around the scope, complexity, and timeline of the specific search — not a one-size-fits-all number.
What we don't do is bury the fee conversation. If it's not the right fit financially, we'd rather know that upfront than waste your time and ours.
Yes. Every engagement includes a placement guarantee. The terms are agreed as part of the engagement — structured around the specific role, level, and circumstances of the search rather than a blanket policy.
We've never had to use it more than once with any client. But the protection is real and it's built into every agreement we sign.
For retained search, we require exclusivity. If another firm is currently engaged on the same role, we won't take the search. That's not arrogance — it's the only way the retained model works. For direct hire, we can engage on a role alongside other contingency firms, though our hit rate on exclusive or near-exclusive searches is significantly higher. We'll tell you on the call what we think the right setup is.
The best path is a direct introduction via alex@exotalentpartners.com or LinkedIn. Include your current role, sector focus, clearance level if applicable, and geography. We don't run job boards or post open roles — our network is relationship-based. If you're a senior leader in A&D, we want to know you before we need you. That's when the best conversations happen.
Yes. We never submit a candidate to a client without explicit permission from the candidate first. Your resume, name, and employment history are never shared without your direct authorization. In cleared environments especially, discretion is not optional — it's the standard.
That's actually our primary candidate pool. Most of the best placements we've made were with candidates who weren't on job boards and weren't sending resumes — but were open to the right conversation at the right time. We invest in those relationships before there's a search to fill. If you're a senior A&D leader who's content but curious, reach out. That's the conversation worth having.