The people we place make a difference right away, and over the long term. The average placed SearchSmart candidate stays for five years, providing continuity in a sector that tends to see higher turnover.

Our success stems from our experience in connecting talent to causes, knowing that every case is different, and that off-the-shelf models don’t work. At SearchSmart, we bring a fresh and targeted approach to every search, building lasting relationships with clients and candidates.

In other words, we work hard to create Smart Connections for Smart Results.

Let us know how we can put our experience to work for you by connecting with SearchSmart.

LEARN ABOUT OUR CEO COMMUNITY

And are you a CEO looking to stay engaged with other CEOs in the not-for-profit sector? If so, our CEO Community helps you and your counterparts connect, share and learn together.

Learn more about the CEO Community here.

Every time I’ve worked with Sandra–in different organisations, hiring for very different senior roles, in different regions of Canada–the result has been excellent. Sandra always improves her clients’ understanding not only of their organisations needs but also of the key qualities they are looking for in the hire.”

Claudia Hepburn, CEO, Windmill Microlending
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SearchSmart Leadership
Sandra Paquette, President & CEO

Sandra brings her deep experience in both the private and not-for-profit sectors to every new search assignment. Having that experience – and the connections stemming from it – expands the potential pool of candidates she taps into in finding the right people for the job.

With her hands-on approach, Sandra oversees every aspect of the search, managing staff and external resources to execute at her high standards.

Boards of Directors and senior leaders can be confident that Sandra will successfully facilitate their search process. Her coaching and facilitation education provides her with the skills to quarterback multiple stakeholders with different styles and attributes, bringing searches to successful completion.

Clients, such as the ones listed below, are confident that they will get the person they hire to lead and manage their search process.

Connect with Sandra Paquette
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Laura Hearn
President & Executive Director, POST Promise

While Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, True Patriot Love Foundation – “When considering a move into the not-for-profit sector, it was critical that I select a role that was the right fit for me. During the interview process, Sandra took the time to really get to know me – what I was looking for and the unique skills that I offered. Her straight-forward, honest perspective coupled with her deep understanding of what her client was looking for resulted in a very successful placement – both for me as the candidate as well as the organization I ultimately joined.”

Dave Prowten
CEO, JDRF Canada

“What impressed me about Sandra was her commitment to understanding our needs in terms of skills as well as culture to enable the future success of our organization.”

Jeni Piepgrass
Director of Development, Glenbow Museum

While National Director, Development at Windmill Microlending – “Sandra, Vesna and the whole team at SearchSmart supported me as an applicant to my new role with IAF. It’s clear they are committed to finding the right fit for the candidate and the organization, and they provided me with great insights and advice throughout the interview and hiring process. Their understanding of the fund development sector and its role in the non-profit world means that the hiring organization is getting very thoughtful strategic advice. I look forward to working with them for future hires.”

Cheryl Clark
Vice Chair, Oakville & Milton Humane Society

“Sandra was a true partner in our search from the very beginning.  She understood the complexities of the Executive Director role and the unique capabilities we were looking for in a leader.  Sandra’s solid recruiting and business expertise, together with her high level of customer service, all contributed to a first-class hire well within our time expectation.  Her open and honest communication style made it a pleasure to work with her. We would not hesitate to engage Sandra, again, and we highly recommend her company for any senior not-for-profit search.”

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Our Values
Honesty

We strive to be honest throughout the search process – honest with clients, candidates and the community at large. We learn as much about each client as possible, then translate that information in an honest and transparent way to all candidates. It also means being upfront about the pool of candidates to clients. We never oversell a skill or a quality in an effort to close a search quickly. Honest is our hallmark.

Integrity

We never actively recruit anyone we have placed in an organization.

Candour

We don’t simply agree with our clients to get the search assignment. Instead, we ask candid questions from the start as so to fully understand each situation. We then ask targeted questions throughout our search process to find the right person for the job. Every discussion along the way helps answer a key question: ͞How can we do this right?”

Curiosity

A good search is founded on good dialogue. So we ask questions to understand our clients, our candidates and the needs of the organization we’re serving. Our curiosity, and the dialogue it stimulates, allows us to look at every search with new eyes, without bias. We bring a fresh perspective, based on 25 years of experience, to every search.

Empathy

We know that the search process can be stressful for some candidates. We get it. So we bring empathy, not egos, to the relationships we build along the way. We care about our candidates, and we negotiate fairly to meet their needs and those of our clients.

Intelligence

We know search. We understand the NFP sector. And we apply our accumulated intelligence and wisdom to our work. Being nice while doing it is simply who we are.