--- title: "Hiring an Executive" id: "4099" type: "page" slug: "hiring-an-executive" published_at: "2026-05-31T17:47:47+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-03T16:36:17+00:00" url: "https://www.asaecenter.org/career-development/association-careers/association-careerhq-for-employers/staffing-and-executive-recruitment/hiring-an-executive/" markdown_url: "https://www.asaecenter.org/career-development/association-careers/association-careerhq-for-employers/staffing-and-executive-recruitment/hiring-an-executive.md" excerpt: "A hallmark of a successful association is having the right leaders to help board members, volunteers, and staff envision what’s possible, foster teamwork, and get results." taxonomy_category: - "Career Development" --- [Home](https://www.asaecenter.org/) » [Career Development](https://www.asaecenter.org/career-development/) » [Association Careers](https://www.asaecenter.org/career-development/association-careers/) » [Association CareerHQ: For Employers](https://www.asaecenter.org/career-development/association-careers/association-careerhq-for-employers/) » [Staffing and Executive Recruitment](https://www.asaecenter.org/career-development/association-careers/association-careerhq-for-employers/staffing-and-executive-recruitment/) » Hiring an Executive# Hiring an Executive Your staff relies on your top-level executives to provide clear leadership and create a positive workplace culture where the whole team can succeed. When you need the right candidates for your C-suite, you’ll find help here. [Go to Association Career HQ (opens in a new tab)](https://careerhq.asaecenter.org) One hallmark of a thriving, successful association is having the right leaders in place who can help board members, volunteers, and staff envision what’s possible and foster the teamwork needed to get results. That’s why the executive recruitment process is so important. Recruiting an association’s top executive is usually different from recruiting other staff. There are often fewer candidates available with the experience and skills needed to run an association. Typical search methods, such as online job boards or website postings, may not lead to the right candidates. In addition, the organization’s board of directors, or a committee of the board, is usually actively involved in recruiting the top executive. Many associations are not well equipped to recruit at the highest staff levels, and they may be concerned about having staff members involved in hiring their next supervisor. So associations often turn to executive recruitment services to find an executive director or CEO and other senior staff. These services help organizations better determine the characteristics and skill sets a candidate will need to be successful in his or her new role. An executive recruiter also can set realistic expectations, for both the organization and the candidates, regarding compensation, benefits, and cultural fit that will attract the right people to the position. While they may use some of the same recruiting techniques as the association would use to fill other staff positions, executive recruiters usually have effective networking methods that will identify candidates who could not be discovered by traditional means and whom the association may not know how to reach. ## Tools You Can Use ### Sample documents It’s important to have the right documents ready for the search and hiring process. Start with these templates shared by associations, and explore many more in the [Templates (opens in a new tab)](https://associationsnow.com/format/templates/) section of *Associations Now*. - [CEO job description (opens in a new tab)](https://associationsnow.com/2018/06/15/job-description-ceo/) - [Executive director compensation policy (opens in a new tab)](https://associationsnow.com/2022/02/01/compensation-policy-for-executive-director/) - [CEO employment agreement (opens in a new tab)](https://associationsnow.com/2008/06/02/ceo-employment-agreement/) ### Executive Recruitment Service Association CareerHQ’s [Executive Recruitment Service](/career-development/association-careers/association-careerhq-for-employers/staffing-and-executive-recruitment/executive-recruitment-service/) helps organizations attract and hire the best executive talent in the industry. ### CEO compensation data The [ASAE Association Compensation & Benefits Study 2026–2027 (opens in a new tab)](https://my.asaecenter.org/product/asae-association-compensation-benefits-report-2026-2027-online-tool/) provides current benchmarks for the CEO position, including compensation, contracts, incentives, and executive benefits. ### CEO performance assessment Once your new CEO is on board, how will you judge their performance? The [Assessment of the Chief Executive for Associations Tool (opens in a new tab)](https://boardsource.org/board-support/assessing-performance/chief-executive-assessments-ace/) , developed by ASAE and BoardSource, is designed to compile a range of input into user-friendly summary reports. ASAE’s book [The New CEO’s Guide (opens in a new tab)](https://my.asaecenter.org/product/the-new-ceos-guide-advice-for-the-first-time-aspiring-or-current-association-executive/) also includes a sample CEO evaluation, along with practical advice for a new chief executive’s first year. ## Contact Association CareerHQ [achq@asaecenter.org](mailto:achq@asaecenter.org) 202.626.2891 Association CareerHQ is managed by ASAE Business Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ASAE and the trusted source for essential business services for associations and nonprofits. Learn more about [ASAE Business Services, Inc (opens in a new tab)](https://absisolutions.com/) .