The purpose of this solicitation is to establish a statewide term contract for executive search services for use by State Agencies and other Using Governmental Units (UGUs) for key senior level positions and high-level, hard to fill positions on an as needed basis. The searches will quickly fill key senior level positions with qualified candidates reducing or eliminating prolonged recruitment processes or selection of unsuccessful candidates. Currently, there are not any specific positions defined. Awards will be made to multiple offerors. UGUs will choose from the awarded Contractors to provide support for each search.

Before using this contract, all state agencies and institutions of higher education must submit a justification to DSHR. The justification shall include the position and the reason for electing the specific Contractor for this search.  DSHR must approve the use of this contract and the elected Contractor. Only after receiving authorization from DSHR may the state agency or institution of higher education issue a purchase order to a Contractor.  Political Subdivisions (i.e., cities, counties, and other local public procurement units) may use the contract at their own discretion.  If the UGU has multiple positions that must be filled, a separate request and justification must be made for each position.

Stacy Lanham, Department of Administration, Office of Human Resources 8301 Parklane Road, Suite A220, Columbia, SC 29223 (803) 896-9731

The Contractor(s) will support efforts by State Agencies, Public Institutions of Higher Education and other UGUs to find qualified candidates in a timely and efficient manner.  UGUs will choose from the awarded Contractor(s) to provide support for each search. 

1. The Contractors shall be responsible for conducting searches within the State of South Carolina, and/or nationally, for qualified individuals to be employed by UGUs on an as needed basis.  Searches may be conducted for hard to fill positions including but not limited to Chief Executive Officers, Chief Financial Officers, Chief Operating Officers, Chief Investment Officers, General Counsels, Senior Level Administrators, Senior Level Academic Positions (including but not limited to President’s, Vice President’s, Provost/Chancellor, Dean’s, Faculty Members, etc.), and Executive Compensation positions. Typically, these positions will be, but may not be, in State pay bands 8 and above or unclassified positions. 

2. The Contractors will be notified by the UGU of the need to conduct a search for open positions.  The UGU will provide the position description(s), minimal qualifications, and salary range(s) for open positions.  Currently there is not a defined list of positions and the total number of positions to be filled during the term of the contract is not known.

3. The Contractor (s) may be requested to meet with the UGU and/or a search committee prior to initiating any search in order to understand specific needs of the UGU along with gaining insight into the agency or institution’s business culture to assist in selecting an appropriate candidate.

4. The Contractor is responsible for all of the Contractor’s out of pocket expenses. The UGU may elect to pay or reimburse travel expenses for candidates during the interview process. Reimbursement for candidate’s travel expenses by the UGU will be in addition to the UGU’s payment to the Contractor of a percentage of the successful candidate’s first year’s base salary. All travel must be in accordance with the then current travel policies issued by the Office of the Comptroller General. This will be agreed upon by the UGU and the Contractor at the time of engagement.  The use of virtual environments for interviews and regular communication between the Contractor and UGU is strongly encouraged.

5. Contractors will be paid a percentage of a candidate's first year base salary once the position is filled that will not exceed the awarded percentage for each awarded Contractor.

6. The Contractor(s) shall recruit highly qualified, diverse, and distinguished candidates (particularly individuals who might not otherwise apply) utilizing the best practices of the search firm industry, seeking candidates from the Contractor’s known pool of prospective applicants and from suggestions made by the UGU.  This search should include a wide range of recruitment activities from the circulation of announcements in professional journals to extensive personal contacts with the prospective candidates.

7. The Contractors shall only submit qualified candidate(s) with the background and necessary experience to carry out the duties and responsibilities set forth in the job descriptions provided by the UGU.

       8. The UGU, in its sole discretion, may post open positions and fill these positions without using the services of the Contractor.

       9. If the UGU employs a candidate for a position and the candidate was (a) earlier produced by the Contractor in a previous authorized search and (b) interviewed by the UGU during the previous search within the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the hire, then the UGU will negotiate a price with Contractor that must be lower than the awarded percentage of the annual salary offered to and accepted by the candidate.

     10. The Contractor will present a minimum of three viable candidates for each position.  Viable candidates are those who meet at least all the minimum requirements for the position as defined by the UGU and whom the UGU deems as acceptable candidates. The UGU will make the final determination whether to interview the Contractor’s candidates.

11. The Contractor(s) shall, upon request, interact with the UGU, including providing reports which outline candidates identified for the position and how they were identified (i.e., via direct contact by the search firm, through nomination, or by self-application.) The Contractor will work with the UGU to develop a timeline or schedule for when this interaction shall occur.

12. The Contractors (s) shall, upon request, finalize and assist the UGU in the process of interviews, including but not limited to
    1. Arranging time and place for interviews (perhaps virtual depending on preference of interviewee and making all travel arrangements for interviews). 
    2. Coordinating candidate's participation in interviews.
    3. Advising the UGU on best practices for interview and selection.
    4. Providing guidance on compensation and components of an offer based on market and industry research, if requested.

      13. The Contractor will submit an invoice for all work performed under this offering. If the UGU makes an offer of employment that is accepted by one of the candidates produced by the Contractor, the Contractor shall submit an invoice (upon or thereafter that candidate’s official start        date) for the awarded Total Percentage (%) First Year Salary. Total Compensation will not exceed the awarded Total Percentage (%) First Year Salary.

     14. For positions which are required to be posted by South Carolina State Law and State Human Resources Regulations, the positions will be posted in accordance with the applicable state agency job posting procedures and individuals will be permitted to apply as they would for all other positions.  The Contractor may assist with the drafting of the required job posting.

15. The Contractor(s) shall engage with UGU and the selected candidate during the onboarding process to assure successful transition.  If the UGU determines within the first 12 months of employment that the hired candidate is unsuitable or if the candidate resigns from the position for any reason during within the first 12 months, the Contractor agrees to repeat the steps with new candidates at no additional cost to the UGU.   SAP

Job Order Process
The following procedures must be completed prior to submitting the justification to DSHR. 

1. Using the “Executive Search Services Job Order Request Form (JOR),” the UGU must interview at least two Contractors concerning their ability to satisfactorily fill the requested position.
2. The UGU must complete all entries on the JOR and a separate JOR must be prepared for each Contractor interviewed. If a Contractor refuses to provide a response to the request, the UGU must make a request from another Contractor. A JOR indicating a Contractor refused to provide information, a “blank JOR,” will not be accepted by DSHR.
3. Submit the JORs to DSHR for review.
4. DSHR will approve the use of one of the Contractors or deny the request and send it back to the UGU with an explanation as to why the request was denied, and what the UGU must do to gain approval.

Contractor Requirements & Responsibilities

• Contractor will respond to all JORs by a UGU and provide the information required on the JOR. If the Contractor refuses to respond to a JOR, they must provide the UGU sufficient justification for the lack of response. Repeated failure of a Contractor to respond to JORs without sufficient justification may be justification for contract termination.
• Contractor will not begin work on any PO issued by a governmental body that does not include DSHR approval.
• Once a Contractor receives a valid PO against the contract, they will begin conducting the search in accordance with the requirements of Section III of the contract.

 UGU’s Requirements & Responsibilities

• UGU shall create and complete the entire Job Order process each time they have a need to solicit services pursuant to this Contract.
• UGU’s must solicit information from at least two Contractors for each position to be filled prior to submitting the request to DSHR.
• The JOR must contain a position description with sufficient detail so that the Contractor may accurately respond to the JOR. Generic position descriptions are not acceptable.
• The UGU must provide objective information on the JOR and not try to skew the information towards one vendor over another. UGU’s may express a preference for one vendor over another.