Our Approach

How We Work — From First Conversation to Placement

Retained search, done properly, is not a database query. It is a disciplined, human process, repeated with precision on every mandate. Here is how Ateca actually works.

The Brief

Every mandate begins with a detailed conversation, not a job description. We work directly with the hiring principal — never through a layer of internal recruitment administration — to understand not just the seniority and book-size criteria of a role, but the commercial reality behind it: why this hire matters now, what success looks like in year one and year three, and what has made previous searches on this same desk succeed or fail.

Discreet Market Mapping

We do not advertise mandates or post them to job boards. Every search begins with systematic mapping of the relevant market – by institution, by desk, by seniority tier — built on relationships developed over years, not assembled for a single assignment.

Direct, Confidential Approach

Candidates are approached directly and confidentially, by a senior partner, never through mass outreach or automated messaging at senior level. Every conversation is conducted with full discretion, and no candidate’s identity or current institution is ever disclosed to a client without explicit consent.

Rigorous Evaluation

We assess every candidate against the specific commercial criteria that matter in private banking — portable AUM, revenue generation, ticket size, client relationship depth and tenure, and genuine motivation to move. We present only candidates who meet a mandate’s actual requirements, not a broad shortlist assembled to demonstrate activity.

Presentation and Process Management

We manage the full process from introduction through offer — briefing candidates thoroughly ahead of every interview, managing timelines and expectations on both sides, and remaining closely involved through negotiation and onboarding.

Beyond Placement

Our relationships do not end at placement. We remain in contact with both client and candidate long after a hire is made — because the next mandate, and the one after that, depends on it.

Team Transitions

A Specialist Discipline Within Our Approach

Team moves require a distinct methodology. We evaluate not only individual books but combined portability, team cohesion, and the operational mechanics of a multi-person transition across booking centres. [See our dedicated Team Moves page for more detail.]