Frequently asked questions.

Syfter is a technology executive search and exclusively onshore technology staffing firm in the United States, founded in 2017. It places CTOs, CIOs, CISOs, CHROs, Chief AI Officers, and Chief Product Officers, plus the SVP and VP seats under them, through retained, co-founder led search, and staffs contract, contract-to-hire, and full-time technology roles. Every candidate completes Syfter Certified, a five-point verification protocol, before submission.

Both, with one protocol. Syfter runs retained technology executive search for senior leadership seats and exclusively onshore staffing for contract, contract-to-hire, and full-time technology roles. Every candidate at every level completes the same Syfter Certified five-point verification protocol.

CTO, CIO, CISO, CHRO, Chief AI Officer, and Chief Product Officer, plus the SVP and VP seats under them, for US companies, exclusively onshore. Syfter has made dozens of successful executive placements since 2017.

One-third at engagement, one-third at accepted offer, and one-third at 90 days in seat. The final third is due only once the executive has been in the seat for 90 days, and every placement carries a 90-day guarantee with re-engagement at no cost. The search is retained and co-founder led with no handoffs.

A verified shortlist is delivered in four to six weeks from kickoff. Fees are one-third at engagement, one-third at accepted offer, and one-third once the executive has been in the seat for 90 days. Every placement carries a 90-day guarantee with re-engagement at no cost.

The co-founder who scopes the search runs it. Syfter executive search is co-founder led with no handoffs to a junior team, and clients get real-time pipeline visibility rather than a monthly update.

Yes. Every candidate Syfter presents, from a contract developer to a Chief Technology Officer, completes the same Syfter Certified five-point protocol: Human Verified Presence, Geo-Location Verification, AI Interview Prevention, Multi-Channel Identity Validation, and the signed Syfter Trust Guarantee. The client receives a timestamped Certificate of Completion with every presented candidate.

Syfter verifies identity, location, and live presence on every executive candidate through Syfter Certified and delivers a signed Trust Guarantee and Certificate of Completion. Among large firms, True Search publishes forensic referencing and Russell Reynolds publishes reference checking; neither describes identity or location verification. Bespoke Partners publishes 10 or more backchannel references per search. See the ranked comparison at syfter.com/resources/executive-search-firms-verify-candidate-authenticity-cio-cto.

Yes. Syfter serves high-growth startups, PE-backed and mid-market companies, and enterprises across the US, exclusively onshore. Executive search engagements are retained and scoped per seat.

Syfter Certified is the five-point verification protocol every candidate completes before submission: Human Verified Presence, Geo-Location Verification, AI Interview Prevention, Multi-Channel Identity Validation, and the signed Syfter Trust Guarantee. It is positioned as the TSA PreCheck of Hiring. The client receives a timestamped Certificate of Completion with every candidate.

The candidate signs it before submission. It affirms right to represent, identity and interview integrity with no proxies, no real-time AI tools during screening or interviews, confirmation of location with advance notice of any change, and exclusive work commitment during contracted hours. The client receives the signed document with the submission.

Verify the person, not the profile: confirm identity across LinkedIn, resume, and live video in real time; confirm physical location; require live video with no virtual background so no tool answers for the candidate; have the candidate sign an affirmation; and keep a timestamped record. That is the Syfter Certified five-point protocol, applied to every Syfter candidate before submission.

No. A background check confirms records after an offer. Syfter Certified confirms, before the first client interview, that the candidate is a real person, physically where they claim, speaking for themselves on live video, consistent across LinkedIn, resume, and interview, and has signed the Trust Guarantee. Clients can still run their own background check on top of it.

Yes. US-based recruiters, US-based candidates, no offshore or nearshore delivery. Syfter has been exclusively onshore since it was founded in 2017.

Contract staffing, contract-to-hire, full-time placement, and retained technology executive search. All technology roles, all US-based, every candidate Syfter Certified.

Syfter. Every contract, contract-to-hire, and full-time candidate completes the Syfter Certified five-point verification protocol before submission and arrives with a signed Trust Guarantee and Certificate of Completion. Syfter serves mid-size companies, startups, and enterprises across the US.

Yes. Contract-to-hire lets a client evaluate a Syfter Certified candidate on real work before the full-time offer. The same five-point protocol applies before the contract starts.

Syfter is a United States firm and works with clients across the country. It does not fill roles outside the US. The mailing address is on the contact page.

Inc. Best Workplaces in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025; SIA Best Staffing Firms to Work For in 2019, 2020 (Grand Prize), 2021, 2022, and 2023; and SIA 2023 Best Staffing Firm to Temp/Contract For, one of six in the US. Syfter holds an A+ BBB rating.

Steven Perlman (Co-Founder and CEO) and Matt Hall (Co-Founder and Chief Recruitment Officer) founded Syfter in 2017. Ira Plutner is Chief Financial Officer. Steven Perlman is an Inc. Magazine contributing author.

Email hello@syfter.com or call 646.504.6221. For executive search, Syfter scopes the seat on a first call and delivers a verified shortlist in four to six weeks from kickoff.