We do not just find candidates. We find the right fit for your role, your team, and your culture -- using behavioral science, mental fitness insight, and 30 years of senior leadership experience to eliminate the guesswork from your most important hire.
Why Meritas
Most search firms assess candidates on skills and experience. We assess behavioral fit, cognitive alignment, and mental fitness -- so the person you hire can do the job and thrive in your specific environment.
Every search engagement includes PI behavioral profiling. We benchmark the role requirements, assess candidates against the profile, and present only those who align behaviorally -- not just on paper. You see the data, not just our opinion.
As Positive Intelligence practitioners, we evaluate how leaders perform under pressure, how they respond to adversity, and whether their mental fitness will hold in a demanding role. Most firms skip this entirely.
Meri Stockwell spent 30 years in senior leadership before founding Meritas. She has held the roles she recruits for. That means she understands what a job description cannot capture -- the pressure, the politics, and what it actually takes to succeed.
You have a direct line to Meri throughout the engagement -- no handoffs to junior recruiters. We run a tight, communicative practice. You always know where the search stands and what comes next.
Engagement Models
We offer both retained and contingency search structures. Here is how to know which is right for your situation.
Our exclusive partnership model. You invest in three phases -- and in return, you get our undivided focus, a rigorous behavioral assessment process, and a guarantee on the placement.
Investment based on first-year total compensation. Phased payment structure available to align with your hiring timeline.
No upfront investment. You pay only on successful placement. Available selectively for the right client relationships and role types where our network depth gives us a clear advantage.
Competitive market-rate fee on placement. Let's discuss whether your role is the right fit for this model.
Our Process
Five stages. Behavioral science at every step. No black box -- you see exactly where your search stands at all times.
We go beyond the job description -- mapping behavioral requirements, team dynamics, leadership expectations, and success benchmarks using PI.
We activate our network and conduct targeted outreach. We are not posting and praying -- we are calling people who are not looking but should be.
Every qualified candidate completes a PI behavioral assessment. We present the data alongside the resume so you can see fit objectively, not just subjectively.
We present a curated shortlist with our assessment rationale for each candidate. We prep both sides for interviews structured around the role's actual demands.
We manage offer, negotiation, and transition. For retained engagements, we stay engaged through the first 90 days to support onboarding success.
Why behavioral science matters in search: Research consistently shows that the primary reason executive hires fail is not skill -- it is fit. Fit with the role's behavioral demands, fit with the team dynamic, fit with the leadership style above them. The Predictive Index gives us an objective view of fit that no interview alone can replicate.
Where We Work
We have built particular depth in manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare, and professional services -- and across four functional areas where our track record is strongest.
Track Record
A bad executive hire costs multiples of the search fee -- in lost productivity, team disruption, and re-hiring costs. Our behavioral science approach is designed to get it right the first time.
How We Work
Working with Meritas should feel different. We make the commercial side simple so we can focus entirely on what matters -- finding you the right person.
You always know where your search stands. Regular status updates, clear milestones, and a direct line to Meri. No mystery about what is happening or when.
Retained search fees are phased across the engagement timeline. We work with your budget cycles and can structure payments to align with your hiring milestones.
Clear engagement letters, no surprise fees, and a placement guarantee on retained searches. We build long-term client relationships, and that starts with how we do business.
Executive search is not inexpensive -- and it should not be. A wrong hire at the leadership level costs far more than the search fee. Our pricing reflects the depth of our process, the rigor of our assessments, and the value of getting it right.
Tell us about the role. We will tell you whether we are the right partner for it -- and if we are, exactly how we will approach the search.