Patberg Incorporated
Patberg Incorporated is a privately held, founder-led executive search and selection consulting firm based in Evansville, Indiana. It serves Fortune 500 enterprises and healthcare delivery organizations using a proprietary 'Hiring for Fit' methodology that emphasizes behavioral and cultural fit over skills and experience.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersEvansville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Patberg Incorporated does
Patberg Incorporated is a privately held, founder-led executive search firm headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, operating with a 1-10 employee footprint. The company was originally founded by Gregg Patberg in 1984 as Kirkbride Associates in Seattle/Bellevue, WA, then continued as First Resource Group, Inc in Denver, CO, before adopting its current identity and relocating to Evansville, IN in 2004. The firm operates as a boutique retained search practice targeting Fortune 500 enterprises and healthcare delivery organizations that require executive-level placements emphasizing cultural and behavioral fit over pure skills and experience credentials.
The company's core offering is built around a proprietary 'Hiring for Fit' methodology and an in-depth interviewing process developed in 1990. The methodology evaluates candidates across 13 specific areas, weighting approximately two-thirds of the assessment on innate personal characteristics (personality traits, thinking style, beliefs, attitude, motivation) and one-third on skills and experience. The firm sells three integrated service lines: retained Executive Search using a 'Bull's Eye' direct-contact approach for passive candidates; Candidate Assessments for selection consulting on critical hires; and Hiring Training that teaches managers the Hiring for Fit framework. Patberg cites polling of more than 5,000 hiring managers over 20 years as validation of the methodology, claiming a 100% higher probability of successful hire when fit is prioritized.
The business model is professional services fee-based, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Go-to-market is entirely direct — face-to-face consultations, head-hunting rather than advertising, and in-person finalist interviews when client budgets permit. The firm maintains minimal digital presence (website, Twitter, RSS feed) and lists more than 30 historical enterprise client logos spanning pharmaceuticals (Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Novartis, Roche), technology (Microsoft, IBM, Xerox), financial services (Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, GE Capital), healthcare, telecommunications, and consumer goods. There is no evidence of external investment, partnerships, or institutional backing; ownership and operational control appear concentrated in Gregg Patberg as President.
Patberg Incorporated firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Patberg Incorporated
- Legal name
- Patberg Incorporated
- Website
- https://patberg.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Patberg Incorporated is a privately held, founder-led executive search and selection consulting firm based in Evansville, Indiana. It serves Fortune 500 enterprises and healthcare delivery organizations using a proprietary 'Hiring for Fit' methodology that emphasizes behavioral and cultural fit over skills and experience.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Patberg Incorporated industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK)
Keywords
Where Patberg Incorporated is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Evansville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Patberg Incorporated business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Executive/Retained Search: Customary retained search firm providing executive-level talent acquisition services. They conduct direct-contact recruiting and head-hunting for leadership roles.
- Selection Consulting: Hand-on, direct client consultation and communication guiding clients in hiring exceptional leaders, focused 2/3 on fit and 1/3 on skills and experience.
- Hiring Training: Training programs teaching companies the Hiring for Fit philosophy, helping managers learn to identify innate characteristics and hire people who fit for long-term success.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Patberg Incorporated product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Patberg Incorporated is a retained executive search firm that provides three core services built around its proprietary "Hiring for Fit" methodology: Executive Search (proactive head-hunting of passive leadership candidates), Candidate Assessments (selection consulting evaluating fit versus skills), and Hiring Training (manager education on behavioral-based hiring). The firm primarily serves Fortune 500 companies and healthcare delivery organizations requiring executive-level placements.
Product overview
Patberg Incorporated is an executive search and hiring consultancy that operates as a unified service portfolio built around its proprietary 'Hiring for Fit' methodology. The company offers three integrated service offerings: Executive Search (retained search with proprietary candidate identification and interviewing techniques), Candidate Assessments (selection consulting evaluating fit vs. skills), and Hiring Training (manager education on behavioral-based hiring). All services emphasize matching candidate innate characteristics to company culture and position requirements, with the training program designed to complement and reinforce the assessment and search services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HiringForFit: A philosophy and approach to hiring focused on a person's behaviors and fit with company culture rather than just skills and experience.
Products and services
- Executive Search Retained executive search service focused on "Hiring for Fit," using a proprietary Bull's Eye search approach to identify passive candidates who match company culture and position requirements. The service includes diagnostics, active candidate sourcing, in-depth interviewing, and offer negotiation for leadership roles.
- Candidate Assessments Selection consulting service that guides companies in hiring exceptional leadership talent by evaluating candidates across 13 specific areas, with two-thirds of the assessment focused on "fit" (personal attributes and company culture) and one-third on skills and experience.
- Hiring Training Training program that teaches managers to hire for fit by focusing on innate candidate characteristics (personality traits, thinking, beliefs, attitude, motivation) rather than primarily on knowledge and experience, helping reduce hiring mistakes and improve long-term retention.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% increase in probability of successful hire when hiring process focuses on fit more than experience
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Patberg Incorporated
Customer profileNamed customers33 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Patberg Incorporated technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Patberg Incorporated partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Patberg Incorporated competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm specializing in board, CEO, and senior leadership placements; competes with Patberg in the same retained-search, culture-fit value proposition for F500 and healthcare clients.
- Spencer Stuart: One of the largest retained executive search firms globally, with a board and CEO practice that mirrors Patberg's retained-search-plus-cultural-fit methodology but at materially greater scale.
- Christian & Timbers: Boutique retained executive search and leadership advisory firm serving technology, PE, and Fortune 500 — comparable in service model and target client base but typically more tech- and PE-focused.
- DHR International: Retained executive search firm focused on senior leadership across multiple industries including healthcare and consumer — similar boutique-but-scaled positioning to Patberg but with broader global footprint.
- Daversa Partners: Retained executive search firm focused on high-growth technology companies and their boards — overlaps with Patberg in retained-search model but with a concentrated go-to-market in venture-backed tech.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global retained executive search firm placing senior leaders across industries — directly comparable to Patberg in service offering but orders of magnitude larger in scale, geography, and research capability.
- Witt/Kieffer: Executive search firm specializing in healthcare, education, and nonprofit leadership — most directly comparable to Patberg's healthcare delivery organization vertical focus.
- Egon Zegnder: Global retained executive search and leadership advisory firm with practices spanning industries comparable to Patberg's F500 footprint, including executive assessment and CEO succession services.
Emerging players
- Isaacson, Miller: Executive search firm specializing in leadership for nonprofit, foundation, and association sectors; comparable to Patberg's retained-search methodology but vertically specialized rather than diversified.
Broad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a substantial executive search practice among broader HR consulting and RPO offerings — overlaps with Patberg's search and selection consulting but operates at vastly greater scale and breadth.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Patberg Incorporated social profiles
Digital presencePatberg Incorporated financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Patberg Incorporated leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Patberg Incorporated funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Patberg Incorporated M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Patberg Incorporated
What does Patberg Incorporated do?
Patberg Incorporated is a retained executive search firm that provides three core services built around its proprietary "Hiring for Fit" methodology: Executive Search (proactive head-hunting of passive leadership candidates), Candidate Assessments (selection consulting evaluating fit versus skills), and Hiring Training (manager education on behavioral-based hiring). The firm primarily serves Fortune 500 companies and healthcare delivery organizations requiring executive-level placements.
Is Patberg Incorporated a public or private company?
Patberg Incorporated is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Patberg Incorporated founded?
Patberg Incorporated was founded in 1984. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Patberg Incorporated based?
Patberg Incorporated is headquartered in Evansville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Patberg Incorporated make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Executive/Retained Search is the primary driver. The others are selection Consulting and hiring Training.
Who are Patberg Incorporated's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Russell Reynolds Associates, Spencer Stuart, Christian & Timbers, DHR International, Daversa Partners, Heidrick & Struggles, Witt/Kieffer and Egon Zegnder. Isaacson, Miller is listed as an emerging player. Korn Ferry is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Patberg Incorporated have an API?
No public API is recorded for Patberg Incorporated.
What industry is Patberg Incorporated in?
Patberg Incorporated's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAK, Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search. Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.