The verdict in three sentences
In Singapore, a board chair looking for a regional CFO, or a senior executive who wants to be on headhunters' radar, increasingly asks an AI assistant like ChatGPT before picking up the phone. The firm that gets named is the one whose practices, partners and regional coverage are described consistently and confirmed by third party sources. The stakes are measured with a dated record of the answers and the work starts with a diagnostic on quote.
Two audiences, two sets of questions
An executive search firm has two audiences, and AI assistants field questions from both. Clients want a firm that knows their sector and region; candidates want to know whom to trust with their career and how.
| Question put to the AI assistant | Who asks it | What the answer needs to be able to cite |
|---|---|---|
| Which executive search firms in Singapore hire CFOs for Southeast Asia? | Chair of a listed group | Finance practice, regional coverage |
| Executive search firm in Singapore specialising in fintech and asset management | HR head of an asset manager | Sector pages, named partners |
| Headhunter to appoint independent directors in Singapore | Nominating committee | Board practice |
| Executive search for a Vietnam and Indonesia country head based in Singapore | Founder of a scale-up | Regional offices or network described |
| How does a retained search work and what does it cost? | HR head of a growing SME | Factual content on process and fees |
| Which headhunters should I send my CV to for a COO role in Asia? | Senior executive | Clear candidate page, data policy |
| Discreet firm to replace a chief executive without a public advert | Family shareholder | Confidentiality commitments |
A firm whose website is limited to a Services page and a list of values leaves the assistant to answer with the names it finds elsewhere.
Why some firms appear in the answers
AI assistants like ChatGPT do not read your pitch deck. They draw on what is public, consistent and repeated by others.
- Stable information: the same name, partners, practices and offices on the website, professional profiles and directories.
- Third party mentions: interviews in the business press, talks at professional associations, studies published under the firm's name.
- Factual practice pages: sectors, role levels, geographic coverage, with no client list that has not been cleared.
- Candidate page: how to submit a CV, which data is kept and for how long.
- Freshness: a departed partner or a closed office left online ends up in the answers.
On the rules side, the PDPA and the PDPC govern how candidate data is collected and retained, and placement activity requires an employment agency licence from the Ministry of Manpower. Firms hiring for financial institutions also bear in mind MAS expectations on the fitness of senior managers. This is not legal advice: confirm compliance with your own counsel.
What the work covers and what the market charges
In broad terms: a baseline of what AI assistants say on your key questions, alignment of your public information, clearer practice pages, technical markup for the firm and its partners, then monitoring. The market is new; the ranges below are 2026 ballpark figures drawn from typical quotes by Singapore agencies and consultants, converted approximately into USD (1 SGD ≈ 0.75 USD).
| Service | SGD (ballpark) | Approximate USD | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-off diagnostic | 3,000 to 8,000 | 2,200 to 6,000 | Baseline record, gaps, priorities |
| Public profile alignment | 2,000 to 6,000 | 1,500 to 4,500 | Third party sources aligned |
| Practice pages and candidate page | 6,000 to 20,000 | 4,500 to 15,000 | Factual content by sector |
| Structured data | 2,000 to 7,000 | 1,500 to 5,200 | Markup for firm, partners, offices |
| Monthly monitoring | 1,500 to 5,000 per month | 1,100 to 3,700 per month | Dated record, accuracy, competitors |
At Kolonell this work is on quote, depending on the number of practices, countries covered and partners.
How to judge progress
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
The only serious indicator is a dated record: the same questions, asked every month, answers archived. It shows the share of answers that name the firm, the accuracy of what is said (practices, partners, offices) and the competitors named instead of you. No one can promise that an AI assistant will recommend your firm; what you control are the sources it consults.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Marina Crest Partners, a fictional six consultant Singapore firm focused on finance and technology, has 25 standard questions recorded. It is named in 2 answers out of 25, or 8%, and one of them describes it as a temporary staffing agency. Budget approved: a 4,500 USD diagnostic and 6 months of monitoring at 1,500 USD, so 4,500 + 9,000 = 13,500 USD. For comparison: under the often cited convention of fees around 30% of first year compensation, a CFO search at a 400,000 SGD package is worth about 120,000 SGD, or close to 90,000 USD. The decision to continue will rest on the month six record, with no promised outcome.
FAQ
Do candidates really use AI assistants to choose a headhunter?
A growing number of senior executives ask an AI assistant which firms to approach for a specific role. A clear candidate page, with a stated data retention period (for example 24 months), helps the firm be described correctly.
Can we cite placements or clients?
Only with their written consent and within confidentiality obligations. Most firms describe role types and sectors instead, for example 15 regional CFO searches.
How long before the answers change?
As a ballpark, 3 to 6 months after the sources are aligned. Answers also shift as AI assistants are updated, which is why a monthly record matters.
Should we publish in several languages?
English covers most questions in Singapore. A Chinese or Bahasa version can help if 30% or more of your mandates come from China, Indonesia or Malaysia.
What budget do we need to start?
A one-off diagnostic costs between 2,200 and 6,000 USD as a 2026 ballpark. That is enough to decide whether ongoing monitoring is justified.
Find out how AI assistants describe your firm. We record what AI assistants like ChatGPT tell clients and candidates about your firm, in Singapore and across the region. Request a diagnostic quote: reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
