Equality begins at home, or should, say executive searchers and their critics.
Executive Search review reports the rising use of women recruiters, but says that by recent count, only four of the 155 world-wide offices of the top five firms were female managed, and just one woman was on an executive committee. While Viscusi Group, a New York searcher, has many female partners, "the search industry tends to be an old boy network," says partner Stephen Viscusi.

Korn/Ferry International is promoting more women, but should do better, says Steve Fogle, a San Francisco-based Korn/Ferry man. "Women are progressing," say recruiters like Putney Westerfield, of Boyden International, because diversity-minded clients prefer female recruiters. Eight of 20 consultants at Witt Associates, Oal Brook, Ill. are women.

Women make up 23% of the top people at all North American search firms, up from 16% in 1987, says Executive Recruiter News.