When Our Customer Wins, We Win.
Guided by Values. Driven by Service. Powered by People.
Our Values
At Naviga, our values are the foundation of everything we do. Integrity drives how we build partnerships, fostering trust through transparent, honest communication and a commitment to long-term success. Honesty guides our interactions, ensuring clarity with both clients and candidates, even in difficult conversations, so solutions are reached efficiently. Ethics shape every decision we make, keeping our process fair, respectful, and principled, and ensuring we never compromise for short-term gains.
These values define how we operate, how we support careers and how we build lasting relationships with the businesses and people we serve.
Boutique Flexibility. Big-Firm Results.
Agility
Naviga Recruiting Executive Search combines boutique agility with the capability to execute high-caliber searches comparable to the Big-5 industry executive search giants; Korn Ferry, Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds Associates, and Egon Zehnder (The SHREK). Unlike large firms with vast red-tape and less personalized service, we offer a deeply customized, hands-on approach and immerse ourselves in your culture, framework, and strategic goals.
Our Talent Acquisiton process delivers exceptional results with direct communication and rapid responsiveness, acting as a true extension of your team. Clients appreciate how our personalized partnership secures the right leaders to drive their future growth, an experience that often exceeds expectations.
Built to Win Together
Our Team
Redefining Talent Acquisition with Passion
Our History
Naviga was founded in Chicago,IL by CEO Kathleen Steffey, a corporate recruiter with a deep understanding of the corporate hiring landscape. Beginning as a solo-preneur’s passion, her talent acquisition approach soon captured widespread attention in the corporate market. Her professional but agile approach towards talent selection and the talent acquisition process was widely received by employers across the US.
This foundation of professional agility and personalized recruiting service has been carefully cultivated within our team as Naviga has grown. Each employee is trained to embody these core principles, ensuring consistency and excellence in every search. In turn, this disciplined yet flexible approach has allowed us to successfully extend our impact beyond the U.S., delivering tailored talent acquisition solutions to a global marketplace.
Empowering the U.S. Special Operations Forces
Community Impact
Naviga respects the leadership, resilience, and strategic mindset of U.S. Special Operations Forces. These exceptional individuals face unique challenges when transitioning from military service to civilian careers, and we are committed to helping them translate their invaluable experience into successful professional opportunities.
We achieve this through personalized, hands-on support including executive coaching, resume refinement tailored to military-to-corporate translation, mentorship, and direct introductions to employers who value veteran talent. By acting as trusted advisors and advocates, we help SOF veterans confidently navigate the recruitment process, ensuring their skills and discipline shine in every interaction.
Why Choose Naviga?
We Deliver. They Talk.
Thank you for a job well done! Your hire is doing excellent. We will be contacting you for asssitance to recruit our Q4 sales rep hire in the next few months.
Executive Leader
Dimension Design
Naviga was the first recruiter I had ever worked with and they set the bar high. I had a very positive experience working with them. I can tell that they really care about their candidates and that they really want them to succeed.
Cindy Dickens, Director of Brand and Culture
Richman Property Services
The job description and information prior to my first meeting were very descriptive, it was very thorough. It was refreshing to see the detail and the information that was needed to really make an assessment prior to that first call.
Andrew Lockerbie, VP of Health Plans
PDHI
The quality of candidates Naviga presented to us were superb. We did not receive any random or unqualified candidates, and the ones that were submitted met all our needs. There was great communication during the process and resulted in two great finalists for our position.
Rich Vecchio
Recruiting Manager, PGA Tour
THANK YOU very much for all your help in discovering Tyler. He’s been fantastic! As a result, we would like you to work on another search for a different department ASAP!
Kaori Pearson
Interpreter/Translator, Mizuno
We partnered with Naviga for a number of reasons. First, they were excellent communicators. They already had knowledge of the commercial industry, but they quickly got a sense of our business by listening to us and asking great questions. Next, the Naviga team was professional, approachable, and knowledgeable. Specifically, they had an extensive grasp of the European market with a specialization in sales. They also have a team of skilled recruiters and use a proven recruiting process based on years of experience and expertise. And finally, Naviga really formed a partnership with ITN. They were consultative and took the time to understand our needs without overselling.
Heike Tobin
Senior Recruiter, ITN Productions
I felt very comfortable and confident in what Briggs was looking for. I could tell that you had worked with this company before and had a good feel for them. And that meant a lot.
David Fee, Sales Manager
Placed with our client Briggs Equipment
The thing that really stood out to me about working with Naviga was the shared investment. The recruiter, the company, and I all wanted it to work and we worked together towards that goal. Overall, it was a nice experience.
Bill Menaghan, Senior Sales Director
Selerix Systems
The wonderful part about working with Naviga is that I didn’t feel like just a number, I felt like a neighbor. I felt like they were equal parts advocates of me and an ambassador for the client which was a welcome surprise.
Amy Barkley, Director of Enterprise Sales
Spectrio
Working with Naviga made me feel like I had a partner who was very invested in me and that made the entire experience simple. Someone who could reach out to the company so I didn’t have to do all of the legwork. I could really focus on what mattered to me.
Robyn Spanier, Senior Director of New Business Intake
Placed with our client DLA Piper
Naviga doing the vetting process, being selective with candidates and having reasonable fees is a benefit to me. There’s a true vested interest in being successful & I liked the proactive communication between Kathleen, Julia and myself.
Reid Wilson
HR Director, Briggs
I wanted to thank you for being responsible for this amazing new opportunity. Today was my first day and I felt like I was in Oz. I stepped out of a black and white old life into a new life in technicolor. You are my Glenda. Thank you!
Amrita, Placed with our client
Briggs Equipment
Helping You Navigate Your Career or Talent Search
Research & Insights from Naviga's Blog
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How Managers and Recruiters Win Talent Together
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