Build your U.S. workforce, without the guesswork
Recruitment, executive search and hiring advice for Italian and European companies growing in the United States.
Our services
Hiring is about precision, not volume. We combine knowledge of U.S. employment practices with an understanding of European business culture.
Recruitment & headhunting
End-to-end recruitment and discreet, targeted headhunting for hard-to-fill roles. From role definition to onboarding, every hire is the right technical, cultural and organizational fit.
Executive search
For U.S.-based leaders, cultural alignment matters as much as leadership ability. We assess business acumen and the ability to work effectively with European headquarters.
Operational & technical talent
Many agencies focus on corporate roles and struggle with the operational and technical backbone. We have built networks for engineers, technicians, supervisors and plant, logistics and project roles.
Market & talent mapping
Actionable insight on talent availability, compensation benchmarks and competitor hiring, so you can plan your U.S. expansion with confidence.
Beyond the search
Salary benchmarking
Localized pay and benefits data so offers are competitive by city and state.
Compliance guidance
Job postings, screening and offers aligned with federal, state and city rules.
Immigration partners
We don’t provide visa services, but we can connect you with trusted immigration attorneys for E-2, L-1, H-1B and O-1 routes.
Offer negotiation
We structure and negotiate offers so the right candidate says yes.
Onboarding support
Integration support after the start date to set new hires up for success.
Retention guarantee
Our placements are backed by a retention guarantee.
From brief to a successful start
Brief & strategy
12-month objectives, scope, reporting lines and a package benchmarked against the U.S. market.
Market mapping
Target companies, competitors and adjacent industries where the right people work today.
Direct outreach
Confidential approach to the best-fit professionals, including those not looking.
Assessment & shortlist
Structured interviews and a shortlist of 3–5 candidates with written assessments.
Offer & onboarding
Offer, negotiation, resignation and start date, with follow-up through the first months.
What makes us different
Quality over quantity
No flood of CVs: only candidates aligned technically, culturally and operationally.
International core
We specialize in Italian and European companies expanding in the U.S.
Focused where it matters
Pipelines in the sectors that lead European expansion to the U.S.
Faster, smarter results
Headhunting, sourcing and targeted campaigns combined to move quickly.
Recruitment for your U.S. team
Executive search in the USA
Country managers, general managers and leaders who can build your U.S. business and work with European headquarters.
Sales recruitment in the USA
Sales directors, business developers and account managers with experience in your market.
Manufacturing recruitment in the USA
Plant, production, maintenance and operations professionals for your U.S. facilities.
Engineering recruitment in the USA
Field service, applications, automation and engineering talent for your technology and customers.
Work directly with the founders
Every search is led personally by Cygic’s two co-founders, Francesca Paccaloni and Johnathon Edwards. The partners who take your brief are the same people who map the market, speak to candidates and present your shortlist. Nothing is handed to a junior researcher.
- One senior point of contact from the first brief to the new hire’s start date, in Italian or English.
- Faster, clearer decisions. No account managers or layers between you and the people running the search.
- Both sides of the Atlantic. A team that understands an Italian or European headquarters and the American market, with fifteen years of recruitment across Europe, the Americas and Africa.
- Discretion. Confidential searches and sensitive replacements are handled by the partners themselves.
- Accountability. The founders stand behind every placement, which is backed by a guarantee.
Questions from employers
Why is hiring in the U.S. so difficult for international companies?
The U.S. market is large, competitive and regulated at federal, state and city level. Without local knowledge, companies risk slow searches, overpaying or hiring the wrong person. We bring market insight, compliance guidance and pre-qualified candidate pipelines.
How do you reduce the risk of a bad hire?
With a clear success profile agreed up front, structured screening and evaluation, reference checks and a short, fully vetted shortlist, so you only meet candidates who genuinely fit.
How do you handle time-zone differences with headquarters?
As your U.S.-based partner we coordinate interviews and communication and keep candidates engaged, so you don’t lose good people to delays.
How do you help with cultural and communication gaps?
European and U.S. work cultures differ, from how offers are made to how people expect to be managed. We align expectations on both sides, which supports smoother integration and retention.
How do you handle U.S. employment-law compliance?
We guide you on lawful job postings (including pay-transparency rules where they apply), fair screening practices and compliant offers. For legal advice on specific situations we work alongside your employment counsel.
How do pay and benefits expectations differ by region?
Salaries, benefits and cost of living vary widely between U.S. states and cities, and candidates expect health insurance, a retirement plan and paid time off. We provide localized salary benchmarks so your offers are competitive without overpaying.
What if we have no talent pipeline in the U.S.?
That’s common. We build pipelines for technical, operational, industrial, logistics and technology-adjacent roles, focusing on both hard skills and cultural fit.
Can you help with visas for international hires?
We don’t handle visas or give immigration advice ourselves, but we can connect you with trusted immigration attorneys who advise on the right route, such as the E-2 visa for Italian-owned companies, L-1 intracompany transfers, H-1B or O-1. We then plan hiring timelines around their guidance.
Can you assist with background checks and references?
Yes. Background checks and references are standard in the U.S. but regulated. We guide you on what’s required and permitted and coordinate thorough due diligence.
Do you offer a retention guarantee?
Yes, our placements include a retention guarantee. Ask us for the terms that apply to your search.
Want to go deeper? Read the Employer Hub: entry models, pay, visas, employment law and payroll, in Italian and English.
Tell us about your next hire
A free, no-obligation consultation with a U.S. recruitment specialist.