Partnering with a Retained or Contingent Executive Search firm: Which is Right for Your Organization?

An organization is only as strong as its team. That is why hiring is such a critical piece of your organization’s success. Making the wrong hire is costly and can disrupt your trajectory. Making the right hire can catapult you towards success. Partnering with an Executive Search firm gives your organization the competitive edge it needs to find the best, high-quality talent.

Successful recruiting is rooted in two things: People and Processes. The relationship between executive recruiters and clients is paramount to that success. A tailored and targeted search can only begin when both parties trust and understand one another. An executive search firm’s track record of success and the integrity of its employees in conjunction with the transparency and collaborative mindset of the organization are the jumping-off point for that relationship. However, processes matter, as well. Beyond technology, your executive recruiting partner must have a proven, duplicable strategy that extends across industry and job function. A time-tested and market-proven process ensures your exec search is in good hands.

Before hiring an executive recruiter, it’s essential to understand the critical differences between the various types of recruiting companies or the various services offered within a specific company. Engaging the right kind of executive search firm will determine your hiring and your organization’s success.

What is a Retained executive Search firm?

Retained Executive Search Firms are historically used to identify and present experts for roles critically important to your organization. An upfront fee is required before the executive recruiters initiate the exec search process. However, fee structure is not the only distinguishing marker of a retained executive search relationship. Engaging with this type of executive search firm brings you an exclusive, high-touch partnership, providing industry and job function-specific expertise and ensuring continuous collaboration from search launch to final offer. With its deeper network of high-caliber candidates, retained searches yield dynamic, hard-to-find professionals who fit most, if not all, of your company’s needs. Additionally, these A-Team placements are more likely to stay long-term.

Why TurningPoint Executive Search Should be Your Retained Partner

In our decade and a half history, nearly 90% of our placements are still employed by our clients two year later. Additionally, nearly 50% of our business stems from referrals and legacy clients demonstrating our track record, expert skills, and extensive know-how. Learn more about the skills and experience you want in an executive search firm partner.

What is a ContinGent executive Search Firm?

Contingency Executive Search Firms also deliver top-notch candidates to meet your organization’s non-leadership hiring needs. There are, however, a few key differentiators worth noting. Forgoing an upfront fee, contingent executive search firms receive payment only when a candidate they present is hired by your organization. A high-touch partnership remains a cornerstone of the client-recruiter relationship, allowing a tailored approach to your organization’s unique needs. However, exclusivity is not a component of the relationship as companies often engage more than one contingent executive recruiting firm.