You need to find a new sales manager or sales rep, for example. Before the search starts, you have to make a choice: retained search or contingency recruitment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This choice does not only affect the price. It decides how much time and attention your role gets from the recruiter. Both models work. The question is which one fits your search. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Retained search: <\/strong>You agree on an exclusive partnership with the recruiter, and part of the fee is paid at the start of the search. The recruiter commits to your role. They map the market, look for passive candidates (people who are not job hunting but would consider the right offer), and learn both the role and your company culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Contingency recruitment: <\/strong>You pay only if a candidate starts the job. You can work with several recruitment partners or run your own hiring team alongside them. If one of them does not deliver, it costs you nothing extra. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You need five sales reps.<\/strong> The profile is clear, there are plenty of candidates on the market, and speed matters. Contingency fits well here. You can bring in several sources, and the first candidates reach you fast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You need a sales manager who will build sales from scratch.<\/strong> There are few suitable people, and most of them are not actively looking for a job. A wrong hire costs more than the search itself. Retained search fits here, because the recruiter has the time and motivation to do thorough work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The recruiter gets paid only when a role is filled. So their attention goes to roles that can be filled quickly. Complex, confidential and strategic positions often end up at the back of the queue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another risk is candidate experience. When several recruiters contact the same person about the same role, the message gets confusing. It also reflects on you as the employer, even if you did not cause it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Retained search means a commitment from the very start of the process. Exclusivity also means that one partner is responsible for the whole search. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask yourself three questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your answers are “many”, “not very costly” and “no”, contingency fits. If they are “few”, “very costly” and “yes”, go with retained search. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are expanding into the Baltics or Poland and need a local sales manager who knows the market, the language and the regulations, the answer usually leans toward retained search. Finding that kind of person takes much more than screening CVs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We have two models: Engagement and Placement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Engagement suits roles that need a thorough, exclusive search and a longer partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Placement gives you flexibility. You pay for the result once the role is filled, with no long-term commitment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many clients use both, depending on the role they are hiring for. The principle is always the same: the search is built around what the role needs, not around an off-the-shelf package. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Neither model is better or worse. The right choice starts with one question: what does this search need? Speed, depth or both. <\/p>\n\n\n\nTwo examples<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What to keep in mind with contingency recruitment?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What does retained search require?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to choose the right model?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How we work at Southwestern Recruitment?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n