For employers · Service
Permanent recruitment that finds the people who are not applying.
Contingent search when you want breadth and speed on a single role. Retained search when the role is critical, confidential, or genuinely hard to fill. Either way, you get a consultant who works only in your market and a shortlist we have interviewed ourselves.
Two ways to engage
Contingent or retained: which fits your role?
| Contingent search | Retained search | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Individual specialist, analyst, and manager roles where several agencies may be working, or where you want to try us on one role first. | Critical, confidential, senior, or hard-to-fill roles where you want one partner accountable for the outcome. |
| How we work | Search from our network and active market; structured interviews; shortlist typically within 10 business days. | Dedicated consultant and researcher; full market map; passive candidate approaches; weekly written progress reports; assessment against an agreed scorecard. |
| Fee | Percentage of first-year base salary, payable only on the candidate's start. | Lower total percentage, paid in three stages: engagement, shortlist, and start. |
| Guarantee | Free replacement within the agreed period, typically 90 days. | Extended replacement period, typically 6 months, plus a structured check-in at month three. |
| Exclusivity | None required. | Exclusive for the agreed search period. |
| Typical roles | Sourcing specialists, buyers, planners, analysts, developers, engineers, marketing managers. | Directors, senior managers of critical functions, niche ERP and security leaders, confidential replacements. |
What you receive
A shortlist you can act on the same day
Every candidate we present has been through a structured interview with a consultant from your practice area. For each person you receive:
- Our interview notes against the scorecard we agreed at briefing
- Current salary, expectations, and the reasons they are open to a move
- Notice period, work authorization, location and hybrid constraints, confirmed
- Specific strengths, watch-outs, and where we think they fit your team
- Availability for interview, so scheduling takes hours rather than days
After interviews we collect feedback from both sides, manage references, structure the offer with you, and handle the resignation and counter-offer conversation with the candidate.
Questions
Permanent recruitment FAQ
What if we are also advertising the role ourselves?
That is fine on a contingent basis. We only charge for candidates we introduce, and we agree an introduction protocol at the start so there is no dispute over who found whom.
Can you work to a fixed budget?
Yes. Tell us the range, and if it is below what the market will bear we will say so at briefing rather than run a search that stalls. Our salary benchmarking is included with every brief.
How do you assess technical skills?
Consultants interview within their own practice area and can probe real depth. Where a role warrants it we agree a technical exercise, portfolio review, or case study with you and run it before shortlist.
Do you help with the offer?
Always. We structure the offer with you using the candidate's stated expectations, manage the conversation, and handle counter-offer risk before the candidate resigns.
Brief a permanent role.
A practice consultant will reply within one business day.