Retained Search

Retained search is a recruiting engagement model where a company pays an executive search firm an upfront fee (typically one-third of expected first-year compensation) to conduct a dedicated, exclusive search for a senior or specialized role. Unlike contingency recruiting, retained search firms are compensated regardless of whether a hire is made, which typically produces more thorough and consultative search processes.

Retained search is most commonly used for C-suite, VP-level, and highly specialized roles where the talent pool is small and the stakes of a bad hire are significant. Leading retained search firms include Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, and Korn Ferry, with typical engagements ranging from $50,000 to $200,000+.

For the vast majority of tech hiring — including senior engineers, engineering managers, and individual contributors — retained search represents overkill in both cost and process. AI-native talent marketplaces can deliver comparable match quality for technical roles at a fraction of the cost, reserving retained search for truly unique executive and board-level positions.