Retained search engagements
A retained search is a dedicated search for one position, paid in stages under a written agreement, with a committed timeline and regular reporting.
Recruiters Workforce uses it for senior and hard-to-fill positions: a program manager for a large task order, a chief engineer, a director of cybersecurity, an ISSM for a new facility, or a specialist whose combination of clearance, polygraph and skills exists in very few people.
The difference from a contingent search is commitment on both sides. The employer engages one firm and pays a retainer; the firm assigns a recruiter to the search, maps the market, approaches candidates who are not looking, and reports on progress at agreed intervals until the position is filled.
How the engagement works
- Who employs the worker
- The client, from the start date, as a permanent employee. The firm is never the employer of a retained search hire.
- How the fee works
- A fee agreed in writing and paid in stages: a portion on engagement, a portion on presentation of the shortlist, and the balance when the candidate starts. The agreement states the stages, the search timeline and the replacement term.
- Typical duration
- A defined search period, commonly eight to twelve weeks to shortlist, with the timeline set in the agreement and reported against.
- When it fits
- Senior positions, positions that have stayed open under contingent search, confidential replacements, and positions where the candidate pool is small enough that it must be mapped rather than advertised.
What the employer receives
A written search plan naming the target organizations, labor categories and clearance profiles, a market map of the candidates identified, a shortlist with full screening summaries, reference checks where the employer wants them, and a weekly report. The employer's hiring manager and the assigned recruiter agree the interview process and the offer strategy before the shortlist is presented.
What the candidate should expect
A direct, confidential approach that explains the position, the employer and the compensation before asking for a decision. Candidates approached in a retained search are usually employed and not looking, so the process moves at a pace that respects notice periods and current program commitments, and nobody is presented without agreeing to it.
Questions about retained search
When is retained search the wrong choice?
For positions with a large, active candidate pool and a standard labor category, a direct hire or contract-to-hire engagement fills the seat at lower cost. Retained search earns its fee where the pool is small, the position is senior, or the search must stay confidential.
What does the retainer buy if the search fails?
A search plan, a market map and a shortlist that document what the market holds, and a written explanation of why the position was not filled within the agreed period, which usually points to the compensation, the location or the clearance requirement. The agreement sets out how the fee is handled if the employer withdraws or changes the requisition.