Why Retained Search (Part 7)​

Reason #7 – Favor the Retained Search Model: Exclusivity & Perception

Exclusivity & Perception in the Marketplace

A retained firm partners with you on an exclusive basis. Meaning, all candidates must go through them. While the contingency model of non-exclusivity may, on the surface, sound attractive, take my word for it, from a decade in the business, that it’s always better to partner with one firm who’ll dedicate a team to your search than bringing on multiple firms that each put one recruiter on the search.

This optimizes your chances of landing the best candidates. As if in the case of a non-exclusive search, a top talent that your competitor receives a call from multiple recruitment firms, they’ll no longer take the search seriously and worry of their own confidentiality, afraid that their current employer would get wind that they’re looking around.

Furthermore, passive candidates who have a job and are not actively looking, often need to be sold to take time away from their busy jobs to interview. And will be more reluctant to do so if multiple recruiters are contacting them about the same position, as they’re going to start to doubt if it’s a real job or just another market research study one of their competitors might be doing. Top candidates often have been on both sides of the fence in working with recruiters, as hiring managers for their own company and as candidates. And they’ve come to know the difference between retained and contingent recruiters. Many times, when calling to recruit a perspective candidate, I’m asked if I’m retained exclusively on the search assignment. As, if I’m not, they won’t even talk to me.

This concludes this series. I hope I was able to illustrate why partnering with a retained firm may be right for you. Follow our channel to keep a look out for more videos.

What do we specialize in?

Dynamic Search Consulting (DSC) is a boutique executive search firm operating nationally from its offices in the Silicon Valley, in San Jose, CA. We specialize in headhunting executives using the retained search model. Our processes and methods enable us to find top talent in less time than it typically takes an executive headhunting firm to accomplish these missions.

We offer a complimentary initial consultation during which we analyze your needs, and clarify the profile you are looking to hire.