Why retained search?

Retained Executive Search is a very special type of talent acquisition that many Companies turn to when they can't find their own talent.  Talent that matches their open positions, often, senior-level and specialized ones. 

Here are but a few of the many reasons why Companies hire retained Search Firms:

1)  When a Company needs to hire for a C-level or leadership role and wants to work with an experienced Recruiter it can rely on to not only  "get the job done," but that also has the bandwidth and experience to communicate effectively with many different types of stakeholders along the Search "process" like Boards and investors (VCs, PE firms, family offices).

2)  When a Company's HR or internal Recruiters rely on job postings to find the "right" candidates and are unable to find the type of candidates that a busy, often C or VP-level Hiring Leader or Company Founder wants and needs for his or her open position(s) and team.

3)  When a Company is hiring for a technical, specialized, or transformational role and wants to work with a Recruiter who understands general business principles, org charts, degrees, or a specific industry and/or job function, across industries and the job function of the open position. 

4)  When the Search is confidential and the Hiring team needs to ensure a certain level of "discretion."  Maybe the Company is replacing someone.

In Retained Search, the Search Firm serves as an extension of the Company's internal Talent Acquisition function, "partnering" with the Company's busy Hiring Leader and often HR, and guiding the team through the entire Search process from writing cohesive, engaging job descriptions to setting up candidate and "finalist" interviews with company executives to assisting with compensation and Offer negotiations.

Unlike most senior Recruiters at my level at Retained Search Firms (Managing Partner and Managing Director), I do ALL of my candidate research and identification as well as candidate interviews. I have 32,000 first-degree LinkedIn connections, thousands of former clients and candidates to rely on for referrals and leads, and AI-fueled databases I know how to navigate expertly. 

Retained Executive Search, done well, by an engaged and experienced Recruiter at a Retained Search Firm takes on average from two to five months from the time the Search Firm fee agreement is signed through new hire start date. 

My Search Firm's fees are much more competitive than those of my direct competitors, the BIG global Search Firms. 

My results? The "quality" of the multiple executives I identify and present to my clients to compare and contrast? Much better than many of my competitors' and more timely. 

Retained Search is the best choice for filling specialized, technical and senior-level positions, especially when there are multiple stakeholders to satisfy, both inside and outside the Company.

Please reach out if you would like to learn more: karen@ksl-search.com