17 years of senior placement·500+ leadership hires·Engaged · Contingent · Staffing · RPO
Engaged Headhunters/Solutions/Contingent Search
Solutions · Pillar

Contingent Search.

Pay only on placement. Runs in parallel with your other channels. Fee lands on the closed offer.

Fee
18-25% of first-year comp
Best for
Director & Manager roles
Payment
On successful placement
Guarantee
Scoped per engagement
Definition

What is contingent search?

Contingent search runs on pay-on-placement. We source, submit, and support the hiring process. The fee lands on a closed offer.

Contingent works best when the candidate pool is mostly active, when speed and reach win the day, and when the search runs in parallel with your internal recruiting or other channels.

When the candidate pool is mostly passive (the people you want are already in seat at peer companies), engaged search is the better fit. The deposit funds the advertising and headhunter time to reach them.

Compare

Contingent vs. Engaged.

Same firm, two engagement models. Pick by candidate-pool passivity and how much dedicated headhunter time the search warrants.

Contingent Search

  • No upfront cost
  • Active + light passive outreach
  • Fee owed only on placement
  • Run in parallel with other channels
  • Best when speed and reach matter most

Engaged Search

  • Deposit upfront, funds advertising
  • Dedicated headhunter, end-to-end
  • Passive-talent advertising included
  • Scales to multi-role engagements
  • Replacement guarantee, scoped per engagement
FAQ

Contingent search,
specifically.

The questions hiring managers ask in the first call.

What is contingent search?
Contingent search is a recruiting model that runs on pay-on-placement. We source candidates, submit them, and collect the fee on a successful hire.
How is contingent different from engaged search?
Engaged search includes a deposit up front to fund passive-talent advertising and dedicated headhunter time. Contingent runs on pay-on-placement and in parallel with your other channels. Pick engaged when the candidate pool is mostly passive and dedicated focus matters; pick contingent when speed and reach win the day.
What kinds of roles is contingent search appropriate for?
Contingent works well for roles where the candidate pool is mostly active (people who would consider a move if approached), where there is reasonable depth, and where parallel sourcing through internal recruiting and other firms produces the same close.
Do you compete with our internal recruiting team?
We supplement. The arrangement most clients use is internal-first: if your team still has the role open after an agreed window, contingent kicks in. Tell us your structure and we'll fit underneath.
Is there a replacement guarantee on contingent placements?
Yes. Replacement guarantees are scoped per engagement; the window is agreed in writing at the start of the search.
What is the typical fee for contingent search?
Contingent search runs 18 to 25 percent of first-year compensation, owed only on a successful placement. The exact percentage depends on the role, comp band, and search difficulty, and is confirmed in writing at the start of the engagement.
●Start a contingent search

Tell us the role, the urgency, the pool.

Start a search →See engaged →
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