CONTINGENCY vs. RETAINED SERVICES BY EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRMS

by Ron Daratany, President, DMR Global, Inc.

A Question of Value
Fees are the same for contingency recruiters and retained search consultants, though the structure of the agreement may vary. Is it the same service?

A Numbers Game
Non-Exclusive, Contingency Recruiters never know if they will make a placement. To ensure an income, they must work many assignments at once, and work them as briefly as possible, playing the numbers game. A contingency recruiter usually makes only a minimum number of calls to submit the first 2 or 3 candidates they can find. They then hope they fit. A retained search consultant commits to, and knows they will complete each search and receive a fee. They accept only those quality assignments (vs. quantity) which they can perform and will call all the candidates that might fit, and submit the 3 or 4 best people (not first). The commitment from the client allows the search consultant to commit fully to the assignment. They will work much harder for the same fee!

Exclusivity vs. Multiple Recruiters
Many employers have a perception that giving their urgent assignments to several contingency recruiters will produce more candidates, quicker. Instead, it reduces the quality of those candidates, and since the search is non-exclusive, it dives to the lowest priority. The candidates submitted will be the easiest to find, and typically, the recruiters will submit many of the same accessible candidates, not the best. Retained search is done exclusively - the search consultant you select will fill the position. The best candidates know the difference. They take retained search consultants more seriously. Having an expert who treats you as his number one priority, who is dedicated to in-depth recruitment process, produces the high quality candidates you'd like to meet in a similar time frame for the same fee!

DMR Global Inc.’s Time Sensitive and Cost Effective Recruiting Solutions
DMR Global, Inc., one of the top retained executive search firms, has evolved over the years to accommodate the needs of our current clients and provide a service which will be attractive to future clients. Each client’s recruiting needs are unique, thus, we have developed search programs which are tailored to their specific requirements. We provide various options and services which can be combined or retrofitted to become a customized program. In addition to the retained executive search firm services we offer, we also employ an exclusive contingency search program.

Since DMR Global, Inc. has historically represented its clients on a retained basis, we have recognized, in order to earn the right to represent new organizations on a retained basis, we had to, at times, showcase our service on an exclusive contingency basis. Though the level of service varies slightly from our retained program, this newly implemented search process allows prospective clients to utilize and evaluate our firm without an initial outlay of funds, instead providing an exclusive time frame in which to produce the desired results. By implementing certain retained search techniques, our contingency recruiters will provide a service which will produce timely results, exceed expectations and provide the forum to discuss potential future retained assignments.

DMR Global Inc.’s recruiting solutions have been developed to address any potential client’s perceptions, concerns and budgets, produce the desired results, and therefore, earn their business and trust for years to come!

We will always work toward providing a fee agreement which will be amicable for both companies, never allowing it to become a barrier to integrate resources.

Please visit our website for additional information regarding our unique services at http://www.dmrglobal.com/.