Retained vs. Contingency Search
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Retained search and contingency recruiting both end with a hire, but they reach different candidates, carry different risks and ask different things of your team. Choosing the wrong model for a senior role is one of the most expensive hiring mistakes a company can make. Here is how the two compare, and how PMAA, Inc. uses each.
Retained search
- Exclusive engagement; the firm works for you on a limited number of assignments
- Up-front research on the position and your corporate strategy
- Directly approaches leaders who are employed, successful and not looking
- Confidential; your company’s name is shared only with serious candidates
- Full due diligence: assessment, references, offer and onboarding
- Best for: C-suite, VP, plant and general managers, engineering leaders, board seats, rare and sensitive roles
Contingency recruiting
- Non-exclusive; often several firms work the same role
- Starts from a database and advertising
- Presents candidates who are actively looking
- Often shares the search widely
- Leaves much of the process to your HR department
- Best for: roles where active candidates exist and speed matters most
The Differences That Matter
Who you will meet. A retained firm goes after the leaders who are not looking and persuades the right one to talk. A contingency recruiter mostly presents people already in its database or answering ads, so the one person with the rare combination you need is often not among them.
How visible the search is. A contingency search is usually advertised and shared widely. A retained search approaches a short list of people individually and keeps your company’s name back until a candidate is seriously engaged.
How much of the work you keep. With a contingency recruiter, screening, coordination and assessment usually fall back on your HR team or managers. A retained firm does the whole job: research, outreach, assessment and references, then the offer and onboarding.
How the firm is committed. A retained search is exclusive, and a retained firm takes on a small number of searches at a time, so yours gets dedicated attention.
When to Choose Retained Search
- You need the best person for the role, not just someone qualified
- Only a few people have the combination of skills the role needs
- Your competitors, customers, shareholders or the incumbent must not learn of the search
- The position has just been created and falls outside your own expertise
- You want to broaden the leadership team’s experience and diversity
- Your team does not have the time to run an executive search itself
- You want a strategic advantage through a top-performing hire
When Direct Hire or Contract Staffing Is the Better Fit
For individual contributors, technicians, engineers and managers, speed usually matters most. PMAA’s Direct-Hire Services and Staff Augmentation deliver qualified candidates within 24–48 hours of your job description, screened through The Proven Vetting Process™, where only the strongest 2–3% of candidates are submitted. When you are hiring at volume, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) puts PMAA in charge of all or part of your recruiting function.
One Firm, Every Model
PMAA, established in 1967 and led by three generations of the same family, offers retained executive search alongside direct hire, staff augmentation and RPO, so the recommendation we make is about the role, not about the only service we sell. See Executive Search & Retained Search.
Start a Confidential Search Conversation
Every search starts with a conversation about the role, your organization and what success looks like. Tell us about it below, request talent online, or call (954) 228-6609. Senior leaders exploring a move can submit a résumé.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Still have a question? Call (954) 228-6609, email us or send us your role.
Should I use a retained or a contingency recruiter for a senior hire?
For senior, rare or sensitive roles, a retained search firm is usually the better choice because it researches the market, approaches leaders who are not looking and keeps the search confidential. Professional Management Advisors Associates, Inc. (PMAA), a family-run recruiting firm established in 1967, offers retained executive search alongside direct hire, staff augmentation and RPO.
What is the difference between retained and contingency search?
A retained search firm works exclusively for you, researches the market, contacts leaders who are not looking, keeps the search confidential and stays with it through assessment and onboarding. A contingency recruiter is paid only on a hire, usually presents people from its database or ad responses, and leaves much of the process to your HR team.
When should I use retained search?
When you need the best person rather than just a qualified one, when only a few people have the skills the role needs, when discretion matters, when the position is newly created, when you want to broaden your leadership team, or when your team does not have the time to run the search itself.
When is contingency or direct-hire recruiting enough?
For individual contributors, technicians, engineers and managers where active candidates exist and speed matters most. PMAA’s Direct-Hire Services deliver qualified candidates within 24–48 hours of your job description.
Does PMAA offer both retained and contingency-style recruiting?
PMAA offers retained executive search alongside direct hire, staff augmentation and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), so we recommend the model that fits the role.
How do I start a search with PMAA?
Send us the role using the form on this page or request talent online, or call (954) 228-6609. We reply within one business day.