Does retained executive search and contingency placement yield the same results?
Sometime it may, but usually the answer is NO. Contingency recruiters are paid only if the candidate that they present is actually hired. A contingency recruiter can only afford to spend a limited amount of time on each assignment because getting paid is always uncertain. His best chance is to market candidates that are “looking” to as many different employers as possible. The contingency recruiter knows that any job opening may be put on hold, or filled internally, or filled by a candidate answering an ad, or filled thru an internal referral, or filled by a competing recruiter, or filled by a candidate applying directly. For this reason, a contingency recruiter can not invest the time and effort required to recruit the best candidate for the position. The retained search consultant, on the other hand, is employed by the client to identify and recruit the best candidate that most closely fits the clients specifications. Since payment is assured, all efforts can be focused on identifyin
