Decision Guide
The retained-versus-contingent debate is older than most recruitment agencies. It also still matters. The two models drive different behaviour from the recruiter, attract different candidates, and produce different outcomes. This guide cuts through the marketing on both sides.
When to use this guide
Use this guide before you sign an engagement letter for a sales leadership search and you want to understand exactly what you are paying for.
Any figures, fee bands, salary ranges or percentages quoted on this page are indicative narrative guidance from Evara's operator-led practice in 2026, not a formal benchmark or audited statistic.
Fixed engagement fee paid in stages. The recruiter is exclusively retained for the role and accountable for the outcome.
Best for
Watch out for
Recruiter is paid only on placement, usually as a percentage of first-year salary. Often run by multiple agencies in parallel.
Best for
Watch out for
Side by side
| Dimension | Retained search | Contingent recruitment |
|---|---|---|
| Payment model | Commitment deposit up front, completion fee invoiced day 60 of employment | Percentage of first-year salary, paid only on placement |
| Exclusivity | One agency, one search at a time per consultant | Often three or more agencies running the same brief |
| Recruiter incentive | Get the right hire, retain the engagement, earn future searches | Submit candidates quickly to win the placement before competitors |
| Process depth | Structured market map, two-stage commercial screen, written shortlist | Fast keyword search, light screen, CV submission |
| Quality of passive candidates | Strong: passive senior leaders are approached with a narrative | Weaker: contingent recruiters skew to active candidates |
| Best fit role level | Senior leadership, specialist or confidential seats | Volume IC roles, high-frequency seats with active candidate flow |
| Fee for a Sales Director search | Typically £18-£28k fixed in the North of England | Typically 18-25% of first-year base or OTE on placement |
Our take
Contingent recruitment is not bad. It is a fit for a specific class of seat. The error is using contingent for a senior leadership search where the work that actually matters happens before the first candidate is approached: defining the role, mapping the market, screening commercially. A contingent recruiter is not paid to do that work; a retained recruiter is. Match the model to the job.
FAQs
Because the work that actually matters on a senior search happens before any candidate is approached: role profiling, market mapping, EVP, attraction pack, adverts. A commitment deposit pays for that strategic work and aligns the recruiter with the outcome. Evara then invoices the completion fee on day 60 of the placed candidate's employment, so the bulk of the fee sits behind a sixty-day shared-risk window.
If no placement is made, no completion fee is invoiced. The commitment deposit is retained against the strategic work that was done. If the candidate is placed but leaves or is exited inside the sixty-day shared-risk window, no completion fee is charged either, and Evara will rerun the search where the original brief has not materially changed. If a retainer offers no day-of-employment protection at all, that is a flag.
Some do. Evara does not. We work retained-only because it is the model that fits the seats we work on. If your search is genuinely volume IC work, we will say so and recommend a different partner.
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Email Rachel Lunn for a frank conversation about whether your search needs retained or contingent. We will tell you straight, even if the answer is not us.
Email Rachel LunnSales recruitment, GTM recruitment and revenue advisory for SMEs UK-wide. We reply within one working day.
Email Rachel Lunn