Choose the right retained search partner.
Compare market access, assessment, fees, and support after the hire.
Retained executive search is the right instrument for many senior hires - deep market mapping, confidentiality, committed attention. We run retained searches ourselves. Here's the honest comparison, including where a traditional retained firm is the better call.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE SEAT IS FILLED
One search, with an explicit handoff
Ask where the provider's ownership ends and yours resumes.
Client and search partner agree on outcomes and evidence.
The search partner maps, engages, and assesses candidates to scope.
The client decides; agreed post-hire check-ins test the original standard.
Qualigence delivery sequence. Exact responsibilities and deliverables are set in the written scope.
| Traditional retained firm | Qualigence | |
|---|---|---|
| Market access & mapping | Assess the firm's relevant network and research | Market mapping scoped to your role |
| Fee structure | Often compensation-based; confirm fees and expenses | Structured per engagement; confirm the written scope |
| What’s screened | Ask for the assessment and reference process | Behavior under pressure, against a defined outcome |
| Best fit | A critical one-time hire requiring dedicated search | A critical hire plus reusable decision standards |
| Buyer commitment | Leadership access for intake, interviews, and decisions | The same, plus participation in role and evidence calibration |
| Primary tradeoff | Strong one-search execution may be all you need | System work adds value only if your team intends to use it |
| After the offer | Confirm onboarding support and guarantee terms | Structured 30/60/90-day integration |
| What’s left behind | Ask which research and methods your team retains | A hire + the decision system that produced it |
| The next search | Agree any future search scope separately | Reusable decision standards; new search scope agreed separately |
Where traditional retained wins - the honest answer.
If you need a one-time, board-level search with a specific firm's network and no interest in changing how you hire, a traditional retained firm serves you well.
If hiring mistakes keep repeating, candidate access may not be the only gap. Our executive search approach combines the search with clearer role outcomes and evidence-based assessment.
The search closes. The decision system stays with your team.
Questions, answered straight.
- Is Qualigence a retained search firm?
- Yes - we run retained executive searches. The difference is what we install alongside the search: the 6-Step Performance Engine™ applied to every hire, with structured 30/60/90-day integration included. You get the slate and the decision system that produced it.
- What does retained executive search cost at Qualigence?
- Our fee structure is capped below the traditional 30-33% of first-year compensation charged by large retained firms. The Practice Leader structures exact pricing on the first call - it varies by role, scope, and engagement model.
- What is a replacement guarantee worth?
- A replacement guarantee limits your downside but not your cost of the mis-hire - the year of lost performance, the team morale, the second integration. Our guarantee exists; what we prefer is not needing it. The screen reduces the probability of the miss.
- How is Results-Based Interviewing™ different from a normal executive interview?
- Results-Based Interviewing uses structured questions to gather evidence of capability against a defined role outcome. Ask any search partner how they distinguish demonstrated performance from interview confidence and how they evaluate that evidence consistently.
Ask for the number.
Every firm will show you who they’ve worked with. Ask for their 24-month retention number instead. Ours is 85% - placed candidates still performing at 24 months - published on this site and measured in the open. How we measure it.
Bring the role, your hiring timeline, and the criteria you are using to compare firms. A Practice Leader can help you assess the scope before you commit.
