Feeling overwhelmed by the unpredictable nature of contingent recruitment?
You’re not alone. Louise Archer, founder of Retrained Search, has been there too.
In an eye-opening interview with Recruit CRM, she shares her journey from contingent to retained recruitment, discusses the challenges she faced, and offers invaluable tips on creating a supportive work environment and navigating ethical dilemmas.
Louise’s insights are packed with practical advice that can change your approach to recruitment.
Watch the full conversation here or dive into the blog to learn more.
How did Louise discover the retained model?
Louise’s frustration with the contingent model reached a breaking point. Long hours, unpredictable clients, and inconsistent results made her question her career.
The game-changer? Her introduction to the retained recruitment model. Suddenly, Louise realized that this approach wasn’t just for top-level executives in fancy suits—it was something she could achieve, too.
Transitioning to retained recruitment changed everything for her. Securing financial commitments from clients allowed her to implement a reliable process and achieve better results.
This shift wasn’t just about earning more—it was about gaining control and stability in her work.
These transformations highlight how retained recruiting can lead to significant business growth and stability.
So, what is retained recruitment, and why should you consider it?
Retained search is a recruitment model in which companies approach a search agency to help them fill a vacancy.
This model works on a contractual basis, and the recruiter receives a portion of the fee decided upfront.
On the other hand, in a contingency search, the recruiter gets paid if and only if the candidate they find is successfully hired by the company and shows up for the job. The phrase ” no win, no fee” best describes this model.
Contingency search is not as secure as retained for several reasons. Without a guaranteed source of income, a contingency recruitment model is riskier and not advisable to base your agency off on.
However, if your recruitment agency is focused on hiring for more junior roles or attracting candidates from the bottom of the salary spectrum, then contingency recruiting might be a very good option. In fact, here retained search might be overkill.
Also read: Retained search vs contingency recruiting
Wait! That’s not the only thing Louise has talked about. Get more scoop here:
