Contained Search
For two or more critical hires. Shared commitment, a fixed plan, and most of the fee paid only when each hire starts.
Some hires come in groups: a new sales team, a second office, the layer of leaders under a new executive. Each role matters, and hiring them one at a time through several agencies leaves your story fragmented in the market.
Contained search puts all of those roles inside one exclusive search. You pay a small container fee to secure our time and focus. We commit to a plan, a timeline and a team. The rest of the fee is paid per hire, on the day each person starts.
Who it's for
- —Two or more hires in the same function, team or build-out.
- —Roles that matter to the plan, where a vacancy has a cost you can measure.
- —Searches that need reach: passive candidates, a consistent message in the market, and someone accountable for the whole result.
How it works
- Brief. We agree the roles, the Key Matching Criteria for each, the compensation ranges and the timeline.
- Container. You pay 5% of the forecast billable compensation for each role. The search starts that week.
- Search. We map the market, approach candidates directly and keep one coherent message out there. You get regular updates on who we've spoken to and what the market is telling us.
- Shortlist and interviews. You see qualified candidates against the criteria we agreed. There is no shortlist fee.
- Hire. Each hire's start fee is due on their start date, trued up to 25% of the signed offer.
What it costs
The total fee is 25% of first-year base salary plus any sign-on bonus. We call that billable compensation. Commission, target bonus and equity are not part of it.
- —The container: 5% of the forecast billable compensation for each role, paid when the search begins. It counts toward the total fee.
- —The start fee: paid per hire on each start date. It trues the fee up to 25% of that hire's actual billable compensation, less the container already paid for the role.
- —No shortlist fee, and nothing else in between.
A worked example. Two sales leaders. We forecast $160,000 base and a $15,000 sign-on for each role, so forecast billable compensation is $175,000 and the container is $8,750 per role. The first hire signs at the forecast. The second negotiates up to $170,000 base with the same sign-on, so their billable compensation is $185,000.
| Item | Hire 1 | Hire 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Billable compensation as signed | $175,000 | $185,000 |
| Container, at the start (5% of forecast) | $8,750 | $8,750 |
| Start fee, on the start date | $35,000 | $37,500 |
| Total fee (25% of billable compensation as signed) | $43,750 | $46,250 |
How it compares
| Feature | Contingent | Contained | Retained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Single roles, flexible timing | Two or more critical hires | Critical and leadership hires |
| Paid up front | Nothing | 5% of forecast comp per role | A larger, staged fee |
| Exclusive | No | Yes | Yes |
| Committed plan and timeline | No | Yes | Yes |
Questions clients ask
Is the container fee on top of the 25%?
No. It counts toward the total. Each hire's start fee brings that hire to 25% of their actual billable compensation and no more.
What if the final package differs from the forecast?
The start fee absorbs the difference. The container is set on the forecast, and the start fee is worked out on the signed offer, so every hire costs exactly 25% of their billable compensation as signed.
Why pay anything up front?
A fee paid only on success rewards speed over coverage. The container buys a fixed plan, a named team and exclusive coverage of your roles, and it is a fifth of the fee.
What counts as billable compensation?
First-year base salary plus any sign-on bonus. For sales roles that matters: commission and variable pay are left out, so the fee follows the guaranteed part of the package.
What if a role isn't filled?
The container pays for the work done on the search and is non-refundable. You pay a start fee only for hires who start.
Is there a guarantee?
Yes, 90 days from each start date. If a hire leaves within 90 days of starting, we find a replacement at no further fee.
Can we use it for one hire?
Yes. For a single critical role, though, we usually recommend a full Retained search.
Hiring more than one leader?
Tell us about the roles and the timeline. We'll tell you how we'd run the search.