Transparent engagement models
Three recruiting engagement types. Modular — use individually or combine. Switch between them as your situation evolves.
- C-suite and mission-critical leadership roles
- Exclusive candidate presentation
- Guaranteed deliverables
- Full market mapping and target identification
- Long list and short list delivery
- Weekly reporting
- Full closing and offer negotiation
- 3-week avg lead time
- Dedicated team, embedded in your org
- Guaranteed hiring deliverables
- Full recruitment marketing
- ATS management and candidate pipeline
- Vendor coordination
- Weekly reporting
- Interim Talent Partner / Head of Talent role
- Modular — scale up or down as needed
- No upfront retainer required
- Pay only on successful hire
- Senior-caliber hand-delivered candidates
- Market mapping, long to short list
- Interview coordination and feedback
- High-caliber offer negotiation
- Non-exclusive candidate presentation
- Rolling engagement as roles arise
Which engagement fits your situation?
A quick reference to help match the right engagement model to your specific hiring need.
| Executive Search | RPO | Agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Confidential, executive, mission-critical roles | Scaling a team fast with high hiring volume | Flexible timelines, quality-focused single hires |
| Fee structure | Retainer + success fee | Monthly ¥500K–1M | 35–40% of annual salary (on hire) |
| Upfront commitment | Yes (retainer) | Yes (monthly) | None |
| Candidate exclusivity | Exclusive to your project | Dedicated to your pipeline | Non-exclusive |
| Deliverables | Guaranteed | Guaranteed | Hand-delivered shortlist |
| Typical velocity | 3-week avg for execs | Full team in 6–12 weeks | Rolling as roles arise |
| Best client profile | Seeking a specific senior leader | Hiring 5–50+ roles in parallel | Opportunistic single-role hiring |
A simple decision guide
Choose Executive Search if your role is senior (VP+), confidential, or mission-critical, and you want a guarantee of deliverables with candidates exclusive to your project.
Choose RPO if you're hiring 5 or more roles in parallel, need to scale quickly, or want an embedded team that acts as your internal TA function. Typical use case: market entry, new business unit launch, or hyper-growth scaling.
Choose Agency if you have a single role where quality matters but timing is flexible, and you'd prefer to pay only on a successful hire rather than commit to a retainer.
Still unsure? Most of our clients combine engagement types. For example, Executive Search for a CFO while RPO handles VP-level hiring in parallel. Tell us your situation and we'll recommend the right mix.
Ready to discuss your needs?
30-minute discovery call. We'll listen, understand your goals, and design the right engagement.
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