The recruiting proposal template that justifies a retained fee over contingency.
Contingency search is a race to the bottom — you compete on speed, not quality, and only get paid if you win. This template structures search engagements across contingency, retained, and executive tiers, each with defined sourcing depth, candidate counts, and placement guarantees, so the client understands why a retained model finds better people.
Fixed project fees by scope. Round numbers. Each tier includes everything below it plus specific upgrades. The middle tier is recommended — most clients pick it.
Companies filling individual contributor or specialist roles with defined profiles
Companies seeking senior managers or hard-to-fill roles requiring dedicated focus
Boards and PE-backed companies placing C-suite executives and board directors
Cover, Executive Summary, Understanding Your Business, Search Services & Process, Our Recruiting Methodology (Role Scoping & Kick-off → Sourcing & Screening → Shortlisting & Interviews → Offer, Close & Onboarding), Timeline, Investment (3 tiers), Why Us, Case Study, Next Steps.
Tier on dedication and seniority. Contingency Search around $3K engagement for individual-contributor roles with a 5-candidate shortlist and a 90-day guarantee. Retained Search around $8K for senior or hard-to-fill roles — a dedicated consultant, market mapping, passive outreach, and a 180-day guarantee. Executive Search around $20K for C-suite placements with assessment, comp benchmarking, and a 12-month guarantee. All figures here are in USD — set the proposal's currency to INR or any other in the editor. A defined engagement fee with a real guarantee beats a pure success fee that incentivizes volume over fit.
1) Competing purely on contingency, where you do unpaid work and lose to whoever submits first. 2) No placement guarantee, the single biggest trust signal in search. 3) Vague sourcing process — "we'll find candidates" doesn't justify a retained fee. 4) No tier for executive-level depth (assessment, market mapping, confidentiality).
You're pitching a search engagement for a role that matters — a senior leader, a hard-to-fill specialist, or a C-suite hire. The client has been burned by a flood of unvetted resumes from contingency recruiters and wants a structured, accountable process with a guarantee.
Adjust candidate counts, guarantee windows, and engagement fees per tier. Swap contingency ↔ retained framing. Add assessment or onboarding line items. AI rewrites in your firm's voice. Prices are shown in USD — set the proposal's currency (INR, EUR, GBP, and more) in the editor. Share via tracking link or export a branded PDF.
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