Comparison for employers
Retained vs. Contingency Search for Behavioral Health Roles
The short answer
This guide is for treatment programs deciding how to pay for recruiting. Retained search means paying a firm up front or in stages for a dedicated search, usually for senior or confidential roles. Contingency search means paying only when a hire is made, usually for clinical and staff roles. Staffosaurus offers Contingency Placement, a 12-Month Partnership Plan, and Bulk Hiring, and can talk through which fits your needs.
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How retained search works
In a retained search, the employer engages one firm, usually exclusively, and pays part of the fee before a hire is made. Payment is often split into stages tied to the start of the search, a shortlist, and the hire. Terms vary by firm.
Retained search is common for executive and confidential searches, where the firm commits significant time to market mapping and outreach to leaders who are not looking. The tradeoff is cost and commitment before you see a hire.
- Usually exclusive to one firm
- Some fee paid before a hire
- Dedicated search process and reporting
- Common for C-suite, regional, and confidential roles
How contingency search works
In a contingency search, the employer pays only if they hire a candidate the firm presents. There is usually no up-front fee. Employers may work with more than one firm, or keep recruiting on their own at the same time.
Contingency works well for clinical and staff roles where there is a reasonable pool of candidates and the employer wants to pay only for results. The tradeoff is that a firm may spread effort across many open searches.
- Fee paid only on a successful hire
- Often non-exclusive
- Lower financial risk for the employer
- Common for counselors, therapists, nurses, and many director-level roles
Which roles fit each model
There is no single right answer. Consider seniority, confidentiality, how hard the role is to fill, and how many hires you need.
- Often a fit for retained-style search: CEO, CFO, CMO, CNO, Chief Compliance Officer, Regional VP of Clinical Operations, and confidential replacements
- Often a fit for contingency: Clinical Directors, Executive Directors in active markets, therapists, licensed addiction counselors, nurses, and case managers
- Often a fit for ongoing or volume arrangements: multi-site operators with steady hiring, new program openings, and added levels of care
How Staffosaurus options map to these models
Staffosaurus offers three recruiting options. We describe them honestly here so you can compare.
Contingency Placement is a contingency model. It fits individual searches where you want to pay when a hire is made.
The 12-Month Partnership Plan is an ongoing recruiting relationship for programs with continuing hiring needs. Do not assume that an ongoing partnership has the same terms as a traditional retained executive search agreement. Ask the team how its written terms would apply to a specific leadership search.
Bulk Hiring is built for programs hiring several people at once, such as a new site or a staffing rebuild.
Executive searches can be discussed under these options. Contact Staffosaurus to talk through which option fits a given role. Fee details are provided directly by the team.
Questions to ask any recruiting firm
Use these before you sign with any firm, including us.
- Is the agreement exclusive, and for how long?
- When is any fee due, and what triggers it?
- What happens if a hire leaves early?
- Who will actually do the recruiting, and have they worked in behavioral health?
- How will the firm report progress?
- How will confidentiality be handled?
Frequently asked questions
Is retained search better than contingency search?
Neither is better in every case. Retained search suits senior or confidential searches that need a dedicated process. Contingency suits roles where you want to pay only when a hire is made.
Is the Staffosaurus 12-Month Partnership Plan a retained search?
It is an ongoing recruiting relationship, not a traditional retained executive search agreement. Contact the team to discuss how it would apply to your hiring.
Does Staffosaurus offer contingency recruiting?
Yes. Contingency Placement is one of the three Staffosaurus recruiting options.
What if we need to hire many people at once?
Bulk Hiring is designed for programs building a team, such as opening a new site or adding a level of care.
Does Staffosaurus publish its fees?
Fee details are not published on the site. Contact Staffosaurus at (214) 471-5101 or info@staffosaurus.com to discuss them.
Hiring for your program?
Talk with a recruiter who has worked in treatment about the role you need to fill.
Contact Staffosaurus