How a Retained Search Works

Stage 1: Engagement and Intake

The search begins when the engagement letter is signed. At that point, Majhi Group conducts a structured mandate intake session — a 60–90 minute conversation with the hiring CEO that establishes what the role actually requires, what success looks like, what the organizational context is, and what the evaluation criteria will be. The output is a written intake brief that is shared with the client before sourcing begins.

The first third of the retainer fee is due at signing. This structure aligns incentives: Majhi Group is committed to the search from day one, and the client is committed to the process. Contingency-only engagements don't carry this mutual commitment — which is why they produce lower-quality searches.

Stage 2: Market Mapping and ICP Definition

Before the first outreach is sent, we map the addressable candidate market and define the Ideal Candidate Profile. This stage typically takes 3–5 business days. The output is a sourcing strategy document that identifies the candidate population, the channels we'll use, and the expected response rate. The client reviews and approves this before sourcing begins.

Stage 3: Search Execution

Outreach begins against the approved ICP and channel strategy. Every candidate who responds is evaluated against the intake criteria. Candidates who don't meet threshold are not presented — regardless of pipeline pressure. This stage is where most of the work happens and where most searches are won or lost. The quality of outreach, the relevance of the ICP, and the speed of follow-up determine whether the best candidates engage.

Stage 4: Shortlist Presentation

When we have 3–5 candidates who meet the scoring threshold, we present the shortlist. Each candidate comes with an Evidence Dossier — a structured brief documenting our assessment across all four evaluation dimensions, including risk flags. The second third of the retainer fee is due at shortlist submission.

The shortlist presentation is a working meeting, not a document drop. Majhi Group walks the client through each candidate — their strengths, their risks, the tradeoffs between them. The goal is for the CEO to leave the meeting with a clear view on which candidates to advance and why.

Stage 5: Assessment and Interview Process

Majhi Group coordinates the interview process — scheduling, briefing, and collecting structured feedback after each stage. We manage candidate communication throughout to prevent disengagement. The assessment stage is where many searches stall: if the interview process is slow, the best candidates — who are typically being approached by multiple firms — disengage quietly. We compress the assessment timeline without compromising the quality of evaluation.

Stage 6: Reference and Offer

Before an offer is extended, Majhi Group conducts structured reference calls — not the checkbox references candidates provide, but independent references from people who have worked closely with the candidate and can provide direct behavioral assessment. The reference stage frequently surfaces information that changes the offer decision or offer structure.

Majhi Group advises on offer structure and manages the offer conversation. The final third of the retainer fee is due at placement.

Stage 7: Onboarding Support and Guarantee

Our engagement doesn't end at the accepted offer. Majhi Group provides onboarding support in the first 90 days — primarily as a resource for the hiring CEO and the new executive if either needs a sounding board. If the placement doesn't work out within 90 days for any reason, we conduct a replacement search at no additional charge. This guarantee is unconditional — it doesn't require the client to prove fault.