What the Retained Model Is Designed to Enable
The retained search model — one-third upfront, one-third at shortlist, one-third at placement — exists to align incentives between the search firm and the client. The upfront retainer funds the quality work that the contingency model cannot support: deep market mapping, direct outreach to passive candidates, structured assessment, and intensive candidate engagement. Without a retainer, search firms must prioritise speed and volume to manage their economics. The retainer creates the conditions for quality.
Why Most Retained Searches Fall Short
Most retained searches do not deliver on the model's potential because the retainer is treated as a payment for access rather than as an investment in quality. Search firms that take a retainer and then run a database search with light assessment deliver a contingency-quality outcome at a retained-model price. Retained Search Excellence requires that every element of the retained model — market mapping, direct sourcing, structured assessment, intensive candidate engagement, independent references, offer management — is actually executed at the quality the model enables.
The Majhi Group Standard
Majhi Group's operating standard for every retained engagement includes: a structured intake and alignment session before any sourcing begins; a formal market mapping exercise before the first candidate is contacted; structured deep-dive assessment of every candidate before shortlist presentation; independent reference checks with contacts outside the candidate's reference list; weekly progress updates throughout the engagement; and a 90-day replacement guarantee on every placement. These are not optional elements — they are the standard.
The Outcome of Excellence
Retained Search Excellence produces outcomes that the contingency model and the underpowered retained model cannot match: faster closes (41 days average vs. 65–90 industry median), higher offer acceptance rates (90%+), lower post-placement failure rates, and clients who consistently return for subsequent searches. These outcomes are the evidence of the standard — not claims about process quality, but results produced by executing it.