For employers
Retained search for GMP leadership
For the Qualified Person on the licence, the Head of Quality, the site QA lead, and any role where the person you need is already doing the job somewhere else and not looking. These searches are run with the founder's full attention and nobody else's.
When retained is the right model
The candidates for these roles do not answer advertisements. They are approached directly, one at a time, with a conversation about the site and the work before a name is ever mentioned. A confidential replacement, where the current holder does not yet know, only works this way.
Retained also fits when a role has failed once already through an advert or a contingency agency, and you would rather have one search run properly than three run loosely.
What you get
A brief taken on site or on a call with the hiring manager. A long list you see and comment on before anyone is approached, so you never lose a person you were already talking to. A shortlist of up to five people, each with a written technical assessment, availability, notice period and salary expectation. Interview scheduling, offer management and the counter-offer conversation, and check-ins at month one and month three.
Exclusivity and fees
Retained searches run exclusively; a confidential approach cannot sit next to an advertisement without the confidentiality failing. The fee is a percentage of first-year gross salary, split across brief, shortlist and start, and the exact split, guarantee and terms are agreed in writing before the search begins.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between retained and contingency?
Contingency is paid only when someone starts, and you may run it alongside other agencies. Retained is paid in stages, runs exclusively, and buys a search with the founder's full attention from day one. We recommend retained for QP, Head of Quality and confidential replacements, and contingency for most other roles.
Can the search stay confidential from our own staff?
Yes. Direct approach only, no advertising, no job board, and the founder handles every first conversation personally. The company name is disclosed to a candidate only once you have approved that person on the long list.
What if the retained search finds nobody?
You hear that early, with a written explanation of what the market looks like and a recommendation. The stage fees already paid cover the work done; nothing further is invoiced.