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What Is Retained Search?

Retained Search is a recruitment engagement where the client pays a search firm an upfront fee to run an exclusive, dedicated search, with the remainder invoiced on shortlist and placement. The model aligns incentives, protects confidentiality and funds the depth of market mapping required for senior or discreet appointments.

Core features

  • Exclusive engagement with a single search firm

  • Upfront, milestone and placement fee structure

  • Dedicated research, market mapping and direct outreach

  • Controlled disclosure of the client's identity throughout

  • Deliberately small, decision-ready shortlist

  • Written candidate profiles, referencing and offer support

  • Defined timelines and a single point of accountability

Retained search is the standard model for ultra-high-net-worth families, Family Offices and Luxury businesses hiring senior, sensitive or hard-to-find roles. It is the appropriate instrument whenever confidentiality is non-negotiable, the candidate pool is small, or the cost of a failed hire materially exceeds the cost of running the process properly. It is not a volume tool.

How the engagement is structured

A retained engagement runs on a scoped brief. The search firm commits dedicated resource, agrees a timeline and reports into one decision-maker on the client side. Fees are typically split across engagement, shortlist and placement milestones. Compensation benchmarking for the role being searched is drawn from the relevant salary guide: Family Office Salary Guide 2026, Private Staff Salary Guide 2026 or Luxury Hospitality & Brands Salary Guide 2026.

Contingent search pays the firm only on placement and may involve several recruiters working in parallel. Retained search appoints one firm exclusively, with dedicated research, assessment and agreed controls over disclosure. For a deeper comparison, see Contingent vs Retained Search.

Engage Oplu on a retained basis when the role is senior, the confidentiality requirement is real, and the candidate pool sits outside public job boards. We scope mandate, reporting lines and compensation before speaking to the market, and run a controlled direct approach. Most of our searches in Family Office, Private Households & Estates and Luxury run retained.

Firat Bay
Firat Bay

Managing Director

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