An honest comparison of the flat-rate pipeline model and traditional retained executive search. Both can work - the question is whether your hiring pattern is one rare search or a recurring need.
Retained search firms charge 25–35%+ of first-year salary, typically billed in installments starting at kickoff - you pay whether or not the search succeeds on the first try, in exchange for one recruiter's exclusive, deep attention on a single hard-to-fill role. We charge a flat monthly fee with no exclusivity requirement and no installment paid before you have a real hire in front of you. Retained search earns its fee on rare, senior searches; our model earns its keep the moment hiring becomes recurring.
| Factor | Retained Search | My Trade Talent |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | 25–35%+ of first-year salary, billed in installments | Flat monthly fee, same every month |
| When you pay | Typically one-third at kickoff, one-third at milestone, one-third at placement - regardless of outcome | Monthly, only for the months you are actively hiring |
| Typical cost of one $130K superintendent hire | $32,500–$45,500+ in fees, paid across the search | ~$4,000–$12,000/mo with unlimited hires from submittals |
| Exclusivity | Usually required - one firm, one search, no parallel recruiters | No exclusivity required; run us alongside anything else you are doing |
| Risk if the search stalls | You have already paid installments with no guaranteed hire | You pay for the month; the pipeline keeps working the next one |
| Best fit | A single senior, hard-to-replace executive hire where deep, exclusive attention justifies the fee | Recurring hiring across one or more commercial trades |
| Candidate depth | One recruiter, deep on one search at a time | A team with daily reps across every commercial trade |
| Replacement guarantee | Common (90-180 days), but the upfront installments are usually non-refundable | Pipeline continues - your fee covers the next round automatically |
Retained search is not a bad model - it is built for a specific situation: one rare, senior hire where exclusive focus matters more than speed or cost. Ours is built for the recurring need most commercial trades firms actually have.
For a firm making 12 hires per year at an average $90K salary, priced at retained search's typical 30% fee:
in fees over 12 months ($27,000 per hire × 12), largely paid in installments regardless of outcome
flat monthly at the Standard 12-month rate; same 12 hires
saved at this volume - and none of it paid before a real candidate is in front of you
Numbers above use industry-standard retained-search fee ranges and list pricing for My Trade Talent. Retained search makes the most sense at low hire volume for a single senior role - the math above is for firms hiring recurringly, which is a different situation than the one retained search is built for.
My Trade Talent charges a flat monthly fee with no exclusivity requirement, while retained search firms typically charge 25 to 35 percent or more of first-year salary, billed in installments that start at kickoff whether or not the search succeeds. Our Talent Pipeline runs from $4,000 to $12,000 a month depending on submittal volume and term, with no placement fee and unlimited hires from your submittals; full tiers are on our pricing page.
Retained search is a better choice than My Trade Talent when you are filling one senior executive role, once, and the search needs deep, exclusive focus. It also fits a role rare enough that an ongoing pipeline would not move the needle, provided you can pay installments whether or not the first search succeeds.
No: My Trade Talent requires no exclusivity, so you can run us alongside any other sourcing you are doing. Retained search usually requires one firm on one search, with no parallel recruiters.
Budget timing is a different problem from price. The same engagement can run as pay as you go: a $1,500 monthly retainer while the search is open (separate from the Talent Pipeline subscription, which starts at $4,000 a month), credited in full against the fee when we place someone. You pay whichever is greater - the agreed fee, or the months already paid - so up to the break-even month it is a smaller bill at hire, and past it the monthly payments have already covered more than the fee.
Tell us how many hires you make per quarter and the typical role salaries. We'll show you the side-by-side against your current model in 30 minutes.
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