Executive search for founders and boards
Retained executive search in the UK runs 25 to 33 per cent of first-year salary, which is £37,500 to £49,500 on a £150,000 seat. Most firms will not put that on a page. What follows is what the fee buys, what changes depending on who is buying, and the cases where a search is the wrong instrument entirely.
Start from who you are
The process is broadly the same everywhere and the things that go wrong are not. These pages carry what actually changes.
The brief is the deliverable before the shortlist is
If the seat is part-time, if the need is urgent, or if the company is not sure the role is permanent yet, a full retained search is the expensive way to find out. A fractional executive answers the same question in weeks and converts to permanent if the answer is yes.
The board is a decision-maker and should be one from the start
If the round has not closed, a permanent senior hire is a commitment against money that does not exist yet, and candidates can tell. Fractional cover until the wire lands is the honest version, and it costs less than an offer withdrawn.
Some seats need approval before the person can perform them
If the firm is pre-authorisation and the immediate question is whether the permission arrives, a permanent senior hire is early. Fractional cover through the application, converting on approval, is cheaper and carries less risk for both sides.
25 to 33 per cent retained, 15 to 25 per cent contingency, and the five details that cost the most to leave unagreed.
Grouped by what kind of firm each one is rather than ranked, by a company that is on the list and says so.
What the fee looks like
| First-year salary | Retained fee, low | Retained fee, high |
|---|---|---|
| £80,000 | £20,000 | £26,400 |
| £100,000 | £25,000 | £33,000 |
| £120,000 | £30,000 | £39,600 |
| £150,000 | £37,500 | £49,500 |
| £200,000 | £50,000 | £66,000 |
Market range rather than a rate we set. Your exact number is written down and agreed before any work starts. What sits inside it.
When a search is the wrong instrument
A search is the right answer for a seat that is genuinely full-time, permanent and hard to fill. It is an expensive way to discover that a role was none of those. If the seat is under three days a week, or you are not yet certain it is permanent, a fractional executive answers the same question in weeks: nothing to start, 10% of annualised value if you appoint, minimum £3,500.
That is not a smaller version of a search. It is a different product, and the calculator does the arithmetic on both so the comparison is yours rather than ours.
Common questions
What is executive search?
A retained process for filling a senior seat: the scope is written down, the market is mapped, people who are not looking are approached directly, and candidates are assessed against the written standard. It differs from contingency recruitment in that the firm is paid to run the search rather than only on a placement, and works the mandate exclusively.
What does executive search cost in the UK?
25 to 33 per cent of first-year salary for retained search, billed in thirds, plus VAT. Contingency runs 15 to 25 per cent and is paid only on a placement.
How long does an executive search take?
Eight to twelve weeks to an accepted offer for a C-suite seat, then whatever notice the person has to serve. In regulated firms, add regulatory approval and referencing on top of that.
When is a fractional hire better than an executive search?
When the seat is under three days a week, when the role is not certainly permanent, or when the need is immediate. A fractional executive is in the seat in weeks rather than months and converts to permanent if the answer turns out to be yes.
Permanent, or part-time first
Retained search for a full-time appointment, run end to end. Operator Search for the fractional version: three researched candidates against a written brief in five business days. Or browse the bench and approach somebody direct at no cost.