Retained vs. Exclusive Contingency

In today's IT marketplace, hiring the right people for any position is crucial; but when it comes to hiring executive-level IT professionals, the pressure is really on. For most businesses, having a qualified candidate for an executive position is really only half the story. You also need that person to be the right fit for your organization's team structure, culture and mission.

To accomplish such detailed screening, many organizations turn to retained-search firms, believing that these firms will provide a higher value than firms that perform contingency searches. However, The Connors Group offers an alternative to retained search that is economical and provides the same high-quality placement results.

Many high-profile retained-search firms enjoy a prestige that is well deserved. Such firms provide intensely focused search services that include multiple stages:

• Consultation with the hiring organization to determine the specific business needs
  
  
• Implementation of a customized search, involving proprietary candidate-database searches and extending into networks the firm has established in the industry
  
  
• Candidate pre-screening, interviewing and background checking
  
  
• Formulation of a short list of highly qualified candidates for the hiring organization to interview
  
  
• Offer coordination and negotiation
  
• Follow-through, including onboarding

For these highly specialized services, retained-search firms often garner exorbitant fees. Such fees may be part of the expected search budget for large enterprise organizations, but for many small to midsized organizations, the up-front cost of such a search isn't realistic.

For such organizations, we offer a solution. Our Exclusive Contingency Agreement offers our clients the same highly specialized, personalized service that you would expect from a high-profile retained-search firm, but with no up-front cost.

Our first step is to perform a comprehensive need analysis. Through detailed discussions with our clients, we determine your needs, including candidate qualifications, the scope and challenges of the position, internal business structure and position specifications. We also carefully examine your corporate culture to be sure we are looking for a person who will embrace the mission and philosophy of your organization as well.

Then, our greatest strength comes into play: Our extensive network consists of established relationships in the IT arena, which allows us to approach potential candidates who may not yet be in the job market. Our focus when talking to potential candidates in on "fit." We target executives who are qualified, but who also possess the people skills and leadership qualities that you need in your corporate culture. In addition, our extensive network of industry candidates and contacts allows us to provide you with results in a timely, efficient way.

When we present you with our short list of candidates, we include details about each candidate's interpersonal skills, management style, attitude and motivation to help you form a picture of the whole person. This comprehensive candidate profile will give you the information you need to make an informed choice.

Finally, we provide you and the chosen candidate with the follow through you need to assure a satisfactory offer-negotiation process and the best possible onboarding.

Regardless of your recruiting budget, our firm understands that your executive search is of the highest importance to your business. To learn more about The Connors Group's Exclusive Contingency Agreement, contact Jackie Connors at 201-537-0006 or jackie@theconnorsgroup.com.