WHAT IS RETAINED SEARCH?
Retained search, in essence, involves a collaborative and dedicated partnership between a company and a search firm, ensuring a tailored and exhaustive approach to identifying, attracting, and securing top talent for niche roles, particularly within the complex and competitive technology landscape.
​
Companies contemplating engaging with a search firm for retained search services do so with a clear objective: to access a refined and specialized recruitment process that goes beyond the transactional nature of contingent searches.
​
The key benefits lie in the establishment of a dedicated search team, the application of robust methodologies tailored to niche requirements, the seamless onboarding of chosen candidates, the precision of briefing, and the enhanced communication strategies that collectively contribute to the successful acquisition of cybersecurity professionals.
​
​
Why Retained Search?
Because it offers so many benefits to our clients.
Because it saves our clients time, money and resources.
And because we believe that a truly bespoke service calls for retained, not contingent search.
1
Briefing and Stakeholder Liaison
We start with a full briefing session involving all stakeholders and our Managing Partners to define and agree on the parameters of the search and the process, including the full role profile. Together, we agree to the functional and behavioural competencies that will ensure a technical and culture fit. We define the geography, the timeline, the process, and, importantly, your Employee Value Proposition, the message that we're taking to the market on your behalf.
2
Research - Talent Intelligence
This can also be offered as a separate service to our clients.
At this stage we present you with a detailed market map of the current candidate field, based on research and our own deep industry insights. We identify every candidate across the geographical location who looks to have the right skill set to meet the criteria and present our findings to all key stakeholders - communication is frequent and transparent.
3
Candidate Screening and Longlisting
We systematically and professionally approach every single candidate using multiple methods including direct, but professional, headhunting, to gain as much interest in the opportunity as possible. The whole process is transparent. We'll share our progress including a detailed report showing every candidate, who we've approached and their response. At your request, we will collect whatever data you would like - salaries, benefits, bonuses, even perception of you in the market. If at any point we're faced with a challenge, we'll work with you to re-steer the search accordingly.
4
Presentation of Shortlist
From that list, we will then jointly agree on a short list of three to five ideal candidates for you to interview. At the end of this rigourous process, you can be confident you are making your hire from the best of the talent available to you at this time.
5
Interviewing Processes
We can advise on the interview panel, questions that should/could be included and how to conduct the interviews should it be required. We will also liaise with the candidates to ensure a smooth process. Candidates can meet all stakeholders, undergo your assessment procedures and then, upon selection, we can move to the offer management stage.
6
Offer Management
Once you have decided upon the offer and package, we will present this to the successful candidate and support both parties through any further negotiations until all parties are happy and contracts signed.
7
Onboarding and Support
We are great believers that the search process does not end with the signing of the contract. We will stay in regular contact with both yourselves and your new employee up until their start date and beyond. We pride ourselves on the professional relationships we have nurtured over the decades.
