Working with 24 Hour Search.
Retained methodology. No retainer.
You pay only when we deliver the hire.
Aligned incentives change the work.
A retained firm gets paid whether the candidate signs or not. The first installment is invoiced at engagement, the second at the slate, the third at placement. That structure protects the firm from the volatility of senior hiring, but it also separates the firm’s incentive from the client’s outcome.
We chose a different structure. Our fee depends on the close. That alignment shapes every decision we make: which candidates we surface, how we manage the slate, how we handle the offer, how we position through to the start date. We are paid for outcomes, not for activity.
What you commit before the candidate signs.
Set the base salary for the role and the bonus target. We will show you what each model asks you to pay, and when.
Bonus brings total cash comp to $312,500.
30% of first-year cash compensation
Base plus bonus, the industry-standard scope. Billed in three installments.
- Total fee if the search closes
- $93,750
- Due at engagementFirst installment
- $31,250
- Committed before the candidate signsFirst two installments, invoiced at engagement and slate
- $62,500
25% of first-year base salary
Invoiced when the candidate signs. No engagement retainer.
- Total fee if the search closes
- $62,500
- Due at engagementNothing owed
- $0
- Committed before the candidate signsThe fee is invoiced at the signed offer
- $0
At this compensation, retained asks for $62,500 before the candidate signs. We ask for nothing until they do.
Retained search methodology, in full.
60-90 minute intake call covering operating model, comp framework, reporting structure, success measures, deal-breakers. Written search brief delivered for client sign-off before sourcing begins.
We map the specific market the role sits in. Active and passive candidates. Adjacent sectors. Demonstrated capability over keyword matches.
Each slate candidate is delivered with a written assessment against the brief. Evidence, gaps, angles, tone. The slate is built to support a decision, not to fill a pipeline.
Comp benchmarking, reference work, offer strategy, counter-offer support, onboarding handoff. The search is won long before the offer; we position throughout.
Two things, both reasonable.
A real intake
We need 60-90 minutes of your time at the start. The intake is where retained search earns its outcome, and we run that intake whether the engagement is retained or contingent. If you cannot give us the time, we are not the right partner.
A response window on slates
When we deliver a slate, we ask for written feedback within 5 business days. Senior candidates move quickly and we need to move with them. We do not require exclusivity, but we do require responsiveness.