Retained executive search
Appointments you can defend to a board
A retained, research-led search practice for appointments where the cost of getting it wrong is measured in years rather than weeks.
Discuss a SearchThe work
Retained Executive Search
Retained executive search is an exclusive assignment. HCP One is engaged for the whole process and paid in stages. We agree a written success profile, map an agreed universe of organizations, evaluate candidates against defined competencies, and present a documented shortlist with the reasoning attached. The assignment continues through offer, acceptance and onboarding.
Who it is for
- Boards and nominating committees making a chair, non-executive or CEO appointment
- CEOs building or replacing a member of the executive team
- CHROs and CFOs who need a search that will stand up to governance review
What you receive
- Written success profile and position specification
- Documented search universe and market map
- Competency-based evaluation for every candidate taken forward
- A shortlist with written rationale and a clear recommendation
Approach
How the work runs
- 01
Client engagement and planning
We start with the business and the mandate, not the job description.
- 02
Candidate profile and sourcing strategy
A written success profile and an agreed search universe before any outreach begins.
- 03
Search universe and market mapping
The universe is defined and then mapped systematically, not skimmed from a database.
- 04
Research and market intelligence
Structured research that becomes intelligence you keep after the search closes.
Fit
When this approach makes sense
Best fit
- The appointment is business critical and hard to reverse
- Confidentiality matters, for the organization or for the candidates
- The best candidates are not actively looking and have to be approached properly
Consider another route when
- You need several similar roles filled quickly at a non-executive level
- The requirement is a specialist contractor rather than a permanent leader
- The role is not yet defined and the real question is organizational design
Not sure this is the right route?Try the Solution Finder Compare engagement models
Capabilities
Board and CEO appointments
Chair, non-executive director, CEO and successor appointments, run with the board or nominating committee.
C-suite and functional leadership
CFO, COO, CIO, CTO, CISO, CHRO and Chief AI Officer appointments across our sixteen practices.
Partner and Director level
Partner, Associate Partner, Director and Associate Director appointments in professional and technology services.
Confidential and succession-sensitive search
Replacement searches, succession planning appointments and situations that cannot be visible in the market.
Market mapping
A documented view of who exists in the agreed universe, how they are structured and how they are compensated.
Competency-based evaluation
Structured assessment against the success profile using evidence of past performance.
Peer benchmarking
Comparison of role scope, reporting line and reward against equivalent roles in the market.
Compensation and offer guidance
Benchmark-based advice on an equitable and competitive offer, and management of counter-offer risk.
Onboarding and transition support
Integration planning with the hiring executive and scheduled check-ins through the first months in role.
Deliverables by stage
Engagement plan
Scope, timeline, communication cadence and named team for the assignment.
Success profile
A written definition of what the appointment must achieve and the competencies required.
Market map
The agreed search universe, documented, with peer benchmarking.
Candidate slate
Qualified profiles with written consultant assessment and a clear recommendation.
Assessment summaries
Competency-based evaluation notes for each candidate taken forward.
Interview support
Scheduling, structured feedback capture and candidate management throughout.
Reference reporting
Structured references against the role competencies, where legally permitted.
Offer guidance
Compensation benchmarks and support through negotiation and acceptance.
Transition plan
Integration planning and post-appointment check-ins.
Client engagement and planning
- An agreed engagement plan, timeline and communication cadence
Candidate profile and sourcing strategy
- Success profile, position specification and a documented sourcing strategy
Search universe and market mapping
- A documented, mapped search universe and a peer benchmarking view
Research and market intelligence
- A qualified target list and a running market intelligence summary
Screening and competency evaluation
- Structured evaluation notes for every candidate taken forward
Candidate reporting and recommendations
- A documented shortlist with written rationale per candidate
Candidate meetings and feedback
- Consolidated interview feedback and an updated view of the slate
Formal references where legally permitted
- A written reference report, where references are legally permitted
Compensation and offer negotiation
- A benchmarked offer recommendation and a managed offer process
Closure, transition and onboarding support
- Transition support and scheduled post-appointment check-ins
Engagement models
Retained search
An exclusive, staged assignment for an appointment that has to be right.
Advisory engagement
A scoped piece of thinking with a written deliverable.
Quality controls
Agreed universe, documented research
Research runs against a search universe you have signed off, so coverage can be reviewed rather than assumed.
Evidence over impression
Every recommendation is written down and tied to the success profile, including reservations.
References where permitted
Formal referencing at the right stage, agreed with the candidate and conducted against role competencies.
Honest market reporting
You hear who declined and why. If the proposition is not landing, we tell you early rather than late.
Confidentiality discipline
Controlled outreach, approved messaging and named points of contact on both sides.
Continuity of team
The consultant who scopes the assignment stays with it through onboarding.
What to bring to a first conversation
- A named decision maker and access to the board or hiring executive
- Context on strategy, structure and the reason the role exists now
- Sign off on the success profile and the search universe
- Interview availability and timely feedback after each meeting
- Clarity on approval path and offer parameters
Most assignments begin with a confidential scoping conversation. Formal research starts once the success profile and search universe are agreed and the engagement is in place.
Common questions
How long does a retained search usually take?
Timelines depend on the seniority of the role, the size of the agreed universe, confidentiality constraints and how quickly interview panels can meet. We agree a target timeline in the engagement plan and report progress against it. We do not quote a standard number of days, because a number set before the market is mapped is a guess.
What does retained mean in practice?
It means the assignment is exclusive to HCP One and fees are staged across the engagement rather than paid only on placement. In return you get committed research capacity, scheduled reporting and a documented process.
Who owns the candidates you introduce?
Candidates are introduced to you in confidence for the assignment described. How introductions may be used, and for how long, is set out in the applicable agreement.
Start here
Discuss a confidential search
Tell us the mandate and the constraints. We will give you an honest read on the market before anything is committed.