Retainer or contingency? What companies should consider in international executive search
Published on 29 September 2026 · 4 min read
When you hire a senior leader, you are usually offered two fee models: contingency or retainer. At first glance, contingency looks safer – you only pay when someone signs. In practice, it is often the other way round.
What happens with contingency fees
Several agencies work on the same assignment at the same time. Only the one who delivers the right CV first gets paid. The result: speed beats thoroughness. The people approached are mostly those who are looking anyway – and someone else has usually already submitted them.
What a retainer does differently
A retainer is a fixed fee for a search, paid in three instalments: at the start, at the shortlist and at signature. In return, one partner searches exclusively and in a structured way: mapping the market, defining target companies, approaching people directly – including those who have no intention of moving until the right offer arrives. For key positions, that is usually where the best people sit.
What I look for in an international search
My focus is building sites and teams. For an international leadership search, I first clarify where the role is based, what experience it truly requires and how the search can be organised responsibly. In Italy, I advise on market entry, site setup and workforce strategy; I do not recruit or place candidates there.
What you get out of it
A clear brief, a transparent process and a fee whose deliverables and payment stages are agreed from the outset.
What this means for your business
Planning a cross-border hire? Write to me: info@sandralochmann.com
Share:
Transparency, image credits and advertising disclosure
Responsible for editorial content pursuant to § 18(2) MStV: Sandra Lochmann, Bahnhofstraße 28, 82065 Baierbrunn, Germany.
Reference evidence: named quotations and client or partner references are published only with documented consent or a publicly verifiable source. Article-specific sources are listed below each post; business relationships are disclosed in the text.
Image credits: cover and preview images on this blog are AI-generated, editorially reviewed in-house productions by People · Places · Performance; usage rights are held by Sandra Lochmann. Portrait photography: © Sandra Lochmann, used with the consent of the person depicted. Third-party images, where used, are credited directly at the image with author and licence (e.g. Unsplash licence, CC BY 4.0). Third-party logos and trademarks are named for editorial reporting only; all rights remain with their owners.
Advertising disclosure: this article is editorial content and contains no paid advertising, no sponsorship and no affiliate links. Companies, regions, programmes and tools mentioned are named without commission or payment. Where a business relationship exists (e.g. ongoing mandates or partnerships), it is disclosed in the text. Paid cooperations would be clearly labelled 'Advertisement' at the beginning of the article (§ 5a(4) UWG, § 22 MStV).
AI notice: AI tools are used to support writing and translating these articles. Content, arguments, assessments and sources are editorially reviewed and taken responsibility for before publication (Art. 50 AI Act).