UK Recruitment Glossary
Retained Search
In recruiter context
Used at C-suite, director, and very senior individual contributor levels. The recruiter dedicates significant time to a longlist, interviews 30-50 candidates, presents a shortlist of 4-7, and works closely with the employer through to offer. Retained search firms (Spencer Stuart, Egon Zehnder, Heidrick, Russell Reynolds) operate at executive level; below that, sector-specialist firms (Goodman Masson in finance, Eames in tech, etc.) run retained for senior placements. As a candidate, you're typically only contacted by retained recruiters if you're 'mapped' for a specific role — they don't take CVs from job seekers. The cleanest way in: get on their radar via published thought leadership and selective LinkedIn presence.
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