Fee Relationships

SSP is committed to negotiating a relationship that meets the client’s needs and provides the greatest opportunity for success in enhancing the client’s team.

The three (3) most common relationships are:

Mutually Committed Relationship is a retained, exclusive agreement between us and the client in which we expedite the process and capitalize on our resources to identify and present elite candidates. In general, an agreed upon amount is collected at the outset of the search (the Commitment Fee), upon interview of the elite candidates another agreed upon amount is collected (the Progress Fee), and the remainder of the fee is contingent and paid upon the hiring of a presented candidate.  Many of our clients use the committed search to ensure that their search is priority and the most elite talent is exclusive to them. Experience has proven that when the client is committed to the search and the search firm, they have sharpened focus, a better understanding of exactly what they are looking for, and substantially increase the opportunity to find the perfect candidate.

This structure is ideal when working to attain C-Suite and partner-level talent. It is also ideal when looking for very specific types of executive and legal candidates. From the client's perspective, this relationship is extremely effective if they place a higher priority on the position, and if timing is important for filling the role. We have found this type of arrangement to have the most long-term effectiveness, as it allows us more time to understand and appreciate the intangible facets of the client’s organization – this is critical in our evaluation and vetting of potential candidates as to their cultural fit.

Exclusive, Contingent Relationship is based on a signed exclusive agreement between us and the client. This agreement defines the exclusive nature of the relationship and ties both parties to a specific time frame.  This relationship allows us to drill deep into the talent pool because there is no concern another recruiter is going to submit candidates first.  This relationship results in a smaller, more vetted group of candidates presented to the client, requiring less time on the client’s part reviewing and deciding which to pursue.

If a presented candidate is placed with the client, the fee will be paid in full based upon a certain percentage of the placed candidate’s compensation. If the client does not choose to hire any of the presented candidates, no fee will be charged, and after the expiration of the exclusivity period, the client may engage other recruiters. From the client's perspective, this relationship is effective if the search is priority, yet for budgeting purposes, a retainer is not able to be paid.

Non-Exclusive, Contingent Relationship is based on an agreement between us and the client to identify and present the top talent, however no exclusive arrangement exists. Typically, the organization has engaged multiple search firms which can result in an inundation of presented candidates, therefore requiring more time and energy on the client’s part.

Under a contingency agreement, the client must agree to the terms in writing prior to the search and the presentation of any candidates. The fee itself is the same as under an exclusive, contingent relationship above.