Myth: “If I use multiple recruitment agencies, I’ll access a wider talent pool”
Truth: Use one, retained firm – and you’ll access three times as many candidates.
It’s a commonly-held myth that using multiple recruiters will result in more options for a hiring manager. In truth, this approach dilutes the process, compromises candidate experience and risks the quality of the hire.
Why, then, is the retained search method more effective than a multi-agent approach?
Depth over speed
Contingent recruiters (who don’t receive payment until the hire is secured) are typically in a race to be first, rather than most thorough. That can mean surface-level searches, limited engagement with passive candidates and less time invested in understanding your business.
Accountability and commitment
When you retain a search firm, you secure their commitment to deliver. This ensures the agency is accountable for the outcome: sourcing, assessing and supporting you until the position is successfully filled. By contrast, in a contingent model, recruiters can simply move on if a role looks too challenging.
Consistent brand message
Every candidate interaction is a reflection of your organisation. If you brief multiple contingent recruiters, your message to the market can easily become inconsistent or even contradictory. Candidates may be approached more than once with conflicting details, which undermines your employer brand. A retained partner acts as a single point of contact, ensuring your opportunity is represented accurately, consistently and professionally.
Deeper candidate assessment
High-performing hires are not just about skills; they must align with your culture, values and long-term goals. Retained search firms typically go beyond CVs to ensure the right fit. At Leonid, we use our LeonidLive video shortlists which enable hiring managers to instantly get a sense of a candidate’s personality, communication skills and values. With contingent recruitment, the focus is usually on speed of submission rather than depth of evaluation.
Long-term partnership
A retained search agency is not a one-off supplier but a strategic partner. By investing the time to understand your business, its values and growth ambitions, they become better placed to advise on future hiring needs, succession planning and talent strategy. This long-term view is rarely possible in a contingent set-up, where the relationship tends to be transactional and short-term.
Conclusion
If you’re hiring for business-critical roles, especially in specialist or regulated sectors, the quality of your search process is everything. Retained search delivers depth, accountability and consistency that contingent models cannot match. By entrusting one partner with your search, you protect your employer brand, enhance the candidate experience – and, crucially - maximise your chances of securing the right person.
