Questions Clients Ask Before Starting a Search
Before you start a search, it helps to know how the relationship works.
Search firms can make fees, exclusivity, guarantees and process sound more complicated than they need to be. These are the questions organizations most often ask us before deciding whether TRX is the right search partner.
The engagement should make sense before the search begins.
We structure search agreements around the work required, the role, the market and the level of partnership the organization needs. A highly specialized executive search should not be treated the same way as a recurring volume-hiring program.
The principles below describe how TRX generally works. We discuss the structure, responsibilities and expectations before an engagement begins so both sides understand what the search requires.
Retained, retingent and contingent are not the same search.
The right structure depends on how much dedicated search work, market development and partnership the assignment requires.
Dedicated search with committed resources.
Retained search is generally used for senior, critical or particularly complex assignments that require a high level of bandwidth, research and ongoing partnership. Fees are typically paid in three stages — one-third, one-third and one-third — with the specific milestones defined in the agreement.
Best fit: top-level, confidential, highly specialized or high-stakes searches where the process itself requires significant dedicated resources.
A committed start with performance still at the center.
A retingent search includes an upfront retainer much like an attorney's retainer. It recognizes the initial strategy, research, market mapping, outreach and recruiter time required to launch the search. Unless TRX fails to perform its agreed services, that initial retainer is earned.
The balance of the fee is generally tied to a successful hire under the terms of the specific agreement.
Best fit: searches that warrant dedicated commitment and market work without using a fully retained structure.
Paid only when a hire is made.
In a contingent arrangement, the search fee is earned only if TRX produces the hire. TRX uses contingency selectively rather than as a one-off transactional model.
We generally reserve contingent work for long-term client agreements where there is recurring search volume and the contract reflects that relationship, including an agreed volume discount.
Best fit: established, ongoing partnerships with predictable hiring volume.
What happens after we agree to work together?
These are the questions that tend to matter most before an agreement is signed.
Why does TRX ask for exclusivity?
Exclusivity protects both the search and the time being invested in it. Multiple firms racing to be first to present the same people does not create a better candidate pool. It often creates duplicate outreach, inconsistent messaging and confusion in the market about the opportunity.
We want enough time to assess the talent pool, have substantive conversations and determine who is genuinely worth presenting — not simply who can be presented fastest. Exclusivity gives the search room to be deliberate while still holding TRX accountable for performance.
What is your guarantee?
Our standard arrangement is typically a 12-month replacement-search guarantee at no additional professional search fee, subject to the specific agreement. The original invoice must be paid in full for the guarantee to apply.
The guarantee does not apply when the separation results from circumstances such as a layoff or lack of work. It is also important to distinguish a replacement-search guarantee from a hiring guarantee: TRX commits to conduct the replacement search. We cannot guarantee that an organization will ultimately choose to hire a particular candidate from that search.
What happens if we pause or cancel the search?
If a search is paused or cancelled after work has begun, TRX generally retains the retainer because it compensates the strategy, research, outreach and recruiter time already committed to the assignment. If the issue is a failure by TRX to perform the agreed services, that is treated differently. The signed agreement governs the specific situation.
How long does TRX consider a candidate introduction active?
TRX generally uses a 12-month candidate-introduction period. If an individual introduced by TRX is later hired during that period, the fee provisions in the applicable agreement generally apply. The specific contract controls the exact terms.
How do you handle confidentiality, NDAs and non-solicit requests?
We routinely work with confidential searches and will follow the confidentiality requirements agreed with the client. We are comfortable signing appropriate NDAs. We will also review non-solicit provisions when requested so the expectations are clear before the search begins.
Will TRX recruit people out of our organization later?
No. We do not actively recruit from current clients. As a standard TRX practice, we continue to treat an organization as a client for 24 months after the most recently completed search. Any additional contractual restrictions are addressed in the engagement agreement.
A strong search is collaborative, not static.
Market conversations and interviews should improve the search as it progresses.
How quickly will we start seeing candidates?
Timing depends on the assignment, the market, current search load and the specifics of the talent pool. For the majority of TRX searches, the first qualified slate is presented in approximately 7–10 business days.
That window is intentional. It allows identification, outreach and multiple conversations to occur before someone reaches the client. We are not trying to win a race to the first résumé; we are trying to understand who is worth your time.
What happens if the search changes once we start interviewing?
We expect calibration. Search is not static. Market conversations, candidate feedback and interviews often uncover new information about the role, compensation, geography, leadership needs or experience that actually matters.
TRX brings those patterns back to the hiring team rather than continuing to execute an outdated specification. We do not work in a vacuum. The client makes the final decisions; our role is to make sure those decisions are informed by what the market is actually telling us.
What do you need from our hiring team?
Three things matter most: access to the hiring manager, timely feedback and communication. We need enough access to understand the business need behind the role, not just the job description. Once candidates are moving, quick and specific feedback helps us recalibrate intelligently and keeps strong people engaged.
Can TRX evaluate our internal candidates too?
Yes. When a client wants TRX to manage or assess the entire candidate process, including internal candidates, that work is usually structured as part of a retained engagement. In some situations, a separate flat fee can be agreed to. We define that scope upfront so internal and external candidates can be evaluated through a coherent process.
How do you work with an internal Talent Acquisition or HR team?
As an extension of the team, not a replacement for it. Internal TA teams often carry many simultaneous priorities. A difficult search can require concentrated bandwidth — in some weeks, a single assignment can consume dozens of hours of identification, outreach and conversations.
TRX brings dedicated search capacity, passive-market reach and a different communication cadence for executive and hard-to-fill roles. We also represent the opportunity in the market, helping the right people understand both the role and the organization behind it.
What does TRX provide beyond résumés?
The search itself should create useful information. TRX helps clarify the role, test assumptions against the market, identify adjacent talent pools, surface compensation or location friction, assess candidate evidence and keep the hiring team informed about what we are learning as the search progresses.
The goal is not résumé traffic. It is a better hiring decision.
Not every opening needs an external search firm.
We would rather be clear about where we add value than try to turn every opening into a search engagement.
Critical, specialized and hard-to-reach talent.
TRX is built for executive and hard-to-fill searches where passive-market reach, industry context, dedicated recruiter bandwidth and a higher-touch communication process matter. We are particularly useful when the role is critical to the organization, the talent pool is narrow or the right candidate may never submit an application.
If the application flow can solve it, use the application flow.
If an opening is likely to generate strong applicants and your internal team has the time and expertise to identify, assess and close the right person, handling it internally may be the better answer. If you are looking for a high-volume, transactional contingent firm focused primarily on sending résumés quickly, that is not TRX.
Start with the hiring problem, not the contract.
If you are trying to determine whether a role warrants outside search support, we are happy to talk through the situation before you decide. An exploratory conversation is exactly that — a conversation about the business need, the market and whether TRX is the right fit.