P&P.

Executive Search Fees

What You Need to Know (and why we are better)

If you're a company expanding into the U.S., one of your biggest decisions is who you hire. And who helps you hire them.

This comprehensive overview breaks down the landscape of executive search fees in the U.S.—and shows why Pact & Partners offers the smartest, most transparent, and risk-proof model on the market.

Discover the Pact & Partners advantage

Hiring multiple executives?

If you're building an entire U.S. team, our RPO Subscription Model offers sliding-scale fees from 15% down to 4% — with the same executive search quality.

Discover our RPO Model

How the market works?

There are three main models to executive search firms:

1

Retained Search

Pay in three stages (start, shortlist, hire). Big firms like Korn Ferry, Russell Reynolds, Heidrick & Struggles, Spencer Stuart, or Egon Zehnder could charge 33%–38% plus monthly consulting fees, admin fees, and stock-based extras—ballooning the true cost.

2

Contingency Search

'No hire, no fee' (20%–30%). Usually fast but low depth. Best for volume hiring, not executive roles.

3

Hybrid Model

Half upfront, half on success. Slightly cheaper but lacks deep commitment unless you still pay more.

Hidden costs of big firms

Large search firms promote global reach—but often deliver:

  • ✗High fees with poor flexibility
  • ✗Recycling of same pool of candidates between different clients
  • ✗Too many off-limits to perform a thorough search
  • ✗Hidden extras for bonuses, equity, and travel
  • ✗Junior consultants doing most of the work
  • ✗No accountability if things go wrong

In some cases, fees exceed $200,000 to $300,000 per hire. And if your hire doesn't work out? You're stuck.

Why Pact & Partners is the smartest deal for your company

OUR FEES ARE THE MOST TRANSPARENT AND FAIR ON THE MARKET

At Pact & Partners, we don't follow the bloated big-firm model. We offer a clear, honest, and effective pricing structure that works for fast-growing companies expanding into the U.S.:

✓

Flat 27% fee

Just 27% of the candidate's full first-year gross salary + bonuses. No hidden charges. No inflated retainers (Ask us about our discount rates if you are a Start-up or a Non-profit).

✓

Split payment

50% upfront as a retainer. 50% only if we succeed. You get full commitment — and results before the final bill.

✓

Three-month replacement guarantee

If your hire leaves or fails within 90 days, we replace them. Period.

✓

No admin fees. No travel fees. No stock-based add-ons

Unlike big firms, what you see is what you pay.

✓

Boutique attention, global expertise

You work directly with senior partners. We've done this for 30+ countries. And we move fast.

If you're hiring in America, here's the math that matters

Big firms

Expect the unexpected (Bills could be $200K or higher sometimes)*

*for a candidate that might not even be the right fit.

Contingency firms

Cheaper, but misaligned. Fast CVs, shallow vetting.

Pact & Partners

Deep search, fair pricing, no fluff — tailored for companies like yours entering the U.S.

Companies face unique challenges hiring in America:

  • •Cultural mismatch
  • •Communication gaps
  • •Legal compliance issues
  • •Misalignment on leadership expectations

Pact & Partners bridges those gaps

We specialize in helping European, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American companies make the right U.S. hires — quickly, discreetly, and effectively.

Hiring the wrong executive in America isn't just expensive — it's a strategic risk. That's why we built a firm that companies trust to get it right the first time. Clear process. Real people. Strong results.

— Olivier Safir, CEO of Pact & Partners

Our fee is 27% of the candidate's total first-year gross compensation (base salary plus variable bonuses). This covers direct search and recruitment, full candidate assessment, reference checks, interview coordination, and support through offer acceptance. There are no additional admin, travel, equity, or 'surprise' fees.

Standard search: 50% retainer at project launch, with the remaining 50% due only upon successful placement (signed contract) of the selected candidate. RPO model (Subscription): Predictable monthly subscription ($15,000/month for 4 positions, +$2,000/month per additional position), combined with declining success fees (from 15% to 4%) charged only upon each successful hire.

We offer a three-month replacement guarantee: if the hired executive leaves the company — or if you choose to end the collaboration — within the first 90 days, we will relaunch the search and present new candidates at no additional search fee.

Large search firms: 33–38% of first-year compensation, usually plus monthly consulting, admin, travel, or equity-related fees; total cost per search often exceeds $200,000. Contingency firms: 20–30% fees, payable only on hire, but typically with shallow search and limited commitment. Pact & Partners: 27% all-inclusive, split 50/50 between retainer and success fee, led by senior partners and backed by a replacement guarantee — lower cost than most traditional models, with deeper commitment than contingency.

If you plan four or more executive hires per year (e.g., U.S. office launch, post-funding expansion, or building a multi-function team), our RPO model significantly reduces your success fees (down to 4%), guarantees dedicated resources, and can save you from $50,000 to over half a million dollars — all without compromising executive search quality.

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