In healthcare recruitment, selecting the right search model is essential for organizations aiming to secure top-tier talent. The two primary recruitment models—retained search and contingent search—offer distinctly different approaches. Understanding these differences is especially crucial in the healthcare sector, where stakes are high, and factors like quality, cultural fit, and long-term retention play a critical role in patient care and organizational stability. This guide explores the nuances of each model and explains why retained search is often the preferred choice for healthcare organizations with ongoing, specialized staffing needs.
Retained Search: A Partnership-Focused Model
Retained search is a partnership-driven approach where the recruiting firm is engaged exclusively for a specific role and receives an upfront fee. This model fosters a deep, collaborative relationship between the organization and the search firm, aiming to find not only a qualified candidate but the ideal match for the organization’s mission, culture, and specific needs. In healthcare, where the right candidate can profoundly impact patient outcomes, team dynamics, and operational success, this tailored approach delivers significant value.
Key characteristics of a retained search include:
- Exclusive Engagement: A retained search is typically exclusive, meaning the search firm focuses solely on the client’s role. This exclusivity allows the firm to fully immerse in understanding the client’s needs and effectively convey the organization’s values and culture to candidates. In healthcare, this helps attract professionals who align closely with the mission of patient-centered care and service.
- In-Depth Candidate Screening and Cultural Assessment: Retained search firms dedicate significant time to evaluating candidates’ technical skills, experience, and cultural fit. This thorough assessment process is essential in healthcare, where team cohesion and alignment with the organization’s values directly influence patient care and satisfaction. Prioritizing cultural alignment through retained search often leads to stronger retention, as candidates are more likely to be satisfied and committed to the organization long-term.
- Access to Passive Candidates: Retained search firms often have access to a broad network, including passive candidates—those who aren’t actively job hunting but may be highly qualified and ideal for the role. This access is invaluable in healthcare, where the demand for specialized talent often outpaces supply. Having access to both active and passive candidates ensures that organizations tap into a comprehensive talent pool, which can be essential for securing highly skilled individuals.
- Long-Term Focus: Retained search is about finding a candidate who will make a lasting impact within the organization. This long-term focus emphasizes quality over speed, ultimately leading to lower turnover and greater stability. In healthcare, continuity and team stability are critical to maintaining high standards of care and patient satisfaction.
Contingent Search: Transactional, Limited Commitment
Contingent search operates on a pay-upon-placement basis, meaning recruiting firms are only compensated if they successfully fill the role. While this approach may work in industries with high turnover or non-specialized roles, it often falls short in healthcare, where the stakes are higher, and alignment and quality are essential.
In a contingent search, organizations typically engage multiple recruiting firms simultaneously, creating a competitive environment that prioritizes filling the position over ensuring the best fit. Since firms aren’t guaranteed compensation, they may have limited incentive to invest in a thorough, personalized search that healthcare roles require.
Key characteristics of a contingent search include:
- Non-Exclusive, Competitive Environment: Contingent firms generally compete against one another for the same role, resulting in a transactional, numbers-driven approach. This lack of exclusivity can lead to rushed candidate presentations and minimal focus on the specific qualities essential for healthcare roles, such as empathy, adaptability, and alignment with patient-centered care.
- Limited Focus on Cultural Fit: Contingent firms often operate on a volume model, focusing on meeting the basic job requirements rather than conducting in-depth assessments for cultural alignment or long-term compatibility. In healthcare, where a strong cultural fit can impact team dynamics and patient outcomes, this lack of focus on alignment can result in high turnover, team disruption, and patient dissatisfaction.
- Narrow Candidate Pool: Because contingent search firms focus on active job seekers, they may overlook passive candidates who could be the best match for the role but aren’t actively applying. This restriction limits access to highly skilled and specialized talent, a disadvantage in healthcare, where specialized expertise is often in high demand.
- Transactional, Low-Commitment Relationship: The contingent model often results in a transactional relationship with minimal emphasis on long-term collaboration or strategic alignment. In healthcare, where lasting partnerships are vital, this low-commitment approach can limit the depth and support organizations receive from their recruiting partners.
For healthcare organizations, where quality, cultural fit, and retention are paramount, contingent search may fill roles, but it often lacks the comprehensive strategy, exclusive commitment, and long-term focus necessary to secure truly impactful candidates.
Why Retained Search is Better Suited to Healthcare
In healthcare, where patient outcomes and team stability depend on quality hires, retained search generally yields superior results. By fostering a strategic partnership, retained search allows recruiting firms to fully understand the nuances of each role and prioritize quality, alignment, and longevity over a quick placement.
Retained search offers:
- Dedicated Focus and Depth: With exclusive engagement, retained firms can dedicate the time and resources necessary to find the best candidate, rather than simply any candidate. This in-depth focus is particularly valuable in healthcare, where specialized skills, alignment with care philosophy, and team compatibility are essential.
- Lower Turnover and Enhanced Retention: By prioritizing quality and cultural alignment, retained search typically results in placements that last, leading to improved retention and greater stability within healthcare teams. Turnover disrupts continuity of care and increases operational costs, so the focus on long-term fit in retained search provides a significant benefit.
- Better Candidate Experience: Candidates in a retained search process receive a more thorough, supportive experience, with recruiters who can provide detailed insights about the organization and role. This positive experience helps attract and engage top-tier talent, who are likely to feel more valued and committed from the beginning.
Choosing the Right Approach for Your Healthcare Organization
For healthcare organizations that prioritize technical expertise, cultural alignment, and long-term retention, retained search often proves to be the most effective model. The exclusivity, in-depth screening, and strategic partnership inherent in retained search make it particularly suited to healthcare’s high-stakes environment.
Have Questions About the Right Model for Your Needs?
If you’re unsure which search model would best serve your organization’s goals, the team at Jordan Search Consultants is here to help. Contact Bayli Worstenholm or Laura Perry for a complimentary consultation. We’ll provide insights into the recruitment process and help determine the best approach for securing top-tier healthcare talent tailored to your unique needs.
