The Difference Between Contingency and Retained Recruitment — Which Is Right for Your Hire?

The Difference Between Contingency and Retained Recruitment — Which Is Right for Your Hire?

If you have worked with a recruitment agency before, you may have heard the terms contingency and retained search. Understanding the difference between these two models can save you time, money and frustration when hiring.

Contingency recruitment Contingency recruitment is the most common model for standard permanent hires. Here is how it works — you brief a recruiter on your vacancy, they search for candidates, and you only pay the recruitment fee if and when you successfully hire someone they introduced to you. There is no upfront cost and no financial risk.

This model works well for roles where candidates are reasonably available in the market and where you are happy to work with one or two agencies simultaneously. It is the standard model for most construction, civil engineering and technology roles at mid-level seniority.

Retained search Retained search works differently. You pay an upfront retainer fee — typically a third of the total fee — to secure the recruiter's exclusive focus on your specific hire. The remaining balance is paid in stages as the search progresses and on successful placement.

This model is typically used for senior, specialist or hard-to-fill positions such as Director, VP, Head of Engineering or C-suite roles. It works because it aligns the recruiter's incentives fully with your search — they are financially committed to your hire before they start.

Which should you choose? For most construction and civil engineering hires and standard AI/ML roles, contingency recruitment is the right starting point. It is low risk and fast.

For senior hires — civil engineering directors, VP of AI, Head of ML, Chief Technology Officer — retained search gives you more certainty, more dedicated resourcing and a more thorough candidate market mapping exercise.

At AI/ML Engineer Talent Group we offer both models. We will always recommend the right approach for your specific hire honestly and transparently. Get in touch to discuss what works best for your vacancy.

Blog 4 Title: How to Write a Job Description That Attracts the Best Civil Engineers Category: Hiring Advice Read time: 4 min read

Content: A great civil engineer has options. They are in demand, often already employed and regularly approached by multiple companies and recruiters. If your job description reads like a list of requirements and nothing else, you will struggle to attract the best talent. Here is how to write one that actually works.

Lead with the opportunity, not the requirements Most job descriptions open with a wall of bullet points listing what the candidate needs. Flip this. Start with why this role is a great opportunity — what projects they will work on, what their career trajectory looks like, what makes your company different from the dozens of others hiring right now.

Be specific about the projects Civil engineers want to know what they will actually be working on. Vague language like "work on exciting infrastructure projects" tells them nothing. Be specific — highway extension programme, water treatment facility, commercial development, flood defence scheme. Project specifics are often the deciding factor in whether a strong candidate applies.

Be honest about salary In 2026 the expectation among candidates is full salary transparency. Job descriptions without salary ranges get significantly fewer quality applications. If you are hiring a senior civil engineer in Houston at $95,000–$115,000, say so. It saves everyone's time and positions you as a transparent employer.

Keep the requirements realistic Be honest about what you actually need versus what would be nice to have. A 15-point requirement list where half the criteria are desirable rather than essential will put off strong candidates who do not tick every box. Keep essential requirements short and clear.

Include something about your culture A short paragraph about your team, how you work and what your values are goes a long way. Engineers want to know who they are joining, not just what they are doing.

At AI/ML Engineer Talent Group we help our clients write job descriptions that attract the right people. Get in touch and we can help you from the very first brief.