Why does Rivendale Partners cap the number of searches it takes on?

Because proper search, including market mapping, direct approach and structured assessment, takes real time per role. A consultant running twenty roles at once cannot do that for any of them. We work on a focused number of searches at any one time and turn down work when we cannot give it the attention it requires, rather than take it on and run it thin.

What's the difference between retained, engaged, contingent and RPO search?

Retained search suits senior, confidential or hard-to-replace roles, run exclusively with full commitment through to onboarding. Engaged search is a middle ground for important roles with a partial upfront commitment. Contingent search suits well-defined, less confidential roles, paid on placement. RPO suits clients hiring at volume across a function or region, with us embedded alongside your team. We recommend the right model when we scope the search.

What happens after a placement is made?

We run structured check-ins at 30, 60 and 90 days after a placement starts, covering both the client and the candidate side, to catch any issues early and confirm the placement is landing as expected. This is a standard part of every search, not an optional extra.

How does Rivendale Partners ensure compliance?

We operate with transparent fee structures agreed upfront, clear data handling in line with UK GDPR, and no conditions requiring candidates to use additional services.

Search, not sourcing

There's a real difference between recruitment and search. Recruitment finds people who are looking. Search finds the right person, whether they're looking or not, and that takes a different process.

The honest comparison

How this usually goes, and what we do differently

The most common complaints about recruitment agencies aren't really about effort. They're about a process that wasn't designed to deliver what was promised.

What usually happens

What we do instead

Agency takes the brief from a job spec, without speaking to the hiring manager

A real conversation with whoever the hire reports to, before anything else

You receive 8-10 CVs to filter yourself

A shortlist of 3-4, each with a written note, including reservations

Consultant is running 15-20+ roles, yours gets attention "between other priorities"

Capped at 4 concurrent searches per consultant. We turn down work at capacity

Progress updates are vague or non-existent

Clear status on every search: market mapping, shortlist, offer stage

Once the placement is made, the relationship ends

Structured 30/60/90-day check-ins as standard

The process

How a search runs

From brief to placement, and after

01 / 05

Brief & market mapping

We start with a conversation about the role, the team it sits in, what's been tried before, and what "great" actually looks like, not just a job description. From there we map the realistic talent pool: who exists, where they sit now, and what would move them.

02 / 05

Direct approach

For senior CXM, MarTech and RevTech roles, the strongest candidates are rarely actively applying, particularly platform specialists and practice leaders, where supply is particularly scarce. We approach them directly, with a specific, well-researched conversation grounded in how their world actually works, not a generic message to a list.

03 / 05

Structured shortlist

Typically 3-4 candidates, each assessed against the brief with a clear written summary, including where we have reservations. We'd rather present a shortlist of three strong fits than five names padded out to look thorough.

04 / 05

Through to offer

We stay involved through interviews, feedback, and offer, including the parts that are awkward, like compensation conversations and competing offers. Our goal is a placement that sticks, not a fee that lands.

05 / 05

30/60/90-day check-ins

After the start date, we check in at 30, 60 and 90 days, with both the client and the candidate, to catch any issues early and confirm the placement is landing as expected. This is part of every search, not an optional add-on.

How we engage

Choosing the right model

Retained, engaged, contingent, or RPO

We don't run every search the same way, and we don't think you should want us to. The right engagement model depends on how critical the role is, how confidential the search needs to be, how passive the realistic candidate pool is, and how many roles you're filling at once. We'll recommend a model when we scope the search, with fees and terms agreed in writing before anything starts.

Retained search

For senior, confidential or hard-to-replace roles where the right candidate isn't actively looking. We work exclusively, map the market properly, and stay engaged through offer, counter-offer and onboarding. The right fit for leadership hires, board-level appointments, and any search where getting it wrong is expensive.

Engaged search

A middle ground for roles that are important but not quite board-level: a partial upfront commitment secures focused, exclusive effort without the full retained structure. Often the right fit for a first senior hire in a new market, where commitment and pace both matter.

Contingent search

For roles that are well-defined, less confidential, and where you want broader candidate reach without an upfront commitment. We're paid on placement. A sensible fit for roles with a clearer brief and a less scarce candidate pool.

RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing)

For clients hiring at volume, across a function or a region simultaneously, for example building out sales coverage across the UK and two European markets at once. We work embedded alongside your team rather than as a series of one-off searches.

What you can expect

A search partner you can hold to account

Maximum concurrent searches per consultant, so yours gets proper attention

3-4

Candidates per shortlist, each assessed and written up, not just forwarded

Days of structured check-ins after every placement, as standard, not an add-on

Business day response time on every enquiry, every time

We handle candidate and client data in line with UK GDPR. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Before anyone is contacted, we build a picture of the realistic candidate market for your specific role: who holds the right experience, where they are, what their current situation looks like, and what your opportunity looks like from their side. That is what makes a direct approach work. It is also why the shortlist looks different.

Rivendale Partners on what direct search actually means in practice

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Questions about how this would work for your role?

Happy to talk through the process before you commit to anything.

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