Across the UK, accountancy firms are facing an increasingly stark reality: the talent they most want — ambitious Seniors, high-calibre Managers, commercially-minded Directors and credible future Partners — is harder to access, harder to engage and even harder to secure.
Many firms believe the issue lies with the market. But more often, the real obstacle sits closer to home: the recruitment model they are relying on.
Traditional contingency recruitment, with multiple agencies competing to send CVs at speed, unintentionally creates weak messaging, inconsistent positioning and fragmented processes — all of which repel the very people firms are desperate to attract.
In contrast, firms that adopt a retained headhunt approach gain a strategic advantage. They communicate more effectively, engage more credibly and secure the individuals who transform teams, drive fees and shape the future of the partnership.
Here is why.
Contingency Recruitment Dilutes Your Brand — Retained Search Protects It
Under a contingency model, several recruiters present your role to the market simultaneously. Each tells a slightly different story, emphasises different elements and interprets your culture differently.
The result?
- mixed messages
- inconsistent positioning
- uncertainty about your firm’s identity
- candidates feeling “sold to” rather than impressed
When multiple agencies represent your brand, nobody owns the narrative.
A retained headhunt changes this completely.
With a single, specialist partner:
- your brand is represented with precision
- the messaging is controlled and compelling
- candidates receive a consistent, credible narrative
- senior talent understands why your firm is the right move
Brand integrity is preserved — and becomes an asset.
Contingency Encourages Speed Over Quality — Retained Encourages Insight and Depth
Contingency recruiters are paid only if they win the race. The model incentivises:
- quick CV send-outs
- minimal screening
- surface-level understanding of the role
- scattergun searches
- presenting candidates who are available, not optimal
This is why firms often receive:
- irrelevant profiles
- poorly matched candidates
- shortlists that feel rushed
- a need to repeat the search months later
Retained headhunt operates differently.
With exclusivity, your partner invests time in:
- deeply understanding your culture
- assessing your strategic aims
- exploring succession or growth needs
- mapping the real demands of the role
- identifying the competencies required for long-term success
The search becomes deliberate, forensic and exacting — the opposite of contingency-driven speed.
Contingency Rarely Reaches Passive Talent — Retained Search Is Built for It
The strongest accountants — Senior Managers, Directors and Partners — are rarely active job seekers.
They do not respond to adverts.
They do not upload CVs.
They do not entertain multiple agency calls.
They move only when approached with credibility, insight and discretion.
Contingency recruiters do not have the time or the mandate to conduct true headhunting.
Retained partners do.
Retained headhunt gives you access to:
- high-value talent not visible on the open market
- candidates who would never apply directly
- respected professionals who respond only to trusted intermediaries
- future leaders who move for the right opportunity, not the first available one
This is where retained search completely changes the effectiveness of senior hiring.
Contingency Creates a Chaotic Candidate Experience — Retained Search Creates Confidence
Candidates judge your firm long before you meet them.
When multiple recruiters are involved, candidates often experience:
- conflicting information
- duplicated approaches
- mixed expectations
- unclear timelines
- inconsistent communication
For senior candidates, this signals instability.
A retained process provides:
- one point of contact
- one narrative
- clarity of expectations
- professionalism throughout
- structured, respectful communication
This dramatically increases engagement — and ultimately, offer acceptance rates.
Contingency Is Reactive — Retained Is Strategic
Contingency recruitment fills vacancies.
Retained headhunt builds leadership capability.
The retained model enables you to:
- plan succession
- benchmark remuneration and progression
- understand competitors’ hiring strategies
- identify leadership potential
- address long-term capability gaps
- approach the market with a defined value proposition
This moves recruitment from a tactical necessity to a strategic advantage — especially for firms preparing for partner retirements, mergers or ambitious growth.
Contingency Provides CVs — Retained Provides Insight, Access and Partnership
A retained search partner delivers far more than candidates.
They deliver intelligence:
- real-time salary trends
- competitor analysis
- market expectations
- candidate motivations
- cultural alignment insights
- progression benchmarking
This information is transformational for firms.
It sharpens decision-making and ensures every hire strengthens the partnership — not simply fills a gap.
The Shift: From “Recruitment Supplier” to “Strategic Talent Partner”
The firms securing the strongest talent in 2025 are not those using the most agencies.
They are the firms working closely with one specialist partner who:
- understands their culture
- protects their brand
- advises on market conditions
- maps senior talent
- conducts true headhunting
- supports succession planning
- presents only fully aligned candidates
Retained search is not an expense.
It is an investment in the future stability and competitiveness of the firm.
If your firm wants to attract the calibre of Senior Managers, Directors, Partners and future equity leaders who genuinely elevate performance, retained search is the model that delivers it.
Public Practice Recruitment Ltd partners with accountancy firms across the UK to build leadership teams, secure scarce talent and strengthen succession pipelines through a refined, confidential and intelligence-led retained headhunt service.
To discuss how a retained approach can transform your next strategic hire, Get in touch.
