★★★★★ 4.9 / 5 · 214 Client Reviews · Retained Recruitment Specialists

Retained Recruitment for Non-Executive Professionals Across 14 Industries

Individual contributors through directors — placed in 21 to 40 days. One dedicated recruiter. Passive candidate outreach. 90-day guarantee. No staffing. No contingency. Just exceptional permanent placements.

Retained Search Only 14 Industries 21–40 Day Placement 90-Day Guarantee 96% 1-Year Retention
📅 Book a Free 25-Min Consultation Browse All 14 Industries →

Free · No obligation · Confidential · Google Meet

4,200+Professionals placed
96%One-year retention
90-dayReplacement guarantee

Book Your Free 25-Min Consultation

Tell us about the role. We'll tell you exactly how a retained search would work.

🔒 No hard sell · No obligation · Google Meet · Confidential

4,200+Professionals Placed
14Industries Covered
21-40Days to Placement
96%1-Year Retention
90-DayReplacement Guarantee
4.9*Client Rating
What Makes TFS Different

The Best Candidate Is Never Applying. They Need To Be Found.

Every organisation posting a job is hoping the right person sees it and applies. The problem is that the best candidate for your role is almost certainly already employed, already performing well, and not browsing job boards at all. They need a personal, credible conversation about a specific opportunity.

That is what retained recruitment is. One dedicated recruiter, working exclusively on your role, conducting active outreach into passive candidate networks — not waiting for inbound applications. It's the reason our average placement takes 21 to 40 days and our one-year retention rate is 96%.

  • Retained only — one recruiter, one role, full dedication
  • Passive candidate outreach — we find people not looking
  • 14 industry specializations — sector-specific knowledge
  • Credential pre-screening — verified before you see them
  • 21–40 day placements — not 90 days of hope
  • 90-day replacement guarantee — every placement, every time
📅 Book a Free Consultation Browse Industries →

How a TFS Search Works

Four steps from first call to first day on the job.

01
Free 25-Min Consultation

We learn about your role, team, and success criteria. You get a timeline and compensation benchmarks before the call ends.

02
Dedicated Recruiter Assigned

One sector-specialist recruiter owns your role exclusively and begins passive candidate outreach immediately.

03
Screened Shortlist in 2–3 Weeks

You receive 3–5 pre-screened candidates matched on technical qualifications, credentials, and cultural fit.

04
Offer and 90-Day Guarantee

We support offer negotiation and onboarding. Every placement is backed by our 90-day replacement guarantee.

14 Industries

Retained Recruitment Across Every Sector That Demands Specialist Knowledge

Choose an industry to see every specialization and role we recruit — with hiring guides, salary benchmarks, and role profiles.

🏥

Healthcare

Physicians, nurses, therapists, and healthcare administrators

View Roles →
💻

Information Technology

Engineers, data scientists, security, and product managers

View Roles →
💰

Finance & Insurance

Accountants, FP&A, underwriters, and compliance professionals

View Roles →
🏗️

Construction & Real Estate

Project managers, estimators, superintendents, and property managers

View Roles →
🏭

Manufacturing

Process engineers, quality managers, plant managers, and EHS

View Roles →
⚡

Energy & Utilities

Power engineers, renewable developers, and utility professionals

View Roles →
🚚

Transportation & Logistics

Logistics managers, supply chain analysts, and warehouse directors

View Roles →
⚖️

Professional Services

HR leaders, in-house counsel, and marketing professionals

View Roles →
🛍️

Retail & Consumer

District managers, buyers, and e-commerce professionals

View Roles →
🌾

Agriculture & Food

Agronomists, food safety managers, and plant operations

View Roles →
🎓

Education & Nonprofit

Development officers, administrators, and programme directors

View Roles →
🏛️

Government & Defense

Cleared professionals, programme managers, and policy analysts

View Roles →
🎭

Arts & Entertainment

Producers, creative directors, and arts administrators

View Roles →
📦

Wholesale & Distribution

Sales reps, branch managers, and category managers

View Roles →
View All 14 Industries →
Client Results

What Clients Say About Retained Recruitment with TFS

★★★★★

"We had been searching for a senior data engineer for four months. TFS found us three passive candidates in three weeks. The person we hired transformed our data infrastructure."

KS
Kevin S.
Director of Engineering · Apex Cloud Services
Information Technology

Get results like this — book a free call →

★★★★★

"We had a critical FP&A Manager role open for three months — two contingency firms produced nothing. TFS delivered a shortlist of three qualified candidates in 18 days."

CB
Claire B.
CFO · Northgate Capital Group
Finance & Insurance

Get results like this — book a free call →

★★★★★

"We had been trying to fill our Quality Manager role for five months. TFS delivered three qualified candidates within 21 days. All three had hands-on ISO 9001 experience."

RD
Robert D.
VP of Operations · Precision Components Group
Manufacturing

Get results like this — book a free call →

★★★★★

"We needed a BSA Officer who had actually built a compliance programme. TFS found that person in 23 days. Our examiner's next visit went very differently as a result."

PS
Patricia S.
President & CEO · Community First Bank
Finance & Insurance

Get results like this — book a free call →

★★★★★

"Finding consultants who can do the technical work and manage client relationships is extremely hard. TFS found us three people in five weeks who could do both."

DW
Derek W.
Managing Director · Vantage IT Group
Information Technology

Get results like this — book a free call →

★★★★★

"We needed a Project Manager with healthcare construction experience. TFS found us three qualified candidates in 18 days. All three had direct healthcare GC experience."

DR
Dennis R.
VP of Operations · Summit Construction Group
Construction

Get results like this — book a free call →

Your Next Great Hire Is Already Employed Somewhere Else. Let's Reach Them.

Retained recruitment with passive candidate outreach — a qualified shortlist in 21 to 40 days. Start with a free 25-minute consultation. No obligation, no hard sell.

📅 Book a Free 25-Min Consultation Free · No obligation · Google Meet · Confidential · 90-day guarantee
Why Retained — Not Contingency

The Problems With How Most Organisations Hire

Job boards reach only candidates actively searching — typically 20–25% of the qualified population. Contingency firms submit the most available candidates, not the best ones, because their incentive is speed. The result is interviews with the wrong people and a vacancy that persists for months.

Retained recruitment reaches the other 75–80% — professionals performing well in their current role who would only consider a move for the right opportunity. They are the reason 96% of TFS placements are still in role after one year.

ApproachActive CandidatesPassive CandidatesDedicated RecruiterGuarantee
TFS Retained✓✓✓90 days
Contingency Agency✓Limited✗Varies
Job Board Posting✓✗✗None

Ready to Try a Better Approach?

Start with a free 25-minute consultation. No obligation, no hard sell.

🔒 Google Meet · Confidential

The TFS Guarantee

Every Placement Backed by a 90-Day Guarantee

If the professional departs or is released within 90 days for reasons covered under our guarantee terms, we conduct a full replacement search at no additional fee.

90
Day Replacement Guarantee

Full replacement search at no additional fee if the hire doesn't work out within 90 days.

96%
One-Year Retention Rate

96% of TFS placements are still in role after one year. The guarantee exists but is rarely needed.

21
Days to First Shortlist

Most retained searches deliver a qualified, pre-screened shortlist within 21 business days of engagement start.

For Job Seekers

Looking for Your Next Role? TFS Works for Candidates Too.

We represent candidates confidentially across 14 industries — connecting qualified professionals with retained search opportunities that are never posted publicly.

🔒

Confidential Representation

We represent you confidentially — your current employer never knows you're exploring opportunities until you decide to move.

🎯

Access to Unpublished Roles

Most TFS roles are never posted publicly. As a candidate in our network, you access opportunities that never appear on job boards.

💬

Honest Career Guidance

We only move your candidacy forward when we have a role that genuinely fits — no spam introductions, no wasted interviews.

📅 Talk to a Recruiter — It's Free

Confidential · No obligation · 25 minutes

Common Questions

Retained Recruitment — Frequently Asked Questions

Retained recruitment means one dedicated recruiter works exclusively on your role from the moment the engagement begins. You pay a portion of the fee upfront which funds the dedicated search, and the recruiter conducts active passive candidate outreach, pre-screens for both technical qualifications and cultural fit, and presents only candidates who genuinely meet your brief. Contingency firms work multiple roles simultaneously, prioritise speed over thoroughness, and only get paid if they place creating incentives that do not always align with your long-term hiring goals.
We recruit for individual contributor through director-level roles across 14 industries including healthcare, information technology, finance and insurance, construction and real estate, manufacturing, energy and utilities, transportation and logistics, professional services, retail and consumer, agriculture and food, education and nonprofit, government and defense, arts and entertainment, and wholesale and distribution. We do not place C-suite executives, temporary staff, or contract workers.
Most placements are completed within 21 to 40 business days, depending on role complexity and market conditions. We communicate a realistic timeline at the start of every engagement and provide weekly written progress updates throughout the search.
Every permanent retained placement includes a 90-day guarantee. If the placed professional departs or is released within 90 days for reasons covered under our guarantee terms, we conduct a full replacement search at no additional fee. Our 96% one-year retention rate means the guarantee is rarely invoked.
Yes. The 25-minute consultation is free, confidential, and carries absolutely no obligation to engage TFS. You will leave with a clear picture of what a retained search would look like for your specific role, a realistic timeline estimate, and real-time compensation benchmarks whether you proceed with us or not.
Yes. Real-time market compensation analysis is included in every retained engagement at no additional cost. We ensure your offer is positioned competitively in your specific market and geography before the first candidate conversation.
📅 Book Your Free Retained Recruitment Consultation