Hire with TOG
Looking for a role
Back to blog
Blog Employer Advice

Contingency vs. Exclusive vs. Executive Recruitment

4 September 2026

Contingency vs. Exclusive vs. Executive Recruitment

​
When it comes to hiring top talent, the recruitment process can be complex and time-consuming.

One crucial decision businesses often face is selecting the right recruitment service when choosing to work with a recruitment agency.

There are three primary models’ recruitment agencies offer: contingency recruitment, exclusive partnership and executive search. Each has its own unique benefits and drawbacks, in which specialist consultants can help you decide which one is the best fit for your business needs.


Contingency Recruitment

Choice. Variety. Speed.

In a contingency recruitment model, we (the recruitment agency) only receive a fee if our specialist consultants successfully place a candidate in your role.

This is a great cost-effective option as you only pay if a successful hire is made and offers you access to our consultant’s extensive network of candidates and advertising tools.

When to use this model: suitable for entry-level or non-urgent roles where cost is a primary concern.


Exclusive Recruitment

Partnership. Protected EVP. Passive Network Access.

This arrangement grants our specialist consultants the exclusive right to fill the role, meaning you cannot go out to multiple recruitment agencies.

This is a great partnership approach with a specialist consultant who will act as an extension of your team and pay dedicated attention to your role. This package can deliver faster turnaround times and can result in higher-quality candidates.

Within this package, we offer additional proactive outreach to a passive network, deliver branded marketing campaigns, protect your EVP (Employee Value Proposition) and share market insights to support your role in a saturated market.

When to use this model: ideal for mid-level positions requiring a dedicated focus and faster turnaround.

Learn more about our Exclusive Partnership package


Executive Search

Strategic. Expertise. Tailored EVP Campaign.

For executive search, our senior recruitment experts will work alongside you to source the high-calibre talent you need to run your business. 

From heads of departments and director roles, a specialist consultant will work alongside you to find an individual with the strong leadership skills and experience to take your business to the next level.

As part of the package, you will receive everything in our exclusive partnership package, plus an onsite EVP assessment, a strategic plan from briefing through to hire, first round interview support and privacy support and agreements for any highly sensitive roles.

When to use this model: ideal for high-level, executive roles or companies seeking a long-term strategic partnership with a recruitment agency.

Learn more about our Executive Search package

Choosing the right recruitment model depends on your specific hiring needs, budget and timeline. By understanding the differences between Contingency Recruitment, Exclusive Partnership and Executive Search, you can make an informed decision and increase your chances of finding the perfect candidate for your organisation.

Ready to hire with us? Email us at
info@theonegroup.co.uk

to start a conversation with our specialist team.

```html
THE ONE GROUP

Where we're from,
and how we got here

Twenty years of specialist recruitment in the East – and a lot of small decisions that added up.

TOG started in Peterborough in 2004 with a small team and a simple idea: that recruitment is a people business, done best by specialists who stay in their sector long enough to know it properly.

More than two decades on, we've grown into four offices across the East of England and Home Counties. We recruit for finance leaders, HR directors, engineering managers, tech founders, scientists, and the commercial teams that keep businesses running day to day. Between us, we've built up over 258 years of collective recruitment experience across our specialist divisions, and a network of more than 150,000 candidates we've placed, coached, or come to know across two decades in the region.

The founding principle hasn't changed. Recruitment as it should be.

OUR STORY

Key events timeline

2004

Doors open in Peterborough.

Our first office launches with a team of six on Lynch Wood. Cambridge follows the same year, giving us two offices before our first anniversary.

2015

Northampton makes it three.

Our third office opens with a team of five, quickly growing to eleven consultants covering the wider Midlands region.

2017

Peterborough moves across the road.

The team has outgrown the founding office. We move into Arena House on Lynch Wood, big enough for a growing consultant base and the back-office team that supports the whole group.

2018

Cambridge moves too.

Our second office relocates to Cambourne Business Park, giving the growing Cambridge team the space it now needs.

2023

Four offices, three counties, one very good year.

The Hertfordshire & Essex office opens in Potters Bar, extending our footprint into the Home Counties.

In the same year, we're named Business of the Year in Northamptonshire, and Employer of the Year in both Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire at the regional SME Business Awards. Three counties, three panels.

TODAY

Still growing.

Four offices, more than 258 years of collective recruitment experience across our specialist divisions, and a network of over 150,000 candidates.

Same founding principle.

SPECIALISTS BY DESIGN

What we do

We're specialists, not generalists. Every consultant at TOG focuses on one sector and stays in it. Not because it's the only way to do recruitment, but because it's how you build the depth to spot the difference between a strong CV and a strong hire.

It's also why so many of our clients come back to us years, even decades, after a first placement.

01
Accountancy & Finance
→
 02
Human Resources
→
 03
Commercial Office
Administration, customer service, project management and more
→
 04
Technology
→
 05
Engineering & Manufacturing
→
 06
Scientific
→
 07
Sales, Marketing & Creative
→
 08
Executive Search
Across all of the above
→

Beyond the recruitment itself, we produce annual salary guides, regional market reports, and the practical resources our clients and candidates turn to when they want a clearer view of what's happening in their sector.

THE WAY WE WORK

How we work

Four principles show up in every conversation and every process.
01

Be curious.

We stay interested in the market we work in, and in the people who work in it.

02

Keep it human.

We remember your kids' names and know how you take your coffee. That's just how we work here.

03

Make a difference.

We're here to help people build careers they love and businesses they're proud of.

04

Enjoy the ride.

Recruitment is a career, but it should be fun too. If it isn't, we've done something wrong.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Recruitment
as it should be.

Hire with TOG → Looking for a role →
```