Contingency Search: What You Are Actually Paying For
Data Center Headhunters recruits critical facilities, data center operations, construction and delivery, commissioning, power and cooling, and executive talent for colocation, hyperscale and enterprise sites. We research the market, contact working people and qualify a shortlist for your opening. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
A plain explanation of how contingency recruiting works for data center roles, and what to ask before you sign.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Published October 5, 2026
What contingency means
The firm is paid when you hire a person it presented. If you do not hire, you do not pay. Our own terms: no upfront fee, you pay only if you hire.
What the fee covers
Research, outreach, qualification and the candidate brief. The firm absorbs the cost of searches that do not close, which is why good contingency firms are selective.
Hiring for this kind of role? Tell us the role.
Questions before signing
Ask when the fee is earned, what it is based on, what happens if the person leaves, and who will do the work. Our comparison pages list seven questions that apply to any recruiter.
Guarantee language
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
Need this person?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What happens to the work if you do not hire anyone?
Under contingency terms the firm absorbs the cost. The research, outreach and qualification were done, but if no presented candidate is hired, no fee is owed. That risk is why careful contingency firms are selective about the searches they accept and honest when a brief looks unlikely to fill.
It also means the firm wants a realistic brief. A role with pay or requirements far from the market wastes everyone's time, so expect frank feedback before outreach starts.
Ask any firm what it does when a search stalls. The answer tells you whether you are buying effort or just resume forwarding.
How can you tell real search work from resume forwarding?
Real search work shows evidence: who was approached, what they said, why some declined and what the market is telling you. Resume forwarding shows a stack of files with little explanation. Ask for written market feedback and a candidate brief for each introduction, and judge the firm on that evidence.
Speed alone is not proof of quality. Fast submissions that miss the brief cost interview time and erode trust with your hiring team.
Good firms also tell you when they cannot help. That honesty is part of what the fee pays for.
What should be written in a contingency agreement?
The fee basis, when it becomes payable, who counts as a presented candidate, how long that presentation stays valid and what guarantee applies. These terms should be agreed before outreach begins. Clear wording prevents disputes later, especially when a candidate reaches you through more than one channel.
Read the guarantee terms closely, including the conditions that apply. A guarantee is only useful if both sides understand it.
If the agreement is silent on something important, ask before signing. Adding a sentence early is easier than arguing later.
How does a contingency firm decide which searches to accept?
It weighs whether the role is realistic, whether the client will engage in calibration and interviews, and whether the firm has the network and knowledge to fill it. Because the firm only earns on a hire, saying no to a weak brief protects both sides from wasted effort and false hope.
A firm that accepts every search on any terms is often not searching very hard on any of them.
Where should you go next?
These pages carry on from here. Each one covers a related decision in more depth, so pick the one closest to the question you still have about this hire, the data behind it or how we work with you.
Questions
Is contingency search cheaper than retained search?
It is structured differently. You pay only if you hire, while retained search usually involves payments during the search. Compare the terms, not just the headline.
Who owns a candidate introduced by two firms?
That depends on each agreement. Clear presentation rules prevent disputes, so agree them before outreach.
Can a contingency firm work exclusively?
Yes, by agreement. Exclusivity can improve focus, but the terms should be written down.
What guarantee does Data Center Headhunters offer on contingency placements?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.