Valuable Recruitment

Headhunting that takes the heavy lifting off your plate

We run a focused headhunt end to end, so you can stay focused on growth.

You meet a shortlist of high performing candidates in under 10 days.

Focused searchStructured evaluationFounder led delivery

Use headhunting when the role is business critical

  • You need speed without sacrificing quality
  • You have tried inbound, it is noisy
  • You want a shortlist, not a pile of profiles
  • You want a clear decision process

Perfect for

  • Critical hires that impact revenue
  • Hard to fill roles in competitive markets
  • Time sensitive growth positions
  • Leadership and specialist roles

Deliverables

Role success definition

Clear scorecard with outcomes and must-haves

Target market map

Sourcing plan across relevant companies

Weekly progress updates

Transparent reporting on pipeline and signals

Shortlist of performers

3 high performing candidates who meet the bar

Structured evaluations

Interview notes and scorecard assessments

Offer support

Guidance through offer and acceptance

Signal over volume

We use structured interviews and scorecards to reduce bias and increase consistency. You know why each candidate is on the shortlist.

Every candidate is assessed against the same criteria, with evidence documented for your review.

Sourced100+
Screened30
Assessed10
Shortlisted3

Shortlist in under 10 days

Most roles reach shortlist in under 10 days after alignment. Complex leadership roles may require deeper calibration.

TimelineUnder 10 days
Day 1
Align
Day 2-5
Source
Day 4-8
Assess
Day 10
Shortlist

How it works

A simple, structured process from kickoff to close.

1

Align

We define the role, outcomes, and must-haves.

2

Hunt

We source from target companies and relevant networks.

3

Assess

Scorecards, structured interviews, and calibration.

4

Shortlist

You meet the strongest candidates, fast.

5

Close

We support offer, acceptance, and onboarding.

Headhunting fees and pricing

We work on a percentage of the placed candidate's first-year base salary. Most clients pay between 10% and 15% depending on search complexity, quality of the brief, and the number of top candidates put forward for the hiring manager to review.

Mid-senior roles
10% – 12%

Straightforward searches with a detailed brief, clear success criteria, and a focused candidate pool. Growth, marketing, RevOps, and product leads.

Standard complexity
12% – 13%

Roles requiring broader market mapping or a larger shortlist. Senior individual contributors and heads of function.

High complexity
13% – 15%

Specialised roles, niche markets, or searches requiring an extended number of top candidates put forward for the hiring manager to review.

Fees are agreed upfront before the search begins. Retained engagements include a kickoff payment; contingency engagements are payable on placement. Both models carry our standard rebate period. Book a discovery call to discuss which model suits your role.

What you pay for a headhunting search

Concrete dollar examples by role level. Use this as a working estimate before we finalise the engagement letter.

Senior Manager / Director
Base: $100,000
Rate: 10% – 15%
$10,000 – $15,000
VP / Head of Function
Base: $150,000
Rate: 11% – 13%
$16,500 – $19,500
Head of Marketing
Base: $180,000
Rate: 11% – 13%
$19,800 – $23,400
Performance Marketing Lead
Base: $140,000
Rate: 10% – 12%
$14,000 – $16,800
Growth Lead
Base: $160,000
Rate: 11% – 13%
$17,600 – $20,800

Fees include market mapping (50 to 200 candidates assessed), direct outreach to passive candidates, structured scorecard evaluation, and a standard 90-day rebate period if the placement does not work out. We agree fees in writing before any work begins. There are no separate retainers, no advertising costs passed through, and no hidden expenses.

For a wider explanation of how recruiting fees are structured across the industry, see our guide to how much executive search costs in 2026.

Fee examples by role

Real examples at different role levels and complexity bands. Final fee is agreed in writing before the search begins.

RoleBase salaryComplexityRateFee
Performance Marketing Lead$120,000Mid-senior10% – 12%$12,000 – $14,400
Head of Marketing$160,000Standard12% – 13%$19,200 – $20,800
RevOps Lead$140,000Mid-senior10% – 12%$14,000 – $16,800
Growth Lead (multi-stakeholder)$180,000High13% – 15%$23,400 – $27,000
Product Lead$170,000Standard12% – 13%$20,400 – $22,100

Complexity is driven by a few practical factors. The size of the qualified talent pool, the clarity of the brief, the number of stakeholders involved in the decision, and how unique the requirement is. A clear scorecard, a single hiring manager, and a healthy candidate pool sit at the lower end. Multi-stakeholder roles, niche skill stacks, or compressed timelines move into the higher band. We share the rate, the rationale, and the rebate terms in writing before any work starts.

What the fee covers

A clear scope upfront so there are no surprises at invoice time.

What is included

  • Market mapping across target companies and competitors
  • Direct outreach to passive candidates
  • Shortlist of 3 to 6 scored candidates
  • Structured scorecards and interview notes
  • Reference checks on finalists
  • Offer negotiation and close support
  • 90-day rebate if the hire does not work out

What is not included

  • Job board advertising or sponsored listings
  • Psychometric or personality testing platforms
  • Candidate relocation or visa costs
  • Travel for in-person panel meetings
  • Background and credit checks beyond standard references
  • Onboarding programs or internal training design

If any of these are needed for your search, we can recommend trusted partners or scope them as a separate line item before kickoff.

What does the headhunting process look like week by week

A typical search runs 3 to 4 weeks from kickoff to signed offer. Here is how the time is spent.

Week 1

Brief and scorecard

We run a kickoff with the hiring manager, define the role outcomes, build the scorecard, and agree on the must-have evidence we need to see in finalists. By the end of week 1, the search is calibrated and we have a shared picture of what good looks like.

Week 2

Market mapping and outreach

We map target companies, identify performers, and run direct outreach to a shortlist of passive candidates. First-round conversations happen in parallel. We send weekly progress notes covering pipeline volume, conversion signals, and any market feedback that should change the brief.

Week 2 to 3

Shortlist and assessment

Strong candidates move into structured scorecard interviews. We document evidence against each criterion and surface the 3 to 6 candidates who clear the bar. You receive scorecards, interview notes, and a recommended order of priority.

Week 3 to 4

Interviews and offer

You run final interviews. We coordinate scheduling, debriefs, and reference conversations on the lead candidate. Once a decision is made, we support offer negotiation, manage counter-offer risk, and stay involved through start date and the 90-day rebate window.

MA
Written by Mihai Arsene
Founder, Valuable Recruitment · Bucharest, Romania

Mihai Arsene has run headhunting and executive search mandates across 70+ countries since 2013, placing growth, marketing, revenue, and leadership talent for agencies, SaaS companies, and AI-native businesses. He founded Valuable Recruitment in 2020 and leads every search personally.

Frequently asked questions

Growth, marketing, revenue operations, product, and technical roles depending on your needs.
Usually 3, based on the role, market and timeframe.
It means you meet a shortlist of strong candidates within 10 days after alignment and kickoff.
Yes. We focus on English speaking markets and remote friendly profiles.
We recalibrate quickly and continue the search until we hit the bar.
Our headhunting fee is typically 10–15% of the placed candidate's first-year base salary. The exact rate depends on search complexity, quality of the brief, and the number of top candidates put forward for review. We offer both retained and contingency models. Fees are agreed upfront before any work begins.
Yes. All placements include a rebate period. If the hire leaves within the agreed period, we will either replace the candidate or provide a partial fee refund — the specifics are agreed in the engagement letter.
We define outcomes first, then evaluate against a scorecard and evidence of performance.
We keep your time focused on alignment and final interviews.
Yes. We can run confidential searches when needed.
Yes. We support the final stage to reduce drop off.
Send a request. We will confirm the role, success outcomes, and timeline.
The fee covers market mapping across target companies, direct outreach to passive candidates, structured scorecard interviews, weekly progress updates, reference checks on finalists, offer negotiation support, and a 90-day rebate period. There are no separate retainers, advertising costs, or hidden expenses outside what is signed in the engagement letter.
On contingency engagements, no. The full fee is payable on placement. On retained engagements, the kickoff payment is non-refundable because it funds the research and outreach phase, but there is no balance due if no placement is made. We talk through the right model in the discovery call before any work starts.
LinkedIn Recruiter gives you access to profiles. Headhunting gives you a shortlist of assessed, interested, qualified candidates. The work between sending an InMail and a hiring manager seeing three strong, scored candidates is exactly what we do. If your team has the time and a structured assessment process, LinkedIn Recruiter can work. For business-critical roles, the time tradeoff usually does not stack up.
Yes. We run contingency engagements for mid-senior headhunting where the role is well defined, the salary band is competitive, and the hiring process is short. Contingency rates are typically at the upper end of our band because the risk is on us. For leadership and high-complexity searches we recommend a retained model.
Standard 90-day rebate from the candidate's start date. If the placement does not work out within the rebate window, we either replace the candidate at no additional fee or issue a partial refund based on time worked. Specifics are agreed in the engagement letter before the search begins.
Headhunting is faster and tighter, usually 3 to 4 weeks end to end, with a single hiring manager. Executive search is 2 to 4 weeks to shortlist with deeper stakeholder calibration, leadership evidence checks, and extended references. See the full comparison on our /executive-search page.
Yes. We have run searches across more than 70 countries since 2013 and focus on English-speaking markets and remote-friendly profiles. Time zones, work authorization, and local salary benchmarking are part of the scoping conversation before kickoff.

Related reading

Practical guides on hiring methodology, pricing, and leadership search.

Topgrading: How to Interview for A-Player Hires

The structured interview methodology we use to evaluate candidates against role outcomes and behavioral evidence.

Read the guide

9 Methods to Recruit C-Level Executives

A practitioner breakdown of the sourcing, assessment, and closing tactics that move executive searches.

Read the guide

How Much Does Executive Search Cost in 2026?

Fee structures, retained vs contingency, and what drives the rate inside the typical 15 to 25 percent band.

Read the guide

Request a headhunting shortlist

Tell us the role, the outcome, and the timeline. We reply within one business day.

3–6 scored candidates. Under 10 days. Founder-led, no handoffs.

Focused searchStructured evaluationFounder led delivery

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