Part 2: Understanding who’s actually calling you
Okay, so now you get why recruiters aren’t your agents. But here’s the next thing: when people complain about “recruiters,” they’re usually not even talking about the same type of person.
It’s like saying you hate all doctors because you had a bad experience with a podiatrist, then avoiding heart surgeons. The guy spamming you on LinkedIn about “exciting opportunities” and the person conducting a six-month CEO search for Google? They’re both technically “recruiters,” but that’s where the similarity ends.
I’ve seen this play out hundreds of times in my career. A perfectly qualified executive gets burned by a sloppy contingency process and then assumes all recruiters are like that. It’s like judging all restaurants based on your experience at McDonald’s.
The Family Tree of Recruiting
Remember how I explained that recruiters aren’t paid by you? Well, how they get paid and when completely changes the candidate experience.
Let’s start at the top with executive recruiting. It has its roots in strategy consulting with firms like McKinsey and Booz-Allen offering executive search as an exclusive service to their clients. This industry grew rapidly through the 20th century, and today we have the behemoths known as SHREK: Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds, Egon Zehnder, and Korn Ferry. Yes, someone thought that acronym was a good idea. SHREK firms account collectively for 50% of all retained work, and the other 50% is done by boutique firms that specialize in niche sectors and can also provide deep SME and highly personalized services.
But here’s what is wild factoid: executive search is only 10-15% of the entire recruiting market, but it’s what most senior leaders think of as “recruiting.” Meanwhile, temp staffing, which operates completely differently, is 55-60% of the market and they also call themselves “recruiters”. No wonder there’s confusion.
Breaking Down the Players
Let me walk you through who’s who in this zoo:
| Type of Recruiter | Who Pays Them | Typical Roles | Number of roles | Candidate Experience |
| Executive Search (Retained) | Client pays upfront (30–35% of first year’s comp) | Senior execs ($200K+) | 7–8 per partner | In-depth, relationship-driven. Organized by function or industry |
| Contingency / Agency | Only paid if hire happens (15–25% of base salary) | Mid-to-senior roles | 20–30 | Fast-paced, less personalized |
| Corporate (in-house) | Company employee, salaried | Mix, varies by company | 15–50+ | Deep culture knowledge, limited time |
| Executive Search (In-House) | Company employee, dedicated to senior roles | Director, VP, C-level | 7–12 | Similar to retained search. Direct outreach to passive talent |
| RPOs (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) | Company contracts out | High-volume hiring | Many simultaneously | Administrative, entry/mid-level |
| Staffing Firms | Company contracts | Contract / temp roles | High volume | Transactional, short-term |
Why This Matters: what it feels like from a candidate perspective
Here is a real scenario: I’m a contingency recruiter, and three other firms are also working on the same VP Marketing role. I’ve got maybe 48 hours to get candidates in front of the client before someone else wins the business.
So I’m speed-dialing through my database, sending over anyone who’s held a similar title in the last five years. Do I have time to deeply assess cultural fit? To give you detailed comp ranges? To explain the company’s three-year strategy? Nope. I’m just trying to get warm bodies in the pipeline before the other guys do.
From your perspective, how does this feel? You get a vague call about an “exciting VP Marketing opportunity” at a “growing tech company.” The recruiter can’t tell you the company name, the exact comp range, or even what products they make. But hey, “it’s a great opportunity and we need to move fast!”
Sound familiar?
The Retained Search Experience
Now flip the script. A retained search firm gets paid $250K upfront to find the perfect CMO. They’re going to spend weeks understanding the company’s culture, strategy, and exact requirements. They’ll map out the competitive landscape, identify the top 20 candidates in the market, and spend hours with each potential candidate.
When they call you, they know your background, they’ve thought through why you might be interested, and they can paint a detailed picture of both the opportunity and the challenges. They are not wasting their time or yours if there isn’t real mutual fit.
At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.
Blurring Lines
One reason professionals stay confused: brand names don’t always mean consistency.
A large firm like Korn Ferry might run a CEO search with a meticulous retained process and simultaneously have another division blasting LinkedIn messages for mid-level sales roles. Same company, totally different experience.
That’s why the smartest question you can ask a recruiter upfront is:
“Are you working on this on a retained or contingency basis?”
What This Means for You
As you progress in your career, you’ll interact less with contingency recruiters and more with retained search firms and in-house executive recruiters. But no matter your level, asking the right questions can save you time and frustration.
Questions to Ask:
- What type of search is this (retained, contingency, in-house)?
- Are you working exclusively with the client?
- What’s your relationship with the company?
- Can you walk me through the process?
The Bottom Line
Next time someone complains about a “recruiter,” dig deeper: which kind?
The difference between a staffing agency recruiter and a Russell Reynolds consultant isn’t just prestige — it’s different business models that drive completely different behaviors.
Knowing who you’re dealing with helps you set expectations, manage your time, and make the most of recruiter relationships.
