Pricing
Transparent fees.
Stated up front.
20% of first-year cash compensation. 120-day replacement guarantee. Realised fees across US search firms sit around 22.5% of first-year compensation, usually on a wider base that counts commission, equity and discretionary bonus. We charge 20% on cash compensation only, and cover the hire for 120 days rather than the usual 90: not because the work is worth less, but because we do not carry a sales floor.
20%
of first-year cash compensation
120 days
Replacement guarantee
$0
Retainer or minimum fee on Contingency Search
Engagement Models
Two products. Zero guesswork.
Contingency Search for the critical or one-off mandate. Anchor Partner for the contractor hiring three or more times a year. The same person and the same standard on either, and a founding-client rate for the first five clients.
Pay on placement
Contingency Search
For a contractor or consultancy making a single, critical hire. No retainer and no minimum fee; the fee is payable only when a Selah-sourced candidate starts.
Monthly commitment
$0
Placement fee
20%
of first-year cash compensation
- Single active mandate
- 120-day replacement guarantee
- Net 30 from the start date
- Dedicated consultant
- Full calibration reports
Retained partnership
Anchor Partner
A standing search partnership for contractors hiring three or more times a year: a monthly retainer, a reduced placement fee, and the same person on every search. About even with Contingency Search at three hires a year, cheaper from four.
Monthly retainer
$3,000
Placement fee
10%
of first-year cash compensation
- Up to 3 active roles
- 12-month term; 30 days' written notice after month 3
- Dedicated search partner
- Weekly hiring reviews
- Pipeline reporting
- Priority sourcing
- 120-day replacement guarantee
Founding clients
Founding-client rate
For the first five clients whose agreements are signed on or before June 30, 2027. Contingency Search only; it never stacks with Anchor Partner. Concurrent placements beyond the first bill the standard 20%, which is written into the agreement from day one with the founding rate as a named, dated exception.
Monthly commitment
$0
Placement fee
15%
of first-year cash compensation, one placement
- First five clients
- Agreements signed by June 30, 2027
- One completed placement per client
- Contingency Search only
- Standard 20% on every placement after it
The Terms in Full
What each engagement actually commits you to
The cards above are the short version. These are the terms behind them, so there is nothing about an engagement you meet for the first time at signature.
Contingency Search. No retainer and no minimum fee. The 20% fee falls due only when a Selah-sourced candidate starts, invoiced net 30 from the start date. It is calculated on first-year cash compensation: base salary, any contractual or target bonus stated in the offer letter, and a signing bonus. Discretionary bonus, commission, equity, allowances and benefits are excluded; where the bonus is discretionary, the fee is computed on base salary plus signing bonus.
Anchor Partner. A $3,000 monthly retainer plus 10% on each placement, on a 12-month term. The retainer may be cancelled on thirty days' written notice after month three, so the effective minimum commitment is about four months. Up to three roles run concurrently. Retainer payments buy the search capacity itself and are not credited against placement fees. Against our own Contingency Search the two are about even at three hires a year and cheaper from four on a $130,000 average — the crossover moves with your average salary, so the calculator below is the reliable answer for your numbers.
Founding-client rate. 15% on one completed placement, for each of the first five clients whose agreements are signed on or before June 30, 2027. Contingency Search only; it never stacks with Anchor Partner. Every placement after the first bills the standard 20%, and so do concurrent placements beyond the first. The 20% standard rate is written into the agreement from day one, with the founding rate named in it as a dated exception rather than agreed later.
On every engagement. A 120-day replacement guarantee, on the conditions set out below. Any hire of a Selah-introduced candidate by you or an affiliate within twelve months of introduction owes the full fee, whoever else was involved, and that survives termination of the agreement. Converting an introduced candidate from contract to permanent owes the fee on the same basis. Either party may terminate on fourteen days' written notice, with no termination fee. Candidates never pay us anything, at any stage.
Interactive Tool
Fee architecture calculator.
Model the true 12-month cost of your current agency against each of our three rates. Set your incumbent's fee on the left; every Selah number below is fixed and comes from our published fee schedule.
Your Inputs
First-year cash compensation: base salary, contractual or target bonus stated in the offer letter and signing bonus; discretionary bonus, commission, equity, allowances and benefits excluded.
Other US search firms typically charge 20–25%, with realised fees averaging about 22.5%. This changes the first row only; Selah's own rates are fixed and shown below it.
Good to know
Against our own Contingency Search, Anchor Partner is about even at 3 hires a year and cheaper from 4.
Annual Cost Comparison
Another agency
✓ Best ValueContingency Search
✓ Best ValueFounding-client rate
✓ Best ValueFirst placement at 15%; every placement after it at 20% — one completed placement per client; concurrent placements beyond the first bill the standard rate. First 5 clients, agreements signed by June 30, 2027. Contingency Search only — it never stacks with Anchor Partner.
Anchor Partner
✓ Best ValueCustom / Enterprise
Tailored for high volume or complex hiring needs.
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Book your 15-minute call →Common Questions
Everything you need to know about the fees.
- How is the placement fee calculated?
- Contingency Search is 20% of the placed candidate's first-year cash compensation: base salary, plus any contractual or target bonus in the offer letter, plus any signing bonus. Discretionary bonus, commission, equity and benefits are excluded. Anchor Partner placements bill at 10% of the same base.
- What is the founding-client rate?
- 15% of first-year cash compensation on one completed placement per client, for the first five clients signing on or before June 30, 2027. Contingency Search only; it never stacks with Anchor Partner. Further placements bill the standard 20%, with the founding rate written in as a named, dated exception.
- What does the Anchor Partner retainer cover, and what is the commitment?
- $3,000 per month covers a standing search partnership: up to 3 active roles, a dedicated search partner, weekly hiring reviews and priority sourcing. Placements bill at 10% of first-year cash compensation. The term is 12 months, cancellable after month 3 on 30 days' notice. It beats Contingency Search from four hires a year.
- What does the 120-day guarantee cover?
- If a placed candidate leaves within 120 days of starting, Selah runs one replacement search at no additional fee. Replacement only, never a refund. It is live once the placement fee is paid in full, and void if the role is filled elsewhere, restructured or materially changed.
- Can I use you for a single hire without a retainer?
- Yes. Contingency Search carries no retainer and no minimum fee: 20% of first-year cash compensation, payable only when a Selah-sourced candidate starts, Net 30 from the start date. Either side may end an engagement on 14 days' notice with nothing owed. Hiring a Selah-introduced candidate within 12 months owes the full fee.
The Guarantee in Full
What voids the 120-day replacement cover
The answers above are the short version. These are the conditions as the search agreement states them, so there is nothing about the guarantee you meet for the first time at signature.
- The role is filled from any other source.
- The candidate is made redundant, the role is restructured, or the candidate is terminated other than for cause.
- The role is materially changed after placement.
Cover is live only once the placement fee has been paid in full; late payment suspends it, and cover revives from the date payment clears. You request the replacement in writing within thirty days of the departure, and Selah delivers the replacement search within ninety days of that request. One replacement: if the replacement also leaves, the obligation is discharged and a second search is offered at the volume rate.