Episode 101 - Why Contingency Recruiting is Dying…And What's Replacing It

What if working "for free" is the real reason your firm isn't growing? In this episode of Talent Titans, we uncover the silent profit killer inside the recruitment industry and reveal the bold model replacing it.

There's a rising shift from contingency recruitment to contained search, a powerful hybrid model that demands client commitment and transforms agency profitability. Suky touches on how contingency recruiting quietly drains time, energy, and money from staffing businesses and why it's time to stop normalizing it. It's time to stop whispering about the hidden costs of working without a retainer and we're outlining the real benefits of contained search (like client respect, team motivation, and fewer but more profitable roles). This episode is a wake-up call for recruiters stuck in outdated models.

Key Moments:

• 00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message

• 00:40 The Quiet Revolution in Recruitment

• 01:53 The Shift from Contingency to Contained Search

• 05:02 The Contained Search Model Explained

• 06:15 Benefits of the Contained Search Model

• 11:43 Transitioning to a Contained Search Model

• 13:23 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Favorite Quote:

"You're not selling CVs. You're selling certainty."

• Suky

Connect with Suky:

I'm Suky an adrenaline junkie who celebrates every single win. I believe we must celebrate and collect all our wins along the way as it fuels forward momentum to ensure we exceed our goals. When we fuel forward momentum, complacency simply can not settle in.

With over 25 years of experience working in the staffing industry, 16 of those working with global recruitment companies, I bring the knowledge and experience of working in 18 countries and successfully navigating through numerous "recession" cycles.

Companies often get so focused on the bottom line that they forget that we are in the "people business". For me, the magic happens when my clients recognize the best way to create a truly sustainable high-performance sales culture is to align both.

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Canadian Staffing Industry Summit

www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com

Talent Titans is sponsored by Ascen. Ascen is an employer of record that helps staffing and recruitment agencies hire employees compliantly throughout the US and Canada. Ascen's all-in-one, white-label platform handles onboarding, timesheets, payroll, benefits, insurance, invoicing, and funding so you can grow quickly in the US and Canada without worrying about back office and paperwork. Visit ascen.com to learn more.