I keep seeing recruiters announcing on LinkedIn that they’ve been “retained” to recruit another senior treasury role.
Sometimes they even add that it’s confidential.
But I always find myself thinking…
Are you really retained, or are you just pretending?
Not because retained recruitment isn’t a real thing. Of course it is.
But if you’re a treasury professional thinking about your next move, the word “retained” shouldn’t be what convinces you to have a conversation.
What matters is something much simpler…
Does that recruiter actually know the role?
Do they:
- Understand what the business is trying to achieve?
- Know why the previous person left?
- Know what success in the role looks like?
Or are they simply reading out a job description?
That’s the difference.
A recruiter working on a genuine retained search really knows their client.
They understand the business, would’ve challenged the brief, and know what the hiring manager really wants – not just what ended up being written on the job advert.
And if it’s confidential, maybe they can’t tell you who the company is straight away.
That’s reasonable.
We often recruit roles on a confidential basis ourselves.
There are all sorts of legitimate reasons for that:
- There could be an internal restructure
- The client may need to manage the transition carefully
- Someone may not have announced they’re leaving yet
That’s all part of the job.
What I don’t understand is when I see someone posting on LinkedIn that they’ve been retained on a confidential search… and that’s the end of their post.
To me, that’s like shouting to everyone you know a big secret, then just walking off…
What’s the point?
Often, I’m left wondering if they’re really telling the truth. 🤔
You certainly won’t ever hear that from me, because from a candidate’s point of view, the label doesn’t really matter.
The quality of the conversation does.
If a recruiter can explain the business, the team, the challenges, the reporting lines, the culture, and why you’re being approached…
That’s someone worth listening to.
Whether they’re working on a retained search, a contingent assignment, or anything in between.
So next time a recruiter tells you they’ve been “retained” for an exclusive role, don’t assume that automatically means they’re the right person to trust with your career.
Ask a few questions. See how much they really know.
Because in my experience, it’s the quality of the recruiter that matters far more than the label they’re using.
Best regards,
Mike
