When should a recruitment agency use NCNP and when retained search?

Use NCNP when speed matters and the role is fillable from the active market. Use retained when the profile is scarce, confidential, or heavy on culture fit. The difference between the two models is not the price. It is who carries the risk and what that buys.

The two models

NCNP (No Cure No Pay). No placement, no fee. The recruiter works without a retainer and earns the fee only at signing, in the Dutch market typically 22 to 32% of gross annual salary. The risk sits entirely with the recruiter. It fits when the client wants CVs fast, the role is fillable from people already looking, or the client runs multiple agencies at once.

Retained search. The client pays part of the fee up front, typically 20 to 30% of it, and gets exclusivity and priority for a set period. The risk is shared. It fits scarce profiles who do not respond to vacancies, confidential positions, and roles where culture fit and personality weigh heavily.

| Aspect | NCNP | Retained | |---|---|---| | Risk | With the recruiter | Shared via retainer | | Exclusivity | Usually no | Almost always | | Reach | Active segment | Passive candidates included | | Best for | Volume roles, fast fill | Senior, scarce, or confidential |

Worked example

A scale-up in Utrecht has two searches. Two medior developers: fillable from the active market, speed counts. You run those NCNP at 25%. And a head of engineering at €110,000: scarce, confidential, culture-critical. You propose retained at 27%, which is €29,700, with one third invoiced at the start, one third at the shortlist, one third at signing. The client hesitates at the retainer. Your answer: "The retainer buys my priority. I spend four to six times more hours on a retained search, and that is how we reach the people who never reply to a vacancy."

What not to do

• Offering NCNP first. Open with the fallback and you sell the fallback.
• Selling retained on price. You sell retained on process quality, not on cost.
• Thinking NCNP is free for the client. The client pays with noise, delay, and a smaller reach.