PRICING
Executive search that costs less and does more.
A 25% fee, not the roughly one-third a typical executive search firm charges. Every search starts with a written agreement, and here's exactly how our packages work.
Total fee
$83,333
One-third
25%
Paid before your hire starts
$83,333
Billed in three installments
Credited toward the fee
What you get on each candidate
A résumé
Global-firm depth. Without the global-firm fee.
Move the slider to the role's first-year compensation and see what you save.
Starting points only. Adjust to your role.
Up to $2,000,000
Typical executive search firm $83,333, all billed before your hire starts. Talent Authority Partners $62,500, with $6,000 to start and $56,500 after your hire starts. $20,833 less in fees, $77,333 less paid before your hire starts.
Assumes a package paid in cash. Fee bases differ (cash compensation versus total compensation), so compare exact totals using written proposals. Estimates only; the signed agreement governs all fees.
Every search includes
Four packages. One 25% fee.
We propose the package once we understand the role. You decide whether to accept.
Compare packages side by side +
| Package | Engagement fee | Credited | Placement fee | Invoice terms | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Executive Search Generally for roles with senior organizational authority. | $6,000 | Yes, toward the placement fee | 25% of total first-year compensation, less the paid credit | Invoiced on the candidate's start date. Due within 30 calendar days of the start date. | 90-day replacement candidate guarantee, from the candidate's start date |
Specialized Search Generally for scarce talent, difficult requirements or searches needing substantial research. | $6,000 | Yes, toward the placement fee | 25% of total first-year compensation, less the paid credit | Invoiced on the candidate's start date. Due within 30 calendar days of the start date. | 60-day replacement candidate guarantee, from the candidate's start date |
Professional Search Generally for professional, managerial and individual-contributor searches with a more conventional process. | $3,000 | Yes, toward the placement fee | 25% of total first-year compensation, less the paid credit | Invoiced on the candidate's start date. Due within 30 calendar days of the start date. | 60-day replacement candidate guarantee, from the candidate's start date |
Select Search Generally for positions whose reasonably estimated total first-year compensation range tops out below $100,000. | Set after the intake call | No | Full 25% of total first-year compensation | Invoiced on the candidate's start date. Due within 15 calendar days of the start date. | 30-day replacement candidate guarantee, from the candidate's start date |
Select Search covers roles whose total first-year compensation tops out below $100,000. Searches at this level can mean high volume or a lot of research, so we confirm the scope on the intake call before we set the engagement fee.
TAP proposes the right package once it understands the role; the client accepts before the engagement fee is invoiced and sourcing begins. This table is a public summary, not a replacement for the agreement. Engagement fees become non-refundable when received. The placement fee is invoiced on the candidate's start date and is due within the number of calendar days shown for the package, using the compensation basis defined in the agreement. Replacement Candidate Guarantees are conditional and governed by the signed agreement. Typical firm figures reflect common executive search practice; firms vary.
Last reviewed
Why an engagement fee
Why there's an engagement fee
Recruiters paid only when you hire tend to spread their time across dozens of searches and race to send resumes. An engaged search works differently.
It reserves our capacity.
We take on a limited number of searches at a time. The engagement fee holds your place and puts your search on our active list.
It funds the work before the first candidate.
Role calibration, market research and direct outreach to people who aren't applying all start the day you engage us.
It means both sides are committed.
You get a dedicated search run to a disciplined process, not a resume race.
It counts toward your fee.
On Executive, Specialized and Professional Search, the engagement fee is credited toward the placement fee, so when you hire it isn't an extra cost. Select Search is the one exception: its engagement fee is set after the intake call and is not credited.
Because it pays for work that starts right away, the engagement fee is non-refundable once received. The signed agreement governs all terms.
Keep reading
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
- Every search uses one of four packages: Executive, Specialized, Professional or Select Search. TAP proposes the package once it understands the search, and you decide whether to accept. The accepted package sets a non-refundable engagement fee, paid before sourcing begins, and a 25% placement fee based on total first-year compensation, invoiced on the candidate's start date and due within the number of calendar days shown for the package. Executive, Specialized and Professional engagement fees are credited toward the placement fee. Select Search engagement fees are set after the intake call and are not credited.
- The placement fee is invoiced on the candidate's start date. It is due within 30 calendar days of the start date for Executive, Specialized and Professional Search and within 15 calendar days for Select Search. The engagement fee is invoiced after you accept TAP's proposed package and is paid before sourcing begins. Your signed agreement controls the terms.
- TAP uses an engagement-plus-placement-fee model. See the package comparison above for the fee, credit, and guarantee terms for each package. The signed agreement governs the details.
- Each package includes a conditional Replacement Candidate Guarantee measured from the candidate's start date: 90 days for Executive Search, 60 days for Specialized and Professional Search, and 30 days for Select Search. It is a one-replacement remedy subject to Section 4 of the agreement, not a cash refund.
- Roles under $100,000 vary more than any other search we run. Some are a single specialist hire; others are high volume and take a lot of time and research. We confirm the scope on the intake call, then set an engagement fee that lets us fund the search properly. You approve the package and fee before anything is invoiced.
Tell us who you need to hire next.
A straight conversation about the role and whether TAP is the right fit to run it.