Executive Search Success & Completion Rates: Benchmarks and Insights for 2025

Executive search is often viewed as a premium service: high-touch, relationship-driven, and tailored to place senior leadership talent. But despite its prestige, the industry is far from immune to inefficiency and unpredictability. Success and completion rates vary widely depending on the search model, specialization, and market conditions—raising critical questions for clients and search partners alike.

Let's get real about benchmarks, challenges, and the business implications of executive search success rates.

The Reality of Success Rates

A striking statistic from InsightSquared (2015) revealed that permanent placement recruiting firms had a win rate of only ~20%, meaning just 1 in 5 search assignments resulted in a hire. While this figure is dated ten years, it illustrates the long-standing challenges of efficiency in executive recruiting.

By comparison, Bookspan Search Partners notes that the big retained search firms—often considered the “gold standard”—can still fall short, failing to make a placement 40% of the time. Yet, still charging you up to 66% in fees prior to making— or not making that placement. Contingency searches come in often at half of that, with a 20% success rate still to this day, given their volume-driven, competitive dynamics.

Large retained executive search firms, who companies go to for brand trust, fail to make a placement over 40% of the time, and yet still charge up to 66% of the total fee. Non-refundable.

On the more optimistic side, RecruiterFinder.com cites an industry average placement success rate of 71% for all retained executive searches, with an average 123 days to placement. This benchmark highlights the potential for high-quality, process-driven firms to deliver consistent outcomes.

Retained vs. Contingency Models

Understanding completion rates requires a look at the underlying business models:

• Retained Search

  • Fees: Typically 30–35% of first-year compensation (sometimes 35–38%).

  • Structure: Exclusive engagement, staged payments tied to milestones.

  • Completion Rate: ~40–71%, depending on complexity, niche, and firm discipline.

  
  

• Contingency Search

  • Fees: Generally 20–25% of first-year compensation.

  • Structure: Non-exclusive, paid only upon successful hire.

  • Completion Rate: ~20% due to internal incentive structure, lack of executive hiring expertise and lack of client exclusivity.

The data underscores a paradox: even premium retained models can see failure rates approaching 30–60%, revealing the inherent difficulty of matching senior talent with organizational needs.

Why These Numbers Matter

For boards and executives engaging search partners, success rates aren’t just statistics—they’re strategic risk indicators:

• Time-to-Hire: With average placements taking 123 days, every failed or stalled search carries high opportunity cost.

• Retention & Fit: Completion alone isn’t success—placing for longevity and leadership impact matters just as much.

• Partnership Model: Firms emphasizing cultural fit, leadership style, and long-term retention often outperform those focused solely on resume-to-job description matching.

Summary Table

Metric	Benchmark / Insight	Source
Placement Success Rate (Retained)	~71% success; ~29% failure	RecruiterFinder
Completion Rate (Retained Searches)	40–71% depending on niche/structure	Bookspan Search Partners
Completion Rate (Contingency)	~20%	Bookspan Search Partners
Average Days to Placement	123 days	RecruiterFinder
Win Rate (Permanent Placement Firms)	~20%	InsightSquared / Sales Talent Inc.

The Bottom Line

Executive search remains one of the most relationship- and judgment-driven functions in business. But success rates reveal both risk and opportunity:

• Retained models average ~71% placement success, but can dip much lower in niche markets.

• Contingency models often face even lower completion rates, due to lack of exclusivity, expertise and volume-driven competition.

• Funnel benchmarks from other industries reinforce where most leakage occurs: during mid-funnel evaluations and late-stage negotiations.

As organizations demand faster, more reliable leadership placements, the firms that focus on data-driven processes, cultural alignment, and retention-focused hiring (like Jasper *wink wink)) will increasingly differentiate themselves.

For companies, the key is selecting partners who not only promise access to top talent, but also deliver measurable completion rates and long-term leadership impact.

The Jasper Difference

At Jasper Consultancy, we’re redefining what executive search success looks like. While industry averages hover between 40–71% completion rates, Jasper has consistently delivered a 100% placement rate across our semi-retained searches.

Why? Because we go beyond resume-to-job-description matching. Our background in HR and organizational design allows us to identify leaders who not only meet the role requirements but also align with culture, leadership style, and long-term organizational goals.

The result: every search completed, every time—with leaders who stay, thrive, and drive impact. Closing Thoughts

Executive search is evolving—and so are client expectations. Boards and leadership teams no longer have the luxury of drawn-out searches with uncertain outcomes. The cost of a failed or stalled placement is too high: lost momentum, leadership gaps, and strategic delays that ripple across the business.

That’s why completion rates matter. They’re more than just an industry metric; they’re a measure of accountability, effectiveness, and partnership.

At Jasper Consultancy, we believe executive search should be synonymous with certainty.

Our 100% placement track record proves that a disciplined, retention-focused approach isn’t just possible—it’s replicable. By blending deep HR expertise, culture-fit assessments, and rigorous candidate evaluation, we deliver leaders who don’t just fill seats, but shape the future of your organization.

Because in today’s executive landscape, success isn’t about making a placement. It’s about making the right placement—every single time.