.svg)
.svg)
Search
10 Retained Search Facts for Food & Beverage Leaders
Food and beverage executives usually learn how retained search works mid-negotiation, which is the most expensive classroom available.
We have run retained search for consumer goods companies since 1995, and the same ten facts surprise leaders on intake calls year after year. Here they are in one place, with our own numbers attached. For the full picture of the model, start with our guide to retained search for food and beverage leaders.
1. Fees are quoted on total compensation, not base
Retained fees run 20% to 33% of first-year total compensation, with a median of 25% across our placements. The words "total compensation" matter: a 25% fee on package can cost more than a 30% fee on base, depending on the bonus. When you compare quotes, compare the calculation, not the headline percentage. Our piece on what to know before signing a retained search contract walks through the fine print.
2. Payment comes in stages, and that's the point
The classic structure is thirds: at engagement, at slate presentation, at placement. Variations exist, including quarter-down structures and flat monthly retainers credited against completed searches for multi-role commitments. The staging is what buys you a firm that stays committed when the search gets hard, which is the entire difference from contingency work.
3. The average search runs 46 days
Our searches average 46 days from search open to signed acceptance, against an industry norm of 60, at 4.3 candidate interviews per hire. Roles with thin technical pools, and searches at founder-led companies deciding slowly, run longer. The fastest close in that data set took four days, against a maintained pipeline.
4. A real slate is six to twelve candidates, not forty
Volume signals a firm that hasn't assessed anyone. Our presented slates run six to twelve targeted candidates scored against a written scorecard, and a calibration slate of profiles reaches the client in week one. Every excluded candidate comes with written reasoning you can see.
5. The best candidates never applied to anything
On a typical day our pipeline shows around 616 people contacted for 45 in active conversation. Nobody in that population was job hunting. Food and beverage leadership talent is employed and performing, which is why retained search outperforms posting for senior roles: the work is a mapped market and direct outreach, not a filtered applicant pool.
6. Good firms screen the candidate's life, not just the résumé
Our candidate conversations start with a scorecard of personal, professional, and financial criteria before any role is pitched. That's why, in our best long-running partnership, 83 offers produced 81 signed acceptances. Offers stop falling through when both sides were assessed before the offer existed.
7. Guarantees are standard, so ask for the terms
A placed executive who leaves inside the guarantee window triggers a restarted search at no additional fee. Windows commonly run six to twelve months; our food and beverage engagements carry a 180-day guarantee. A firm that resists putting the guarantee in writing is telling you something.
8. Takeover clauses mean you never pay twice
Leaving a stalled search at another firm is more common than anyone admits, and the fear of double fees keeps companies stuck. The fix is contractual: candidates you already interviewed get named in the new agreement, so no fee is owed if one of them is ultimately hired. We structure takeovers as a starting point regularly.
9. The client is the usual bottleneck
On one recent search, we identified the eventual hire on day 38, and the offer was signed on day 118. The eighty days in between sat on the client side. When we reviewed every search we opened and closed without a placement in the first half of 2026, all of them failed on client-side decisions: funding, hiring freezes, internal promotions. Fast searches are mostly a client discipline, and the metrics that prove it are easy to track.
10. Retained isn't always the answer, even from a retained firm
Brands too small for the permanent hire should look at fractional and interim leadership first. And a company that isn't ready to decide shouldn't open a search at all. The honest version of this trade-off is in our breakdown of retained search ROI.
Frequently asked questions
What does retained executive search cost in food and beverage?
Fees run 20% to 33% of first-year total compensation, with a median of 25% across our placements, paid in staged installments. Check whether a quote is calculated on base or on total package before comparing.
How long does a food and beverage executive search take?
Our searches average 46 days from search open to signed acceptance, at 4.3 candidate interviews per hire. Technical roles and slow client-side decisions push searches well past that.
What is a retained search guarantee?
If the placed executive leaves or is terminated inside the guarantee window, the firm reruns the search at no additional fee. Common windows are six to twelve months; our food and beverage engagements carry 180 days.
Can we switch search firms without paying two fees?
Yes. A takeover clause names the candidates you already interviewed through the prior firm, so no second fee is owed on them. Ask for it explicitly when changing firms mid-search.
How many candidates should a search firm present?
Six to twelve assessed candidates, with a calibration slate in week one and written reasoning on exclusions. Forty résumés is a volume play, not a search.
Protis Global has run retained executive search for food and beverage companies since 1995, from emerging brands through $1 billion-plus businesses. If you're weighing a search, talk to our team.
