Services · Retained executive search
One fee. One search. Run to close.
Every mandate is priced per engagement — not as a percentage of the hire’s comp. Below is exactly what each scope buys, what the modules add, and where a search can start today.
The base spec, whatever the seat.
These aren’t upgrades. Director through C-suite, every retained engagement carries the same accountable structure.
A calibrated scorecard
Built in a 90-minute working session with the hiring principal — must-have competencies, comp band, equity range, and the two functions the role reports into and partners with. Every candidate is later scored against it, so the shortlist is defensible to the board.
Off-market sourcing
We map the market against the scorecard and surface passive candidates who aren’t applying anywhere — not a résumé keyword pull. A calibrated longlist reaches you within 10 business days.
A scored interview panel
Each finalist runs the same competency, scenario, and motivation panel. You compare a shortlist of four to six like for like — on evidence, not on who interviewed most recently.
One accountable principal
The same person runs your search from calibration to signed offer. No handoff to a junior desk after kickoff, and one point of contact for the board.
A 180-day replacement guarantee
If a placed leader leaves or is exited inside 180 days for a reason tied to fit or performance, we re-run the sourcing and interview stages at no additional engagement fee.
Three scopes, billed in thirds.
One third to open calibration and sourcing, one third at shortlist delivery, the final third on the accepted offer. No contingency percentage stacked on the hire’s salary.
Functional director
$32,000
- Single-function director mandate
- Longlist in 10 business days
- Shortlist of four to six
- Scored competency panel
- Typical close: 6–9 weeks
- 180-day replacement guarantee
Vice-president
$48,000
- Full VP / functional-lead mandate
- Two calibration rounds
- Reference triangulation on finalists
- Offer & equity negotiation support
- First-90-days onboarding brief
- Typical close: 8–14 weeks
C-suite & founder-level
From $72,000
- CEO, CFO, CRO, CTO mandates
- Board-aligned scorecard
- Confidential off-market sourcing
- Compensation benchmarking
- Onboarding cadence through day 90
- Priced after the calibration call
Standalone work, priced flat.
Run alongside a search, or on their own when you’re hiring in-house but want the structure. Each is a fixed deliverable, not a retainer.
Compensation benchmarking
Scorecard & panel design
Reference triangulation
Onboarding cadence extension
Board search briefing
“We price the search before we start it — so the only surprise you get is the calibre of the shortlist.”
How we scope every engagement
What lands, and when.
Each billing third ties to a dated deliverable — you always know what you’ve paid for and what comes next.
Week 1 — Scorecard memo
The written calibration output: competencies, comp band, equity range, and the search brief the whole engagement runs against. First third invoiced.
Day 10 — Calibrated longlist
A mapped market with named, ranked candidates and rationale against the scorecard — including passive names not on any job board.
Week 3 — Scored shortlist
Four to six finalists, each with a completed panel score and a written summary. Second third invoiced on delivery.
Offer stage — Reference pack & benchmark
Triangulated references and a compensation benchmark to arm the offer, plus hands-on negotiation support to a signed acceptance. Final third invoiced.
Day 90 — Onboarding brief
A first-90-days plan and a check-in cadence with hire and hiring principal — so the placement holds, not just closes.
Scoped by phone, priced on the call.
Tell us the seat, the band, and the timeline. We’ll tell you the scope, the fee to the dollar, and the realistic close — before you commit a cent. If a retained search isn’t the right instrument, we’ll say so.
Prefer to map it in person? Bring the org chart and the comp band to our office on 145th Ave and we’ll draft the scorecard on the whiteboard.
- contact@alabastertalent.com
- Visit
- 82 145th Ave #T, Turtle Lake, WI 54889
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 9:30am–7pm · Sat 9am–5pm · Sun closed
Retained search · Turtle Lake, WI
Still deciding which scope fits?
One call sorts it. We’ll match the seat to the right scope, quote it flat, and give you the honest timeline.
Call (715) 205-4396