The Vested Model
The Vested Model.
A start date is not the outcome.
Traditional recruitment fees commonly become payable in full when the candidate starts. The recruiter has received the commercial benefit of the placement before the employer has had time to understand whether the appointment will succeed.
The Vested model creates a different balance. An engagement fee begins the search, while the remaining recruitment fee follows the appointment over the next 11 months.
This does not remove the risks associated with hiring. It means Vested retains a financial interest in the continuing appointment rather than receiving the entire fee at the beginning.
How the model works.
Define what success requires
We begin with the reason the appointment is being made.
We establish what the successful person must deliver, the environment in which they will operate and the experience, behaviours and expectations that genuinely matter. This creates a commercially grounded brief against which every candidate can be assessed..
Search with purpose
When the successful candidate starts, the agreed recruitment fee is finalised and adjusted to reflect the engagement fee already paid.
The remaining balance is then payable over the following 11 months.
Instead of the full recruitment fee becoming payable at the start date, the financial commitment is spread across a defined period in which the candidate is working within the business.
If the appointment continues throughout that period, the agreed recruitment fee is paid in full.
Keep our interests aligned
An engagement fee starts the search.
When the successful candidate joins, the total recruitment fee is calculated using the agreed fee percentage and the candidate’s final starting salary. The engagement fee already paid is deducted, and the remaining balance is payable over the following 11 months.
If the candidate leaves during that period for any reason other than redundancy, future payments stop from the following month.
If Vested finds a replacement, payments resume only for the months remaining from the original period. The payment period does not restart.
This is not a guarantee that every appointment will succeed. It is a commitment that our commercial interests will remain connected to yours for longer.
How the model works.
Define what success requires
We begin with the reason the appointment is being made.
We establish what the successful person must deliver, the environment in which they will operate and the experience, behaviours and expectations that genuinely matter. This creates a commercially grounded brief against which every candidate can be assessed..
Search with purpose
When the successful candidate starts, the agreed recruitment fee is finalised and adjusted to reflect the engagement fee already paid.
The remaining balance is then payable over the following 11 months.
Instead of the full recruitment fee becoming payable at the start date, the financial commitment is spread across a defined period in which the candidate is working within the business.
If the appointment continues throughout that period, the agreed recruitment fee is paid in full.
Keep our interests aligned
An engagement fee starts the search.
When the successful candidate joins, the total recruitment fee is calculated using the agreed fee percentage and the candidate’s final starting salary. The engagement fee already paid is deducted, and the remaining balance is payable over the following 11 months.
If the candidate leaves during that period for any reason other than redundancy, future payments stop from the following month.
If Vested finds a replacement, payments resume only for the months remaining from the original period. The payment period does not restart.
This is not a guarantee that every appointment will succeed. It is a commitment that our commercial interests will remain connected to yours for longer.
Vested Executive Search
A simple example
The original candidate starts and four monthly instalments are paid.
The candidate then leaves for a reason other than redundancy. Payments stop from the following month, leaving seven monthly instalments unpaid.
Vested finds a replacement. When that person starts, the remaining seven instalments recommence.
The client does not begin another 11-month payment period. Once the seven remaining instalments have been paid, the post-start payment commitment is complete.
What this means commercially
Vested is privately backed by a business leader and investor who has led organisations with annual turnover exceeding £700 million and held responsibility for more than 2,000 people.
At that scale, recruitment is not an isolated HR transaction. A significant appointment can affect operational performance, customer relationships, team confidence and whether the organisation delivers its plans.
That experience shaped a clear view: if the employer remains exposed to the outcome of an appointment, the recruiter should retain meaningful exposure too.
Clear terms from the beginning
The engagement fee, final fee calculation, monthly payment schedule and provisions covering candidate departure, redundancy and replacement will be explained before the search begins.
The information on this page summarises the central principles of the Vested model. The complete contractual provisions are contained within Vested Talent’s terms of engagement, which will take precedence.
A simple example
The original candidate starts and four monthly instalments are paid.
The candidate then leaves for a reason other than redundancy. Payments stop from the following month, leaving seven monthly instalments unpaid.
Vested finds a replacement. When that person starts, the remaining seven instalments recommence.
The client does not begin another 11-month payment period. Once the seven remaining instalments have been paid, the post-start payment commitment is complete.
What this means commercially
Vested is privately backed by a business leader and investor who has led organisations with annual turnover exceeding £700 million and held responsibility for more than 2,000 people.
At that scale, recruitment is not an isolated HR transaction. A significant appointment can affect operational performance, customer relationships, team confidence and whether the organisation delivers its plans.
That experience shaped a clear view: if the employer remains exposed to the outcome of an appointment, the recruiter should retain meaningful exposure too.
Clear terms from the beginning
The engagement fee, final fee calculation, monthly payment schedule and provisions covering candidate departure, redundancy and replacement will be explained before the search begins.
The information on this page summarises the central principles of the Vested model. The complete contractual provisions are contained within Vested Talent’s terms of engagement, which will take precedence.
A more balanced way to recruit.
Tell us about the role you are planning, and we will explain how the search and payment structure would apply to your appointment.
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
Ready to Hire or Explore Your Next Opportunity?
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
Guy Hawkins
President of Sales
