Executive Search 費用解析

在國際市場上，Executive Search 費用最常見的基準約為第一年薪酬的 25% 至 35%，其中三分之一（約 33%）常被視為實務參考點。在台灣，Retained Search 費用通常為第一年薪酬的 20% 至 30%，Contingency Search 則介於 15% 至 20%，反映台灣市場的費率結構。此外，台灣的營業稅（5%）會加計於服務費用上。這些是普遍慣例，而非絕對準則。獵頭公司在薪酬定義、付款結構及諮詢服務層級方面各有差異。

高階主管搜尋費的作用不僅僅是購買候選人介紹。他們資助研究深度、被動市場准入、校準評估、合作夥伴關注以及在招聘能力較差的成本很高時提高領導招聘品質的流程控制。如果您正在權衡該投資的回報，那麼將費用與延遲、候選名單弱點或關鍵業務角色的誤聘風險進行比較會有所幫助。有關該價值背後的操作機制，請閱讀高階主管搜尋的工作原理。

對董事會、C-suite 領導者及私募股權投資人而言，百分比數字僅為起點。兩家公司可能報價相同的費用百分比，但檢視費用計算基礎、評估深度、研究範圍、報告頻率、候選人推薦人查核、到職支援及保證條款後，實際提供的價值可能截然不同。因此，Executive Search 定價應作為整體商業方案評估，而非單一數字比較。

職位越關鍵，僅憑費用百分比評估提案的效用越低。CEO、CFO、CHRO 或董事會任命涉及治理風險、過渡風險及執行風險。在此脈絡下，高階招募費用應針對延遲成本、誤聘成本及顧問所能提供的市場接觸品質進行評判。

最重要的定價問題在於費用的計算基礎。有些公司僅採用基本薪資；有些採用總現金薪酬，包含年度獎金；有些則參照第一年薪酬或總薪酬，依合約可能進一步擴展範圍。此處正是客戶常發現看似相近的提案實則無法直接比較之處。

實務上，第一年薪酬可能包含基本薪資、保證獎金、簽約金及其他於第一年合約承諾的現金項目。股權並非自動納入每項委任；部分公司予以排除，亦有公司在委任書明確載明時納入特定保證或現金等值項目。核准搜尋前，客戶應以書面確認確切的費用計算基礎，而非假設市場標準一體適用。

此點在薪酬方案於啟動時尚未確定之際尤為重要。若過程中薪酬範圍擴大，或成功候選人協商不同結構，費用可能於結案時調整。完善的委任書應說明調整機制，避免候選人接受後產生歧義。

Most senior mandates are run as a retained search, which means the search firm is appointed on an exclusive basis and the fee is typically non-contingent. In other words, the client is not paying only for the event of placement. The client is paying for a committed search process, dedicated advisory capacity, research effort, candidate access and the management of a high-stakes appointment from calibration through completion.

此結構源於工作的前置負荷特性。搜尋初期，公司即投入合夥人時間於職位定義、市場地圖、人才池設計、接觸策略、利害關係人對齊，乃至保密處理協議。多數工作於短名單產出前即已完成，且無論流程快速結束或需多輪進行，皆具商業價值。

因此，Retained Search 費用常分階段計費，一般以三期為常見。典型結構為啟動時第一期、特定時期或里程碑後第二期，以及搜尋後期最終一期。部分公司採日期計費，如啟動時、30 日及 60 日；部分則將分期與里程碑掛鉤，如策略核准、短名單交付或最終候選人推進。若需 [executive search retainer 費用](/executive-search-retainer-fee) 的詳細說明，包括公司採用 retainer 的原因及付款時程設定，應於簽約前審閱。

Retained search is generally the right model for board appointments, C-suite mandates, confidential replacements, cross-border assignments and roles where the market is narrow or highly contested. It suits situations where discretion, research depth, stakeholder management and candidate quality matter more than speed alone. Industry guidance also tends to place retained executive search in the higher-compensation and harder-to-fill end of the market, often including roles above $200,000.

Contingency search operates differently. The fee is usually paid only if the firm places a candidate, and the assignment may be non-exclusive. That can work for less confidential, more repeatable or more accessible hiring situations. The trade-off is that contingency economics do not always support the same level of dedicated research, role shaping and board-level advisory attention that a retained mandate requires.

A flat-fee or contained model can be useful when compensation is difficult to benchmark at the outset, when a client wants budget certainty, or when a portfolio business is hiring a repeat pattern of leadership roles. The right model depends on role criticality, risk, market difficulty and confidentiality. Sophisticated buyers choose the fee model to fit the search problem, not the other way around.

Several factors shape executive search fees beyond the basic percentage. Seniority matters, but so do function scarcity, geography, language requirements, relocation expectations, stakeholder complexity and confidentiality. A regional CFO search with a well-defined market will usually be simpler than a global CEO search, a first-time CHRO hire for a sponsor-backed platform, or a board search requiring sector-specific governance credibility.

Scope also changes price. Some engagements cover only identification and placement. Others include benchmarking, market mapping, candidate assessment, compensation calibration, referencing support, board presentation preparation and post-hire integration input. This is why clients should ask directly what executive search fees cover. The difference between fee proposals often lies less in percentage and more in what is included in fees.

The wider economics are equally important. SHRM benchmarking has shown that executive hires are materially more expensive than nonexecutive hires, and industry research regularly highlights the high cost of failed senior appointments. For boards and PE operators, the better question is not simply the fee, but the total cost of getting the decision wrong or letting a value-creation role sit open too long. If you want the broader context around vacancy risk and the commercial drivers behind pricing, review what affects search cost.

Most guarantees in executive search are replacement-based rather than refund-based. If the placed executive leaves within the defined guarantee period, the firm may agree to conduct a replacement search under specified conditions. The detail matters. Guarantee length, the trigger events, the client obligations and the situations that void coverage can differ significantly, which is why every client should examine the executive search guarantee in the engagement letter rather than relying on a verbal summary.

Expenses deserve similar scrutiny. Some firms include core research and project management within the retained fee, while charging separately for travel, assessments, background verification, advertising or other out-of-pocket items. Others bundle more into the main fee. A proposal can appear cheaper until reimbursables and add-ons are understood. Clarity on fee inclusions and expenses is essential if procurement, legal or the board wants a true like-for-like comparison.

Before signing, clients should confirm six points in writing: the compensation basis used for the fee, the payment schedule, whether the mandate is exclusive, what guarantee applies, which expenses are included, and the firm's off-limits or conflict policy. They should also verify who will personally run the search and how much senior involvement the account will receive after the kick-off meeting. Those details have a direct bearing on outcome quality.