Search firms basically come in two flavors: retained or contingency. They are distinguished by how they are paid, not by how they conduct search, even though they do conduct search differently. Retained is generally aimed at the executive level and is a highly consultative process. Contingency firms are highly transactional. They must make rapid placements and move on.
Where do research firms fit in this picture? In fact, when I say "research firm", what's the first phrase that springs to mind?
Is it "name gen"?
Generally, research firms have been relegated to playing a supporting role in search. That perception may, in part, have its roots in residual sexism (in the early days at most search firms, researchers were women) and classism (research was framed as lower-level, administrative back office occupation.)
Research firms are typically the companies recruiters turn to when their hair is on fire: when they run out of names, or run out of candidates, or when they hit the wall with a "search from hell". But research is so much more than that. While it can fix recruitng problems, it is far more powerful when it is harnessed for proactive recruitment.
But defining research as name gen or lists of candidates is like saying coffee begins and ends with freeze-dried Maxwell House. That is so yesterday. That is so not Starbucks.
What if you're a retained firm that offers retained search powered by human capital intelligence that finds candidates faster-better? What if your retained search involves individual searches (as is typical), and also candidate pipelines across a range of openings, as we do? What if your firm delivers organizational intelligence (org charting, executive mapping, and profiling) and at the end of the day, delivers not only candidates but also intelligence as a product.
Hmmm. We think we've stumbled upon a new category of search firm. We're not your typical research firm. We're not your typical retained search firm. We are, in essense, both and neither. That makes our clients very happy and their competitors a little nervous.
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