Fees
What a client pays Merit.
Our fees are not the cheapest, and I am not going to pretend otherwise. Everyone we send you is someone we have already spoken to and reference checked, the guarantee runs longer than most, and the bar is the same whether it is a first hire or a chief officer. You are not paying for a resume search. You are paying for the work that happens before we ever send you a name.
Rate Card
Pricing by candidate level
Executive & Leadership
VP and above
20 to 33%
of first-year compensation, depending on engagement type
6-month guarantee
Director & Senior Management
Director through Senior Director
22 to 25%
of first-year compensation
4-month guarantee
Retained-lite option available: two installments, at signing and at start.
Mid-Level Professional
Individual contributor and team lead
15 to 20%
of first-year compensation
90-day guarantee
Entry-Level & Early Career
First and second role
12 to 15%
of first-year compensation
60-day guarantee
Bench Access Subscription
Hire from the vetted bench on a monthly commitment
Starter
2 concurrent searches · 4 hires per quarter
$2,500/mo
Growth
4 concurrent searches · 8 hires per quarter
$4,500/mo
Scale
8 concurrent searches · Effectively unlimited hiring
$7,500/mo
Prepay twelve months at signing and pay for ten. Annual clients hold their concurrent search slots for the full term.
Subscription hires do not include the standard placement guarantee by default.
Volume
Bring your open roles into one engagement
One intake, one mapped market, one shortlist rhythm across every role, that is cheaper for you to buy and faster for us to run, so the saving is shared rather than negotiated.
3 to 5 roles
10% off per role
6+ roles
15% off per role, or a custom Managed Search Program quote
The discount applies within each role's own tier, a VP search and a mid-level search each keep their own fee band. It is never averaged into one blended rate.
Payment Terms
When each invoice falls due
- Retained: thirds, at signing, at shortlist, at start.
- Director retained-lite: halves, at signing and at start.
- Selective Contingency: full payment at the start date.
- Subscriptions: billed monthly or annually in advance.
- Net 15 on all invoices.
- CAD or USD, set at Search Order signing.