frequently asked questions

• What is SearchFirm.com?

  SearchFirm.com is the largest free directory of recruiters and search firms. It’s designed to connect search firms and staffing companies with hiring authorities.

• Why should I use SearchFirm.com?

  If you are a recruiter, use SearchFirm.com as a free marketing opportunity to increase your visibility. Fill in your specialties and describe recent assignments to build the interest of corporate recruiters around the world. The more detailed your record is, the higher your firm will be ranked based on matching criteria.

  If you are a hiring authority, SearchFirm.com makes it easy to find a recruiter. Our recruiter directory gives you a starting point in landing an search firm to handle your job assignments.

• What’s the best way to use SearchFirm.com to find the search firm I want?

  First, choose a specialty that matches the specific position you are trying to fill to find a search firm that specializes in those types of candidates. Second, choose a firm type. Third, press the Find button—it's that simple.

  Choose a firm type (Contingency, Retained, Outplacement, Interim Staffing or RPO) that meets your requirements.

  

  A contingent firm is paid only when a placement is made. The firm receives either a fixed fee or a percentage of the hire's salary.

  A retained firm receives a retainer, usually based on a percentage of the potential hire's salary, regardless of whether or not a hire is made.

  An outplacement firm helps displaced employees find new jobs. They also provide counseling and support services. Often, this service is paid for by the employer.

  An interim staffing firm hires its own employees and assigns them to clients on a temporary basis. The firm specifies the pay and benefits for the employee.

  Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is when an HR Department transfers part of its recruitment activities to an external firm.

  If you just want to browse by specialties, click here.

• I can list my search firm for free. I can search your database for free. Okay, what’s the catch?

  No catch. We want to help search firms grow. We’re able to provide these free services for two reasons:

  1. We’ve made it easy for search firms to update their records at their convenience-no maintenance for us.
  2. We’re in the software business-we already have a team of developers and the technology at our disposal to run SearchFirm.com.

• You mention that you’re in the software business and I saw that SearchFirm.com is copyrighted by The Cluen Corporation. What is Cluen?

  Cluen is our alter ego, so to speak. When we’re not working to improve SearchFirm.com, we make Encore recruiter software for search firms and corporate recruiting teams in HR departments (and we’ve been doing it for more than two decades). Check us out at www.cluen.com.

contact us

• developer

  Since 1990, The Cluen Corporation has been a leading provider of recruiting solutions for executive recruiting teams. Combining our technical expertise with our connections to both recruiters and HR teams, we designed SearchFirm.com to bring them together.

  From its inception in 1998, SearchFirm.com has not charged any fees for listing or searching in order to help grow the HR community.

• email, phone & address

  info@searchfirm.com

  +1 (212) 255-6659 (press 1 and then 208)

  The Cluen Corporation
  7 West 22nd Street, 5th Floor
  New York, NY 10010 USA

privacy policy

Cluen is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your visits to www.SearchFirm.com. It is our general policy not to make personal information available to anyone other than our employees, staff and agents.

• browser information & cookies

  We collect aggregate numbers of page hits in order to improve the value of our site. We do not gather, request, record, require, collect or track any Internet users' personal information through these processes. A cookie is a "crumb" of data stored by a user's browser that helps a web site/service recognize a unique computer; you can remove or block cookies by changing the settings of your browser.

• security

  We maintain a variety of physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect your personal information—we use commercially reasonable tools and techniques to protect against unauthorized access to our systems. We have links to outside web sites that we do not control; we are not responsible for the content or privacy policies of these sites (users should check those policies).

• policy updates

  We reserve the right to revise this policy at any time. You should refer back to this page often for the latest information and the effective date of any changes. If you have questions about this policy, please let us know.

• conditions of use

• agreement between you and The Cluen Corporation d/b/a SearchFirm.com

  This web site is offered to you, conditioned on your acceptance without modification of the terms, conditions and notices contained herein. Your use of this web site constitutes your agreement to all such terms, conditions and notices.

• personal and non-commercial use limitation

  This web site is for your personal, noncommercial use. You may not modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, create derivative works from, transfer or sell any information offered here.

• liability disclaimer

  The Materials found on this web site are provided "as is" without any warranty, representation, condition, undertaking or term of any kind, express or implied, statutory or otherwise, including without limitation, the warranties of merchantability, non-infringement of intellectual property or fitness for a particular purpose. SearchFirm.com further does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within the Materials. SearchFirm.com may make changes to the Materials, or the programs, policies or other information described in the Materials, at any time without notice. SearchFirm.com makes no commitment to update the Materials. In no event shall SearchFirm.com or its affiliates be liable for any direct, indirect, special or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever, including loss of profits or data, whether in an action in contract or tort, arising out of the use or performance of the site, even if SearchFirm.com has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

• no unlawful or prohibited use

  As a condition of your use of this web site, you warrant to SearchFirm.com that you will not use this web site for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by these terms, conditions and notices.

• links to third party sites

  Links to third party web sites on this Site are provided solely as a convenience to you. If you use these links, you will leave this Site. SearchFirm.com does not control and is not responsible for any of these sites or their content. Thus, SearchFirm.com does not endorse or make any representations about them, or any information, software or other products or Materials found there, or any results that may be obtained from using them. If you decide to access any of the third party sites linked to this site, you do this entirely at your own risk.

• materials

  By submitting Materials to this web site, the provider thereby authorizes SearchFirm.com to (a) edit the Material as SearchFirm.com sees fit, and (b) treat the Materials as its own property for all purposes. Nothing contained in this Agreement is intended to prevent the provider, by using their password, from updating the Materials it submits to the web site.

• general

  You agree that no joint venture, partnership, employment or agency relationship exists between you and SearchFirm.com as a result of this agreement or use of this web site. Any claim relating to this Agreement or the Materials shall be governed by the internal laws of the United States of America, exclusive of the choice of law rules thereof. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral and written agreements. No failure or delay on the part of SearchFirm.com in exercising any right or remedy hereunder or enforcing the terms and conditions of this Agreement will operate as a waiver thereof. If any part or provision of this Agreement is found to be invalid, unenforceable or void, then the remaining portion shall remain in full force and effect. Used in this Agreement, the terms "you" and "your" refer, collectively, to the customer and provider. Headings are for convenience only and not for use in interpretation of this Agreement. SearchFirm.com reserves the right to change any or all of the terms or conditions of this Agreement.

• copyright

  All contents of this web site are: Copyright © 1998-2024 The Cluen Corporation. All rights reserved.

Updated August 7, 2013