Most search proposals look the same. The questions below separate them.
Who will actually do the work?
Not who will present, who will do the research, make the approaches and interview the candidates. At many firms the partner sells and a researcher you never meet delivers. Ask to meet the person who will make the calls. At re:find that person is James or Carl, on every assignment.
How will you map the market, and will I see it?
How many people, from where, and will the full map with reasons come to you at the end? A map you can keep is worth something on the next search. A firm that will not show it either does not have one or does not want you to see how thin it was.
What has a shortlisted candidate been through?
A CV check and a phone call, or a structured interview against the brief with a written assessment? Has their package expectation been tested? Have they confirmed they would take the role?
What is included in the fee?
Psychometrics, references, advertising, travel, the candidate report at the end. Some firms itemise these; some absorb them. Ask for the total, in writing, before you start.
What happens if it does not work?
Replacement terms, in detail: how long the guarantee lasts, what triggers it, what is excluded. Three months and one replacement search is our standard. Anything shorter than that is worth questioning.
What will you tell me that I do not want to hear?
Ask it at the pitch. A firm that has looked at your brief and has nothing to challenge has not looked.
What is your completion rate, and how do you count it?
Ours is 98%, counted as retained searches that ended in an appointment. Ask any firm the same question and listen for whether they count cancelled searches, withdrawn briefs and internal appointments. There is no right answer, but there is a straight one.