Why Retained Search Works Best for Commercial Roles

Why Retained Search Works Best for Commercial Roles in Life Sciences

Hiring a Chief Commercial Officer, VP of Sales, or VP of Marketing is too important to leave to chance. These leaders drive revenue, shape strategy, and determine whether your commercial team can scale or stall.

But many companies still default to contingent search — especially when the pressure is on.

Here’s why retained executive search is a better fit for high-stakes commercial roles in Life Sciences.

1. Contingent Firms Hire for "Phenotype" only. Retained Partners Understand the "Genotype".

Contingent search, at best, hires for phenotype — the visible traits on a resume.

• Where someone has worked
• What stage companies they’ve been in
• What products or markets they’ve sold into

That information matters — but it’s only half the picture.

At Alder Brooks, we go deeper. We help clients define and evaluate a candidate’s genotype — the traits you can’t see on paper:

• How they lead under pressure
• What drives them
• Their behavioral patterns and leadership instincts
• Whether their DNA aligns with your company’s unique culture and commercial model

This distinction is critical. Two candidates might look identical on a resume — but only one will thrive in your environment.

That’s why we help our clients how build a success profile to define what success actually looks like in their organization — before recruiting begins.

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2. Retained Search Prioritizes Passive Candidates

The best commercial leaders aren’t applying. They’re building teams, scaling business lines, and being courted by your competitors.

Contingent recruiters often stick to the active market. Retained firms are hired to hunt — and they know how to reach, engage, and evaluate leaders who aren’t raising their hand.

3. Retained Search Reduces the Risk of a Mishire

A misstep in a commercial leadership role doesn’t just slow things down — it shakes confidence, hurts morale, and costs investors real money.

Here’s a breakdown of the true cost of a commercial mishire.

Retained firms bring structure to the process: benchmarking, success metrics, real references, and market insight to avoid mistakes.

This structure reduces the risk of hiring someone who performs well in interviews — but can’t execute inside your business.

4. Retained Partners Represent Your Brand

In Tools, Diagnostics, Therapeutics, Devices, and Infusion, reputation matters.

Retained firms act as an extension of your leadership team. They represent your brand with professionalism, consistency, and insight — improving the candidate experience and your odds of landing top talent.

When Should You Use Retained Search?

Retained search is right when the role is:

• Critical to meet aggressive growth expectations
• Highly visible to the board or investors
• Too complex to define with a job description alone
• Essential to your next phase of growth or market entry

That includes first commercial hires, growth-stage expansion, or leadership changes before a strategic exit.

At Alder Brooks, we combine deep commercial expertise with a retained model that delivers results — without sacrificing speed.

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