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Hiring in EdTech is not the same as hiring in a broad tech market.
The best candidates are often not actively applying. They may already be working in strong roles, building relationships with schools, universities, trusts, government bodies, enterprise learning teams, or international partners. They may not be browsing job boards. They may not respond to generic recruiter messages. And they are unlikely to move unless the opportunity is clearly aligned with their experience, values and next career step.
This is why retained recruitment matters.
At RecruitHer, we work as a retained recruitment partner because specialised EdTech hiring needs more than speed. It needs focus, market knowledge, strong positioning and a proper search process.
Retained recruitment is a partnership between a company and a recruiter where the recruiter is engaged exclusively to work on a specific role.
Unlike contingent recruitment, where a recruiter is only paid if a placement is made, retained recruitment involves an upfront commitment from the client. This gives the recruiter the time, focus and structure to properly map the market, approach passive candidates, assess fit and manage the process with care.
Contingent recruitment can work well for roles where there is a large active candidate pool. For example, entry level roles or positions where many candidates are already applying.
Retained recruitment is different. It is better suited to roles where the candidate pool is smaller, the role is more senior, the skill set is niche, or the hire has a direct impact on company growth.
That is often the case in EdTech.
EdTech companies often need people who understand more than just sales, customer success, marketing, product or operations.
They need people who understand the sector.
That might mean knowing how schools buy. It might mean understanding university decision making. It might mean having experience with government procurement, assessment, curriculum, pedagogy, implementation, learning design, or international education markets.
For commercial roles, sector knowledge can make a big difference. Someone who already understands the buyer, the sales cycle and the pain points can often build trust faster. They know how to speak to educators, senior leaders, institutions and partners. They understand that education is not a simple transaction. It is often relationship led, values led and shaped by budget cycles, academic calendars and stakeholder complexity.
That kind of talent is not always easy to find through a job advert.
A retained search allows us to identify people who are not actively looking, but who may be open to the right opportunity if it is positioned properly.
RecruitHer focuses on specialised hiring across EdTech and adjacent sectors, including education, learning, higher education, healthcare and public sector markets.
We are often looking for people with very specific experience. People who can open doors, bring relevant networks, understand the end user and add value quickly.
That work takes time.
It involves understanding the role properly, mapping the market, identifying target companies, approaching relevant people, screening carefully and representing the opportunity in a way that feels credible.
A retained model gives that work the focus it needs.
It also means we are not racing against other agencies to send CVs quickly. We are not flooding a client with profiles to see what sticks. We are working in partnership to find the right person.
That distinction matters.
When multiple recruiters work on the same role on a contingent basis, the process can become noisy.
Candidates may be contacted by several agencies about the same role. Messaging can become inconsistent. Hiring managers receive CVs from different sources and spend time managing duplicate submissions, mixed feedback and unclear ownership.
That can damage the candidate experience.
It can also weaken how the company is represented in the market.
With retained recruitment, there is one clear search partner. The role is positioned consistently. Candidates are approached with care. The process is managed properly from first contact to final offer.
This is especially important in EdTech, where reputation matters and the talent pool is often smaller than people realise.
One of the biggest benefits of retained recruitment is the depth of market insight it creates.
A proper retained search is not just about finding candidates. It is also about understanding the market around the role.
Who is hiring similar talent? Which companies have people with the right background? What salary range is realistic? How competitive is the role? What objections are candidates raising? What matters most to people in this type of position?
This information is valuable for hiring managers.
It helps companies understand whether their role, salary, package, expectations and process are aligned with the market.
Sometimes the search confirms that the brief is right. Other times, it shows that the role needs adjusting. That might mean changing the title, broadening the candidate pool, increasing salary, adjusting remote working expectations, or being clearer about career progression.
A retained search gives clients that insight early enough to make better decisions.
The more important the role, the more important the process.
If you are hiring someone who will lead revenue growth, manage key accounts, build partnerships, open a new market, shape customer success, lead curriculum, or work closely with founders, you cannot rely only on active applicants.
You need to know who the best people are in the market, not just who happened to apply.
For EdTech companies expanding into the UK, EMEA or international markets, this is even more important. The right hire may need existing contacts, sector credibility, regional knowledge and the ability to build trust from day one.
That is not always visible on a CV.
It takes proper screening, conversation and judgement.
Good candidates are assessing the company as much as the company is assessing them.
This is often forgotten.
When a candidate is approached for a role, especially if they are not actively job searching, the first conversation matters. The role needs to be explained clearly. The company story needs to make sense. The opportunity needs to feel relevant.
A retained recruiter has the time and commitment to do that properly.
They can explain the role, answer questions, manage expectations, give feedback and keep the process moving. They can also help both sides navigate concerns around salary, notice periods, remote working, progression and fit.
That support improves the candidate experience and reduces the risk of losing strong people because of poor communication.
Retained recruitment is often linked to executive search, but it is not only for director level roles.
In a specialised market like EdTech, retained recruitment can be the right model for any role where the hire is difficult, important or highly specific.
That could include senior sales roles, customer success leadership, partnerships, curriculum, product, implementation, marketing, international growth, or go to market positions.
If the role needs someone with sector knowledge, a strong network and the ability to create impact quickly, a retained search may be the better approach.
When clients work with RecruitHer on a retained basis, they get a focused search partner who understands the education and EdTech market.
We take time to understand the company, the role, the hiring need and the type of person who will succeed. We look beyond job titles and assess whether someone has the right experience, sector understanding, communication style and motivation.
We also bring market insight from regular conversations with founders, hiring managers and candidates across the sector.
That means we can advise on the role, not just fill it.
We can help clients understand what kind of talent is available, how to position the opportunity and what may need to change to attract the right person.
Our retained model is designed to give clients focus and commitment without adding unnecessary risk.
After the initial intake call, once we have agreed the role brief and confirmed that the search is the right fit, we ask for an upfront engagement fee. This allows us to properly prioritise the search, map the market, approach relevant candidates, and represent your opportunity with care.
That upfront fee is then credited towards the final agreed recruitment fee, so it is not an additional cost. It forms part of the overall fee.
If you fill the role internally during the process, the upfront fee is refunded. This means you still get the benefit of a focused, specialist search partner without feeling locked into unnecessary risk.
The aim is simple. You get a committed recruitment partner who treats the role as a priority, while keeping the process fair, transparent, and commercially sensible.
