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📢 Updated for 2025: New Insights & Live Data

This article was originally published in February 2024, but we’ve refreshed it with the latest MedTech Hiring Efficiency data, insights from hiring leaders, and updated industry trends.

If you’re struggling with inefficient hiring or want to know how retained search compares today, this guide is now more relevant than ever. 🚀

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Introduction: The MedTech Hiring Challenge

📊 Hiring in MedTech isn’t just competitive—it’s inefficient.

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🔹 Exclusive Insights: Live data from our MedTech Hiring Efficiency Assessment—gathered from real hiring leaders—reveals a stark truth about recruitment inefficiencies:

• Only 25% of MedTech organisations have a structured internal talent pipeline.

• 63% struggle with structural limitations, making internal career growth difficult.

• 13% rely primarily on external hiring, leading to reactive, costly recruitment cycles.

💡 If hiring feels like a constant challenge, you’re not alone.

These numbers highlight a critical issue—companies are missing out on top talent due to inefficient hiring structures. This is where retained search becomes a game-changer.

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Retained vs. Contingent Search: Why the Right Approach Matters

📊 Live insights from the MedTech Hiring Efficiency Assessment show that 50% of hiring managers admit their recruitment process is inconsistent—with candidates “falling through the cracks.”

Why Contingency Search Falls Short

• Works on a “no hire, no fee” basis, meaning recruiters focus on speed over precision.

• Often relies on active job seekers, missing the top passive candidates.

• Creates a competitive scramble among recruiters, lowering engagement with candidates.

Why Retained Search Delivers Better Results

1. Structured, milestone-driven hiring process that prioritizes quality over speed.

2. Access to a wider talent pool, including passive candidates who are not actively applying.

3. Stronger alignment with company culture and EVP (Employer Value Proposition).

🔹 Hiring leaders using retained search report higher candidate engagement and long-term retention, solving the inefficiencies that plague contingent hiring.

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Benefits of Retained Search for the MedTech Industry

📊 Latest MedTech Hiring Efficiency data shows that only 25% of hiring leaders feel their process is effective and engaging.The rest struggle with inefficiencies that cost them top talent.

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🔹 The hidden risks of a broken hiring process:

• 50% of hiring managers say their process is inconsistent, leading to lost candidates.

• Candidates are disengaged: Poor hiring structures cause low-quality interactions & offer rejections.

• Internal career growth is failing: 63% of MedTech firms lack a clear talent pipeline.

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🚀 Retained search changes this.

Instead of reactive hiring, search-led hiring ensures:

✅ A structured, strategy-driven approach to hiring

✅ Better candidate experience, leading to higher engagement

✅ Long-term talent retention by balancing external hires & internal growth

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How Retained Search Fixes the Most Common Hiring Gaps

📊 Live data from the MedTech Hiring Efficiency Assessment highlights where hiring leaders struggle the most:

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Step 1: Define Your Hiring Needs Upfront

🎯 According to the assessment, 50% of hiring managers say their recruitment process is inconsistent, leading to lost candidates.

💡 Companies that define hiring objectives early reduce failed hires by 30% (source: LinkedIn Talent Insights).

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Step 2: Map the Talent Landscape Before You Need to Hire

📊 63% of hiring managers report that their company structure limits career growth, making internal succession planning difficult.

💡 Retained search proactively builds talent pipelines, reducing the risk of last-minute hiring scrambles.

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Step 3: Proactive Headhunting, Not Passive Applications

📊 Passive candidates make up 70% of the workforce, yet most companies still rely on job ads to fill roles (source: LinkedIn Global Talent Trends).

💡 A retained search engages top talent directly, rather than waiting for applications.

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Step 4: Rigorous Screening for a Higher Success Rate

📊 Only 25% of MedTech hiring leaders feel confident in their ability to assess candidates effectively (MedTech Hiring Efficiency Assessment).

💡 Structured screening ensures qualified, interested, and assessed (QIA) candidates, reducing hiring risks.

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Each of these steps ensures you secure top talent, not just whoever happens to apply.

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Hiring Benchmarks: How Does Your Process Compare?

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📊 MedTech Hiring Efficiency Assessment Insights:

•50% of hiring managers admit to recruitment inefficiencies.

•Most leaders don’t realise where their hiring gaps are until it’s too late.

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🚀 How does your hiring process stack up against the industry?

🔹 Take the MedTech Hiring Efficiency Quiz to benchmark your hiring against other MedTech leaders, uncover gaps, and find actionable ways to improve.

📊 This isn’t just an assessment—it’s a live, evolving dataset of MedTech hiring trends. Your input shapes the latest industry insights.

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Take the MedTech Hiring Efficiency Quiz Now

Common Misconceptions About Retained Search 

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Misconception 1: “Retained Search Is Too Expensive”

💭 The Concern:

“We don’t want to commit to upfront fees when contingency recruiters work on a success-only basis.”

📊 Reality Check:

•50% of hiring managers report losing candidates due to slow or inefficient hiring processes.

•Hiring a bad candidate costs up to 30% of their annual salary (source: U.S. Department of Labor).

•Retained search reduces failed hires, ensuring every candidate is vetted properly.

💡 The Truth:

Hiring through contingency often leads to rushed placements—and the cost of losing and replacing a bad hire outweighs any initial savings.

🎯 At DukeMed, we’ve structured our retained search model to be lean, agile, and milestone-driven—so you get committed, high-impact hiring without unnecessary overheads.

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Misconception 2: “Retained Search Is Only for Executive Roles”​

💭 The Concern:

“We’re not hiring a CEO—why would we use retained search?”

📊 Reality Check:

•63% of MedTech companies struggle with internal career growth, meaning they frequently rely on external hires.

•Top sales, clinical, and commercial leaders rarely apply for jobs—they need to be engaged directly.

•Many MedTech companies report contingent search doesn’t work for specialised, high-impact roles.

💡 The Truth:

Retained search is not just for CEOs—it’s for any specialized, high-value role where hiring mistakes are costly.

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🎯 At DukeMed, we place not just executives but commercial, clinical, and technical leaders who drive MedTech business success.

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Misconception 3: “Retained Search Takes Too Long”

💭 The Concern:

“We can’t afford a slow hiring process—we need someone in this role now.”

📊 Reality Check:

•50% of hiring managers say their recruitment process is “inconsistent.”

•Contingency recruiters often juggle multiple clients at once, leading to delays and lack of focus.

•A well-run retained search can deliver a shortlist in 4-6 weeks—even faster if stakeholders are engaged.

💡 The Truth:

Retained search is faster when done right—because it’s targeted, proactive, and built around committed delivery milestones.

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🎯 DukeMed’s approach ensures a structured, time-efficient process, so you get quality candidates faster—without compromising on precision.

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The Cost of a Retained Search Compared to Other Hiring Methods

📊 50% of hiring managers admit that things “fall through the cracks” in their hiring process (MedTech Hiring Efficiency Assessment).

🚀 What’s more expensive?

• Losing top talent because your hiring process takes too long

• Paying multiple recruiters competing over the same pool of active candidates

• Starting the hiring cycle again after a bad hire leaves

💡 *A retained search eliminates these risks by creating a structured, proactive approach—ensuring hiring is an investment, not a sunk cost.

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Retained Search vs. In-House Recruiting – Which Is Better for MedTech?

When hiring for your MedTech company, you have two primary options: external or in-house recruiting.

While both have advantages, data shows that in-house recruitment often struggles with key hiring challenges.

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📊 MedTech Hiring Efficiency Assessment Insights:

•63% of MedTech hiring leaders say internal company structures limit career growth, making it harder to promote from within.

•Only 25% of organizations have a structured internal talent pipeline—leaving them reliant on external hiring when a key role opens.

•50% of hiring managers admit their recruitment process is inconsistent, leading to candidate drop-offs and extended hiring timelines.

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💡 What This Means:

While in-house teams can handle day-to-day hiring, they often lack the reach and market intelligence to engage passive candidates, overcome hiring biases, or proactively map future talent.

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🔹 Why Retained Search Outperforms In-House Hiring in MedTech

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✅ A Wider Talent Pool Beyond Job Boards

Most in-house teams rely on job postings and direct applications, but only 30% of the workforce is actively looking for a job (source: LinkedIn Global Talent Trends).

💡 The retained search focuses on the remaining 70% %—high performers who aren’t actively applying but are open to the right opportunity.

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✅ Neutral, Unbiased Candidate Engagement

Hiring managers often struggle to engage talent if the company has a poor employer reputation (e.g., post-merger uncertainty, restructuring, or leadership turnover).

💡 Retained search firms operate independently—ensuring a discreet, unbiased approach that encourages top candidates to engage.

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✅ Faster, More Predictable Hiring Outcomes

📊 50% of hiring managers say things “fall through the cracks” in their recruitment process.

💡 Retained search removes this unpredictability by creating a structured, milestone-driven hiring process—reducing time-to-hire and improving retention.

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✅ Specialised MedTech Knowledge

Unlike internal recruiters, retained search firms specialise in specific industries—giving them deep insight into MedTech hiring trends, regulatory changes, and competitive hiring strategies.

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Conclusion

Finding the right talent for your MedTech company isn’t just a challenge—it’s a business-critical decision. A single bad hire can cost your company 30% of their annual salary, while delays in filling key roles can slow growth, impact sales, and disrupt operations.

📊 Live data from the MedTech Hiring Efficiency Assessment shows that 50% of hiring managers struggle with inconsistent hiring processes—leading to dropped candidates, extended hiring timelines, and missed opportunities.

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💡 A retained search solves these problems by providing:

✅ Access to passive, high-caliber talent—not just active job seekers.

✅ A structured, proactive hiring process that prevents inefficiencies.

✅ A tailored approach to MedTech hiring, ensuring cultural and technical fit.

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🔹 See how retained search has solved hiring challenges for other MedTech companies.

🔗 Explore Real-World Hiring Challenges & Solutions →

🔹 Is Your Hiring Strategy Delivering Results?

📊 Hiring managers using retained search report a higher quality of hire, lower attrition rates, and better long-term hiring outcomes.

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🚀 If your hiring process isn’t delivering the right results, it’s time for a different approach.

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💬 Step 1: Tailored Strategy Call (Deep Dive Discovery on Your Hiring Needs)

🎯 New Clients: Your First Retained Project Could Cost the Same as Your Last Contingent Hire!

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📊 Step 2: See How Retained Search Solves Real Hiring Challenges

🔗 Explore Real-World Hiring Challenges & Solutions →

https://www.dukemed.com.au/Employers/uncover-recruitment-challenges

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📰 Step 3: Stay Updated on MedTech Hiring Trends

🔗 Explore Our Blog for Industry Insights → - click here

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