From 3 Placements to 40% Retained: How to Win Without Competing, with James Cairns

Why do some recruiters stay stuck on contingent work while others shift a large portion of their business to retained without pitching harder or sounding salesy?

James Cairns found the answer the hard way.

James is a CPA who left a stable corporate finance career to start a boutique search firm with no agency experience, no local network, and just $30,000 in savings. His first year was brutal. Three placements. Borrowed money. Serious doubts about whether he'd made a huge mistake.

Then one summer night, sitting on his back porch, James made a decision that changed everything. He eliminated Plan B.

From that point on, momentum followed. Today, James runs The CSP Group, a highly respected finance and accounting search firm in St. Louis. He regularly beats national firms, fills senior roles up to CFO level, and now operates with roughly 40% of his work on retained or contained terms.

In this episode, James breaks down what actually drove that shift. Not better sales tactics, scripts, or pressure. But commitment, process, and the confidence to walk away from the wrong work.

This conversation offers a clear look at what changes when a recruiter stops competing on volume and starts choosing the right work.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why eliminating "Plan B" unlocked consistent momentum

• How James moved from 3 placements to 40% retained work

• The candidate profiling system that generates a third of his placements

• Why being local and specialized beats national firms

• How to position retained search without pitching or pressure

• Why walkaway power matters more than persuasion

Episode highlights:

[3:44] Why a CPA with zero agency experience started a search firm

[6:31] Quitting with $30K, a pregnant wife, and no local network

[8:46] First-year reality: three placements and borrowed money

[10:04] The back porch moment that eliminated Plan B

[18:41] The candidate process that transformed responsiveness

[21:51] Talent profiles and how they drive a third of placements

[38:02] Why local specialization beats national firms

[43:27] The CFO placement that changed everything

[50:04] "This is how we work": James's retained positioning

[59:06] Why walkaway power leads to more retained work

James's story is proof that retained success isn't about being louder or more persuasive. It's about clarity, commitment, and choosing the right work.

Guest Bio:

James Cairns is the founder of The CSP Group, a boutique executive search firm specializing in finance and accounting talent in the St. Louis market. James earned his CPA license and began his career at PwC in Big Four audit before moving into corporate finance roles. He started The CSP Group in 2014 with $30,000 in savings, a one-year-old at home, another child on the way, and no local business network. After a difficult first year, James committed fully to making the business work - a decision that changed everything. Today, the CSP Group places senior-level finance professionals up to the CFO level, with approximately 40% of search assignments on retained or contained terms.

Connect with James:

• James on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-cairns-062a5b7/

• The CSP Group website - https://thecspgroup.com/

Connect with Mark: Get your free 30-minute strategy session: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session

Mark on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwhitby/?originalSubdomain=uk

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This episode is brought to you by Recruiterflow.
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