The True Cost of a Bad Hire: Why a $10k Search Is Your Best Insurance

Hiring the wrong executive can cost you way more than any recruiter ever will. If you hire a bad leader, you’ll pay in lost time, energy, morale, and money.

The Problem

Founders of Series A to C startups know this pain. You’ve got limited time and tight budgets. A wrong executive hire? It’s not just a bad call. It’s wasted product roadmap, chaos in the team, and maybe even lost growth. This can cost 30% to 200% of the employee’s salary, once you add hiring, onboarding, mistakes, and lost productivity. Wikipedia

Some estimates show a mis-hire can cost a company from $17,000 to $240,000, especially at senior levels. That’s no small risk when your runway is precious.

Why Common Approaches Don’t Work

Contingency recruiters might seem "cheap" since you only pay on a successful hire. But they’re racing to place someone quickly—not carefully. No real commitment.

Big search firms charge 33% to 38% of a candidate’s first-year salary—or even more than $100,000 for a top executive. That’s way less predictable than a fixed investment.

A Smarter, Safer Choice

A retained search means the recruiter commits deeply to your search. They dedicate their time and expertise fully. They give you alignment, strategy, and access—so you're not left wondering what’s happening.

The High Altitude Advantage

We take that retained search benefit, then cut to the chase. We do it for a flat $10,000—not a percentage. You’ll know exactly what you’ll spend. No surprises. No hidden fees. That’s the promise.

We bring real partnership. You get:

• Alignment with your vision and needs.

• Dedication of time, energy, and network.

• Deep expertise in executive placements.

• Predictable cost that protects your runway.

  
  

Stats That Matter—Even in Food & Beverage Recruiting

The food and beverage world moves fast, and turnover is a big challenge. In restaurants and food processing, job churn is high—and that hurts operations, safety, and morale.

Specialized recruiters for food & beverage jobs help because they know the rules, regulations, and roles inside out. They reduce mistakes, cut time-to-hire, and offer candidates who stick longer.

Why mention this? Because your startup may tap into food or consumer goods, and knowing this makes a difference.

Bringing It Home

A wrong executive hire can cost tens of thousands—even hundreds of thousands. A traditional recruiter may cost more and commit less. At High Altitude Recruiting, we believe in committed partnership without the unpredictable price tag.

Our $10k retained search model gives you full value. You get the focus, strategy, and quality of a traditional retained search—at a fixed, fair cost.

If you're ready to reduce risk, protect your runway, and hire smarter, check out the $10k Advantage page. It shows how our model delivers cost predictability and a better partnership.

See how our flat-fee retained search gives you total cost clarity and partnership—visit the $10k Advantage now.

High Altitude Recruiting on Clutch