The Carlisle Group review: services, fees and terms
The Carlisle Group runs retained, engaged and contingency searches for agencies, brokerages, carriers and MGAs, from account managers to C-suite and board seats. It also places interim professionals.
Fees are quoted, with up to a third due when an engaged search starts. Retained and engaged searches carry a published replacement guarantee.
- Best for
- Agencies, carriers and MGAs hiring directors, executives or hard-to-find specialists
- Type
- Retained, engaged and contingency search, plus interim staffing
- Roles
- Producers, account executives, account managers, underwriters, claims and C-suite
- Lines
- P&C, surety, specialty, life, workers comp and cyber
- Fee
- Quote only. Up to a third up front on engaged search
- Guarantee
- Replacement within one year on retained search. On engaged search you negotiate the length, from 120 days to one year
- Agency types
- Independent agencies, brokerages, carriers, MGAs and program administrators
Our take
The Carlisle Group suits an agency, carrier or MGA hiring a director, executive or specialist it can't find through ads. It is a general search firm with an insurance practice and adds behavior and emotional intelligence testing to retained work.
It publishes a replacement guarantee: one year on retained search and a length you negotiate, from 120 days to one year, on engaged search. Fees are quoted, with up to a third due when an engaged search starts.
Pros
- Published replacement guarantee on retained and engaged search
- Three to five reference calls per candidate, with a report
- Behavior and emotional intelligence assessments
- Weekly updates on engaged searches
- Contingency with nothing due up front
Cons
- Fees aren't published
- No guarantee published for contingency searches
- Not an insurance-only firm
- Interim staff only, no everyday temps
Roles, lines and region
- Roles
- Producers, account executives, commercial and personal lines account managers, underwriters, claims, actuarial, risk control, operations, C-suite and board
- Seniority
- Mid-level on contingency, directors and VPs on engaged search, C-suite and board on retained search
- Lines
- P&C, commercial and personal lines, surety, wholesale and specialty, life, professional liability, workers comp, cyber and environmental
- Agency types
- Independent agencies, brokerages, carriers, MGAs and program administrators
- Where
- US, with remote and hybrid work on some jobs
How they work
Contingency
Nothing up front. You pay when you hire a candidate The Carlisle Group found.
Engaged search
For directors, VPs and specialists. Up to a third of the fee at the start and the rest on the hire's start date.
Retained search
An exclusive search for senior leaders and board seats, with assessments and reference checks.
Interim staffing
Interim and contract professionals for projects, leadership gaps and leave. Some become permanent hires.
Fees and when you pay
| Model | Fee | Paid when |
|---|---|---|
| Contingency | Quote only | When you hire a candidate it found |
| Engaged search | Up to one-third of the fee at the start | The rest on the hire's start date |
| Retained search | Quote only | Set in your agreement |
From The Carlisle Group's search pages, checked October 2026. Candidates pay nothing.
Guarantee
- Retained search
- A replacement if the hire doesn't work out within one year
- Engaged search
- A replacement. You negotiate the length, from 120 days to one year
- Contingency
- No guarantee published
Finding and screening candidates
- Where candidates come from
- Industry contacts, its own candidate database, direct outreach and mapping who works where
- Assessments
- DrakeP3 behavior profiles compared with your top performers, plus the EQ-i 2.0 emotional intelligence test on retained searches
- References
- Three to five structured conversations per candidate, with a written report
- Updates
- Weekly market and candidate updates on engaged searches
Exclusivity and privacy
- Exclusive search
- Retained search is exclusive. Its contingency product is called Exclusive Contingency Search, so ask what that commits you to
- Confidential search
- Nondisclosure agreements and quiet outreach, with your name held back until the right time
- Candidate's employer
- Not contacted or told about the talks
Temporary staffing and conversion
- Temp roles
- Interim and contract professionals for projects, leadership changes and leave
- Hiring the temp
- Assignments can turn into permanent hires
Contract terms
- Engaged search
- Terms agreed up front. You can pause or change the search if business changes
From The Carlisle Group's engaged search page, checked October 2026.
The Carlisle Group alternatives
- Capstone Search GroupQuote onlyInsurance-only, with temps and outsourced recruiting
- The Jacobson GroupQuote onlyInsurance-only executive search with its own research team
- KBICQuote onlyHires whole brokerage teams with their support staff
- QuestproQuote onlyEveryday temps as well as interim executives
See every option in insurance recruiting firms.
Frequently asked questions
How much does The Carlisle Group charge?
Fees are quoted. An engaged search takes up to a third of the fee at the start and the rest on the hire's start date.
Does The Carlisle Group guarantee its placements?
Yes, with a replacement on retained and engaged search.
Do I pay anything up front on contingency?
No. You pay when you hire a candidate it found.
How does The Carlisle Group check references?
It holds three to five structured conversations per candidate and sends you a written report.
Can I pause an engaged search?
Yes. You can pause or change the search if business conditions change.
How we researched this review. We based this review on the terms and product pages published by The Carlisle Group, reviewed in October 2026, together with our team's experience working with insurance agents and agency owners since 2008.
Corrections
Vendors change their pricing all the time and they don't email us when they do. So if you see a price on here that's gone up, a plan The Carlisle Group quit selling or a contract term that reads different now, let us know and send the link to the page where The Carlisle Group has it. Somebody here pulls up that page and checks it before we change anything on ours.