Cost and fees
Do recruitment agencies charge you if you don't hire?
On contingency, no — that is the definition of the model. You pay only when a candidate they introduced starts, so a search that produces nobody costs you nothing but time. Retained and flat-fee arrangements are different: retained search is paid in stages whether or not it completes, and a flat fee is normally paid up front, so with either you can be out of pocket on a role that never fills unless the agreement says otherwise. Always get the answer in writing before you pay.
It depends entirely on the model
| Model | If nobody is hired |
|---|---|
| Contingency | You pay nothing |
| Retained search | You keep the staged fees already paid |
| Flat fee, paid up front | Depends entirely on the refund term |
| Job advertising | You pay. You bought the advert, not the outcome |
The clause that actually matters
"Money back guarantee" is used very loosely in this market. Three published examples, read from each provider's own page on 6 September 2026:
- TalentFinder Guaranteed Hire — 100% refund of the fee if the role is not filled.
- Hiring People — "the choice of a free re-run or a £750 refund", conditional on the employer providing candidate feedback within 2 working days.
- Recruitment Revolution — "by your side up to 3 months to get your role signed & sealed". A support commitment; no refund term is published.
All three are legitimate offers. They are not the same offer, and the difference only becomes visible when the search fails.
Three questions to ask before you pay anything
- If nobody suitable is found, what comes back? Get the figure, not the phrase.
- What conditions apply to me? A guarantee that depends on your own response times is a real condition, not a trick — but you need to know about it before you agree.
- How long does it last? A refund window that closes at 4 weeks on a role with a 60-day median fill is not much of a window.
Across the roles we have filled the median was 42 days from brief to hire, and the slowest took 169. Any guarantee shorter than the honest time-to-fill for your kind of role deserves a second look.
Sources
Want the fixed price for your role?
Advertise it yourself from £399 +VAT, or hand the whole search to a dedicated recruiter — a flat fee by salary band with a 100% refund if the role is not filled.
See Guaranteed Hire Advertise a job
Or call 0161 327 2895.