Choosing a recruiter
Where do I start when looking to recruit?
Start by deciding whether you want to advertise the role yourself or have someone manage the search for you. Job advertising in the UK typically costs £399–£599 +VAT and puts you in control of the process. A managed search — where a recruiter sources, screens and presents candidates — costs more but saves internal time. Median time to fill a role is around 42 days, though this varies widely by sector and seniority. If a role is not filled through a managed search, a full refund guarantee is better protection than a rebate period.
Where do I start when looking to recruit?
Before you write a job advert or call an agency, it helps to answer three questions:
- What does the role actually need to deliver? Write a list of outcomes, not just tasks. That becomes your brief, whether you recruit directly or use a recruiter.
- What is the salary? The market range determines which candidates you will attract and, if you use an agency, which fee band applies. Our salary checker tool can help you sense-check a figure.
- Do you want to run the process yourself, or hand it over? That decision drives everything else.
The two main routes
Job advertising means writing and placing a vacancy on job boards such as Indeed, Totaljobs or CV-Library. Applicants come to you. You screen them, you interview them. It is the cheaper route and works well when the role is clear, the salary is competitive and you have some capacity to manage inbound applications.
Managed search (sometimes called flat-fee recruitment) means a recruiter does the sourcing and screening. You receive a shortlist of candidates who have already been assessed. You pay a fixed fee, not a percentage of salary. This costs more than advertising alone but less than a traditional contingency agency.
What does recruitment cost in the UK?
| Route | Typical cost | Who controls screening |
|---|---|---|
| Job advertising (Standard) | £399 +VAT | You |
| Job advertising (Premium) | £499 +VAT | You |
| Job advertising (Premium Plus) | £599 +VAT | You |
| Managed search – role up to £30k | £1,500 +VAT | Recruiter |
| Managed search – £30k–£44,999 | £2,000 +VAT | Recruiter |
| Managed search – £45k–£59,999 | £3,000 +VAT | Recruiter |
| Managed search – £60k–£79,999 | £4,000 +VAT | Recruiter |
| Traditional contingency agency (market rate) | 15–25% of first-year salary | Agency |
The contingency agency figures are a well-known market range, not our prices. For a £50,000 role that means somewhere between £7,500 and £12,500 — and that fee is typically due whether or not the candidate stays long-term.
Our recruitment data page sets out what has actually happened across the 46 roles we have filled and publish in full.
How long does recruiting take?
Across those 46 roles in 18 sectors:
| Measure | Days |
|---|---|
| Median time to fill | 42 |
| Middle half of roles | 29–68 |
| Fastest fill | 14 |
| Slowest fill | 169 |
Faster is not always better. A role filled in 14 days needed a smaller shortlist than one that took 68. What matters is that the person you hire is right, not that the process looked quick on paper.
What should you watch for in a recruiter's guarantee?
Many agencies offer a rebate period — if the new hire leaves within, say, 12 weeks, you get a proportion of the fee back, or a replacement candidate. That is not the same as a full refund. Our guarantee is a 100% refund if the role is not filled. Understand exactly what any guarantee covers before you sign terms.
When advertising alone is the right answer
If your role is well-defined, your salary is at or above the market midpoint, and you have someone who can handle applications, job advertising on its own is often the most cost-effective approach. You can read more about how that works on our how advertising works page.
If you are not getting applications, that is a separate problem — usually the salary, the advert copy, or both. A managed search will not solve a salary problem either.
When managed search makes more sense
- You do not have internal HR resource to screen 30–40 CVs.
- The role is specialist or the talent pool is shallow.
- A long vacancy is costing you more than the recruitment fee.
- Previous adverts produced volume but not quality.
Across our 46 filled roles we sourced and screened a median of 26 candidates per role before presenting a shortlist.
If you want to talk through a specific role, call us on 0161 327 2895.
FAQs
Do I have to use a recruitment agency, or can I advertise directly? You can advertise directly on job boards without going through an agency at all. You write the advert, manage applications and conduct interviews yourself. This is cheaper and works well for many roles. Agencies add value when you lack the time or internal resource to screen candidates, or when the talent pool is small and active sourcing is needed.
What information do I need before I start recruiting? At a minimum: a clear description of what the role needs to deliver, a salary range you can actually pay (not just an aspiration), a sense of your timeline, and an understanding of who will handle the interview process internally. Without those, any recruiter or job advert will struggle to attract the right people.
If the role is not filled, do I lose my money? That depends on which service you use and whose terms you sign. Traditional agencies often offer a rebate on a sliding scale — so you get back a portion of the fee if the hire leaves early, but nothing if the role is simply not filled. Our guarantee is a 100% refund if the role is not filled. Always read the guarantee terms before you commit.
How many candidates should I expect to see before making a hire? Across the 46 roles we have filled and publish data on, the median number of candidates sourced and screened per role was 26, with 235 presented to clients in total and 51 hires made. The ratio varies by sector and seniority. Expecting a hire from two or three CVs is usually unrealistic unless the role is straightforward and the market is active.
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.