At a certain point, hiring starts to break in predictable ways.
You post a job. A few unqualified applicants. Maybe one decent one. Then nothing.
At that point, you’re left with three options:
- Pay a recruiter 20–30% of salary — before that person has even billed a dollar
- Pull someone off a project to handle recruiting — turning billable hours into overhead
- Leave the role open — putting more pressure on your team and leading to longer hours
Most firms don’t love any of those options. That’s usually when they start looking for something better.
An on-demand recruiting partner for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction firms.
Think of it as a recruiting consultant you can turn on when you need it — and off when you don’t.
Embedded in your process — not working around it.
No placement fees. No long-term contracts.
Most firms end up choosing between two imperfect options
Recruiting agencies
- 20–30% fees per hire
- Not embedded in your process
- Incentivized for speed, not long-term fit
- Candidates are often presented to multiple firms
A better middle ground
- Flexible — pause anytime
- Flat weekly rate (no per-hire fees)
- Built around how your firm actually operates
- Candidates belong to you — no future fees
Hiring internally
- $80K–$150K+ fixed cost
- Hard to justify for inconsistent hiring
- Pulls focus away from billable work
- Recruiting becomes a secondary responsibility
A recent client example
One client used this model to hire approximately $755,000 in total salaries at a total recruiting cost of $28,000.
That’s 3.7%, compared to 20–30% through a traditional agency.
More importantly:
- Consistent candidate flow
- Better long-term team alignment
- No dependency on external recruiters going forward
3.7%
effective recruiting cost
vs. 20–30%
traditional agency fees
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use a recruiter, hire internally, or use on-demand recruiting?
Agencies charge 20–30% per hire. Internal recruiters cost $80K–$150K+ and are hard to justify for inconsistent hiring. On-demand recruiting sits in the middle — embedded, flat weekly rate, no long-term commitment.
What does it cost?
Active searches typically run around $1,750/week with no placement fees or long-term contracts.
How is this different from a staffing agency?
Agencies are incentivized for speed. This model is built around long-term fit at a flat rate. Candidates belong to you — no future fees.