Direct Hire · Contingency · Executive Search

Direct hire recruiting with a senior lead on every hire.

DirectHire is full-cycle recruiting for a permanent role, billed only when we place someone, with a 90-day replacement guarantee. We are based in Ashburn and focus on Northern Virginia and the Washington, DC metro, and because our recruiting is proactive we place direct hire talent for clients nationwide.

Direct hire, done right

Contingent hiring, led by a senior Client Delivery Lead.

Reach for DirectHire when you have an occasional, specialized, or hard-to-fill role and you would rather pay once on success than carry a monthly engagement. A senior Client Delivery Lead owns the hiring and experienced recruiters run the sourcing and screening, you keep the priorities and the final decision, and the fee is due only when someone starts.

Pay on the hire

Billed only on a successful placement

10 to 15 percent of first-year base salary, due when your hire starts. 15 percent is standard; 10 percent applies on an exclusive 30-day search. Reduced rates for repeat clients and several similar openings.

90-day guarantee

A replacement guarantee on every hire

If a placement does not work out within the first 90 days, we recruit a replacement. We match on fit as well as skill, which is why 94% of placements stay past 90 days.

Senior lead

A senior lead owns your hire

Your Client Delivery Lead carries only three to four clients and owns the hire directly, backed by experienced recruiters, rather than handing it to a junior coordinator. First submissions in about 5 to 7 days.

Engaged option

For especially hard or competitive roles

When a role is genuinely tough, we request a $1,500 engagement fee upfront, credited in full against the placement fee, so a successful hire costs nothing extra. It secures one of our experienced recruiters and a short exclusive window.

DirectHire pricing
Pay only on a hire. Clear, flat percentage.
See the full DirectHire terms, the exclusive discount, and how it compares to embedded PartnerHire.
View pricing
Where we work

Focused on the DMV, placing nationwide.

Most of our direct hire work is in Northern Virginia and the Washington, DC metro, where we know the GovCon, cleared, AI, and technology markets from the inside. But a good hire is not limited by geography. Because our recruiting is proactive and remote-friendly, we recruit direct hire talent for clients anywhere in the United States.

Our home market

Northern Virginia and the DC metro: GovCon and cleared, AI and data, technology, finance, and operations.

Nationwide

Remote-friendly recruiting for AI, data, technology, and leadership roles anywhere in the United States.

Executive search

Senior and leadership roles, including cleared executives, run with discretion. Executive search →

Proof from real hires

Direct hire results across the DMV and beyond.

We place individual contributors through senior leaders, cleared and commercial, across GovCon, AI and data, technology, and finance and operations. A few examples.

Case study

Cleared financial management for the U.S. Navy

20+ cleared financial management and IT professionals placed for M.C. Dean on a SeaPort-e program in 7 months. Read the case study →

Case study

A public sector practice, built out

20+ cleared consultants and developers placed for a global consulting firm across cloud, data, and cybersecurity. Read the case study →

Common questions

Direct hire recruiting, answered.

What is direct hire recruiting?

Direct hire recruiting, which BizFirst calls DirectHire, is full-cycle recruiting for a permanent role. BizFirst runs sourcing, screening, interview coordination, and offer support, and you pay only when we place someone. It is a contingent model, so the fee is due on a successful hire, and every placement carries a 90-day replacement guarantee.

How much does direct hire recruiting cost?

DirectHire is 10 to 15 percent of the hire's first-year base salary, billed only on a placement. 15 percent is the standard fee, and 10 percent applies on an exclusive 30-day search. Senior, executive, urgent, and cleared roles can run higher based on difficulty. For especially hard or competitive roles, BizFirst may request a $1,500 engagement fee upfront, credited in full against the placement fee.

Does BizFirst work outside the DMV?

Yes. Northern Virginia and the Washington, DC metro are a focus, and BizFirst is headquartered in Ashburn, VA. Because our recruiting is proactive and remote-friendly, BizFirst places direct hire talent for clients nationwide.

Is DirectHire the same as using a headhunter?

Similar. A headhunter or contingency recruiter runs a search and is paid on a hire, which is exactly how DirectHire works. The difference at BizFirst is that a senior Client Delivery Lead owns the hiring directly and carries only three to four clients, with experienced recruiters doing the sourcing and screening.

What roles does BizFirst place on direct hire?

Individual contributors through senior leadership across GovCon and cleared programs, AI and data, technology and cyber, and business, finance, and operations, including program managers, engineers, data scientists, financial management analysts, and executives.

Have a role to fill?

Tell us the role and your timeline, and we will confirm the fee and get started, usually with first candidates in about 5 to 7 days.

Start hiring

Book a time, email us, or just call. Whatever's easiest.

See DirectHire pricing →