Recruiting providers look alike on a proposal. The differences show up in who owns the search, how many clients that person carries, who reviews candidates before you see them, how fast the first ones arrive, and whether the price is published. Here is how the common models compare on those points, and where BizFirst sits.
Each column describes how that model commonly works. The BizFirst column reflects the published terms on our pricing page and the way DirectHire and PartnerHire engagements run.
| Buyer question | Traditional contingency agency | Retained executive search firm | Fractional or individual recruiter | Recruiting marketplace or subscription RPO | BizFirst (DirectHire and PartnerHire) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who owns my search? | A recruiter or account manager; varies by firm | A partner, supported by a research team | The individual recruiter | A platform-assigned recruiter; varies by seat | A senior Client Delivery Lead, from strategy through the signed offer |
| How many clients does that person carry? | Commonly twenty to thirty accounts | Varies by firm and partner | Depends on their book of business | Shared across many accounts | Three to four |
| Who reviews candidates before I see them? | Usually the recruiter's own screen | Partner review, typically | Self-review | Varies by platform | The Client Delivery Lead reviews every submission |
| How fast do first candidates arrive? | Varies | Typically weeks; a research phase comes first | Varies | Varies | About 3 business days on PartnerHire; 5 to 7 on DirectHire |
| How do I pay? | Typically 20 to 30 percent of first-year salary per hire | Typically 25 to 35 percent, retained in installments | Hourly or a monthly rate | Monthly subscription, sometimes plus placement fees | DirectHire 10 to 15 percent; PartnerHire a flat monthly fee plus $1,000 per placement; HireSelect a flat $3,500 |
| Is the price published? | Usually on request | Usually on request | Varies | Often published | Published, every model |
| What guarantee comes with a hire? | Commonly 30 to 90 days | Varies by firm | Varies | Varies | 90 days on DirectHire, 180 on Protected |
| How does it scale when hiring picks up? | More roles on the same recruiter load | Additional retained searches | More hours | More seats | Dedicated recruiters added month to month under the same lead |
| Where does it work? | Local to national, by firm | National | Local, typically | National | Nationwide, from headquarters in Ashburn, Virginia |
Industry columns describe common practice as of 2026 and vary by provider; confirm terms with any firm you evaluate. BizFirst terms are published on pricing.html. HireSelect, the flat-fee single-role service offered by BizFirst, is recruiter-led and sits outside the DirectHire and PartnerHire column.
A BizFirst fee buys recruiting execution plus a senior Client Delivery Lead who sets the strategy, directs the recruiters, and reviews every submission before it reaches you. Compare the whole delivery model, then the price.
Included in PartnerHire Core and Complete. DirectHire includes a per-role Client Delivery Lead. HireSelect, the flat-fee single-role option, is recruiter-led.
Senior accountability from search to hire. These are the commitments that make the comparison above hold, and you can hold us to each one.
A senior Client Delivery Lead owns the engagement from strategy through the signed offer.
Your lead carries a deliberately small portfolio, so your search gets real attention and same-day responses.
Your lead reviews each candidate before it reaches you, for capability and for fit with your team.
A defined delivery expectation: first qualified candidates in about three business days on PartnerHire, five to seven on DirectHire.
Every model has a price you can read before the first call, on the pricing page.
On DirectHire placements, with 180 days on the Protected option.
The same senior-led model wherever you hire in the United States, from headquarters in Ashburn, Virginia.
A comparison is only useful if it tells you when to choose something else. Three cases where we would point you elsewhere, and what BizFirst offers instead.
For a public-company CEO or board seat, a large retained firm's partner network is the asset. BizFirst runs retained executive search for VP, director and senior technical leadership roles, scoped per engagement, and will tell you when a role sits above that line.
At very low volume a good individual recruiter can be the simplest answer. For one straightforward role, HireSelect, the flat $3,500 service offered by BizFirst, delivers a vetted shortlist and you run the interviews.
For dozens of interchangeable hourly roles, a platform built for throughput fits. BizFirst is built for mid-level to senior professional, technical and cleared roles where the review on each submission is the point.
Occasional or hard-to-fill roles fit DirectHire. Steady hiring, a burst of roles, or a function you want run for you fits PartnerHire Core or Complete. Either way, a senior Client Delivery Lead owns the search.
The main differences are who owns your search and how many clients that person carries. At BizFirst a senior Client Delivery Lead owns the search from strategy through the signed offer, carries three to four clients, and reviews every submission. Traditional contingency agencies commonly run twenty to thirty accounts per recruiter or account manager and charge 20 to 30 percent of first-year salary. BizFirst DirectHire is 10 to 15 percent with a 90-day replacement guarantee.
PartnerHire Core and PartnerHire Complete are embedded recruiting and RPO models: dedicated recruiters on a flat monthly fee plus $1,000 per placement, under a senior Client Delivery Lead. DirectHire is contingent, per placement. So BizFirst offers RPO as one of its models rather than only RPO.
A fractional recruiter sells their own hours. A BizFirst engagement includes recruiting execution plus a senior Client Delivery Lead who sets strategy, directs the recruiters, and reviews every submission before it reaches you. Compare the whole delivery model and the time you would spend managing a lone recruiter, then the price.
Retained executive search firms typically charge 25 to 35 percent of first-year compensation, paid in installments, and lead with a partner and a research phase. BizFirst runs retained executive search for VP, director and senior technical leadership roles, scoped per engagement, and for board and public-company C-suite searches will tell you when a large retained firm's network is the better asset.
Fees are lower on the published models: DirectHire at 10 to 15 percent compares with a common 20 to 30 percent, and PartnerHire charges a flat $1,000 per placement instead of a percentage of salary. Total cost depends on your volume and role mix, which is why pricing is published and the ROI calculator lets you model your own numbers.
Who owns my search, and how many clients does that person carry? Who reviews candidates before I see them? When will I see the first qualified candidates? What is the fee, and is it published? What guarantee comes with a hire? How does the engagement scale when hiring picks up? The comparison table on this page answers each of those for the common models and for BizFirst.
The category, the fees, and the proof behind the BizFirst column.
Tell us what you're hiring for and we'll show you which model fits, what it costs, and who would own the search. You'll talk with Jeff Packard, CEO, from the first call.
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