Pricing

Clear pricing.
Clearer value.

Most recruiting firms make you get on a call just to learn a ballpark. We publish ours. Here is exactly how each BizFirst model is priced, what is included, and the value we deliver.

Contingent
DirectHire
10–15% of salary · paid on hire
Most popular
Embedded RPO
PartnerHire Core
From $8,500/mo · per recruiter
Recruiting function, run end to end
PartnerHire Complete
From $18,000/mo
Built around your project
Custom
Priced to your project

Not sure where to start? Startups usually begin with PartnerHire, small businesses with HireSelect or DirectHire, and cleared or GovCon roles with DirectHire. Tell us your situation and we’ll recommend the fit.

Models & Pricing

How each model works, and what it costs

The operating model, the pricing, and when each one is the right call.

What you’re buying

A managed recruiting engagement, not recruiter hours.

Your fee is recruiting execution plus a senior Client Delivery Lead who oversees the work and quality-assures every submission, not the price of a lone recruiter.

Your team Client Delivery Lead — strategy, oversight, QA Recruiter — sourcing, screening QA-reviewed submissions to you

Included in PartnerHire Core & Complete. DirectHire includes a per-role Client Delivery Lead. Only HireSelect, our flat-fee single-role option, is recruiter-only.

01

DirectHire

Contingent Placement
10–15%of salary
Paid only on hire

Pricing context: a contingent placement fee that includes a senior Client Delivery Lead owning the hire per role, plus full-cycle recruiting. The embedded, ongoing Client Delivery Lead across all your roles is part of the PartnerHire models.

Download the one-page overview
PDF, one page

How it works

A single contingent hire. We run the full process from sourcing through offer, and you pay only if we place someone, with a 90-day replacement guarantee on every placement.

Pricing

  • 10–15% of the hire's first-year base salary. 10% applies to a new requirement given to BizFirst on a 30-day exclusive. Otherwise the fee is 12–15%, set by the difficulty and qualities of the role.
  • Billed only on a successful placement
  • A minimum placement fee may apply
  • Senior, executive, urgent, or cleared roles can run higher by difficulty and scope
  • Reduced pricing may be available for exclusive searches, repeat clients, or several similar openings
  • 90-day replacement guarantee
  • Invoiced on the start date; Net 30 payment

What your fee includes

  • A senior Client Delivery Lead who owns your hire, three to four clients per lead
  • Full-cycle recruiting: intake, search, sourcing, and screening
  • Senior calibration and quality review of the candidates we submit
  • Candidate submissions with a full packet
  • Hiring-manager calibration and interview coordination where applicable
  • A 90-day replacement guarantee, 180 days on Protected

DirectHire is contingent and includes a senior Client Delivery Lead who owns the hire per role. The embedded, ongoing Client Delivery Lead who manages a dedicated recruiter across all of your roles comes with PartnerHire Core and Complete.

Best when

You have an occasional, specialized, or hard-to-fill role, you want to pay only for a hire that sticks, and you would rather pay once on success than carry a monthly retainer.

Want a longer guarantee?

Standard DirectHire comes with a 90-day guarantee. For a critical or hard-to-refill role, Protected doubles it to 180 days: we work the role exclusively, with part of the fee up front. That engagement fee comes off the placement fee when you hire, so it is never an extra charge.

OptionEngagement feeGuaranteeFee
Standard None 90 days 10–15%
Protected 25% of the fee · exclusive 180 days 15%+

On Protected, the engagement fee secures a dedicated recruiter for the role and is the greater of $1,500 or the percentage of that role’s placement fee shown. When you hire, it comes off the placement fee in full, so you never pay it twice; it is otherwise non-refundable. Standard has no engagement fee and is billed only on a successful hire, due on the start date, Net 30. Hiring several roles? Ask about volume pricing. Guarantees replace a departed or terminated hire once within the covered window; standard exclusions apply.

02

PartnerHire Core

Embedded Recruiting Team · RPO
$8,500/mo
Per dedicated recruiter. Plus $1,000 per placement.

Pricing context: a managed recruiting engagement, not the price of a lone recruiter. Includes a dedicated recruiter and a senior Client Delivery Lead who owns intake, oversight, and QA of every submission.

Download the one-page overview
PDF, one page

How it works

A dedicated recruiting team works as an extension of your company (our RPO, or embedded, model), led by a shared Client Delivery Lead as your single point of contact. The team runs the full lifecycle on our recruiting stack, intake through close. One flat rate per recruiter: scale up when hiring heats up, back when it cools. Month-to-month; multi-recruiter teams start with a three-month term.

How embedded and RPO recruiting works, week by week

Pricing

  • One dedicated recruiter plus your Client Delivery Lead: $8,500/mo
  • Each additional recruiter: $7,000/mo (two recruiters $15,500, three $22,500)
  • Four or more recruiters: custom volume pricing
  • $1,000 fee for each successful placement
  • Major job boards and ATS included
  • Full candidate packet with every submission
  • Month-to-month; multi-recruiter teams start with a three-month initial term
  • Hiring a single role instead? HireSelect delivers 3 to 5 vetted candidates for a flat $3,500 (hireselect.co)

See the cost at your hiring volume

What your fee includes

  • A dedicated recruiter working your roles
  • A senior Client Delivery Lead: client alignment, recruiting strategy, intake and calibration
  • Oversight of the recruiter and recruiting-performance monitoring
  • Quality assurance and review of every candidate submission
  • Hiring-manager alignment and enforcement of your requirements
  • Client communication, feedback and escalation management
  • Search and sourcing, screening, and interview coordination
  • Major job boards, ATS, and sourcing tools
  • Overall accountability for delivery quality

Best when

You have steady, recurring hiring across several roles and want predictable monthly cost and a team that already knows your business, rather than a large fee on every hire.

03

PartnerHire Complete

Recruiting function, run end to end · RPO
From$18,000/mo
Flat $1,000 per placement. Never a percentage of salary.

Pricing context: a fully managed recruiting function. Includes a senior Client Delivery Lead running the operation plus a dedicated recruiting pod.

Download the one-page overview
PDF, one page

How it works

We run your whole recruiting function, not just open roles. A senior talent leader owns it end to end as your single point of contact, backed by a dedicated recruiting pod across unlimited roles. It adds the strategic layer that makes hiring repeatable, detailed just below. You keep the final decision; we hand you vetted, ready-to-onboard hires.

The team

A senior talent leader, your Client Delivery Lead, owns strategy and quality on every search and stays your single point of contact, backed by a dedicated pod of experienced recruiters, typically two at the starting tier, sourcing and screening full time across your roles. We add capacity as your hiring grows. Systems, job boards, and ATS are included.

What is included

  • A senior talent leader runs the operation as your single point of contact
  • A dedicated recruiting pod sourcing and screening across your roles
  • Unlimited active roles across your hiring
  • Hiring process design, interview kits and scorecards
  • Employer value proposition and recruitment marketing
  • Salary benchmarking and offer strategy, you approve every offer
  • Full candidate packet with every submission
  • ATS, pipeline and hiring metrics included
  • Flat $1,000 per placement, never a percentage of salary

Best when

You want a true recruiting partner to own the function end to end, from strategy and systems through every hire, not just extra recruiting capacity. Best for companies scaling headcount who would rather hand the recruiting function to a team that runs it than build and manage it in-house.

04

Custom

Built around your project
By quote
Priced to your roles, timeline and budget

Pricing context: scoped to your project. Client Delivery Lead oversight is included whenever the engagement uses the PartnerHire managed model.

Tell us about your project

How it works

Some hiring does not fit neatly into one model. Tell us the roles, the timeline, and the number you are working toward, and instead of fitting you into a fixed tier we shape a team and a price around your project. We draw on any mix of DirectHire, embedded recruiters, and the Complete function, and quote it up front before any work begins.

Best when

You have a burst of roles on a deadline, a fixed budget you need to hit, a niche or cleared search alongside ongoing volume, or a mix of one-off and embedded needs that spans more than one model.

Single role · Flat fee

We source and screen. You take it from there.

For a flat $3,500, HireSelect sources and pre-screens candidates for one role and sends you a packet of 3 to 5 qualified people. You run the interviews, the decision, and the offer.

See HireSelect

What can change the number: specialized, senior, executive, urgent, or security-cleared roles can run higher, and reduced pricing may be available for exclusive searches, repeat clients, or several similar openings. Anything non-standard, we quote up front before any work begins. Pricing is subject to change and may vary by scope and market conditions.

The boutique difference

BizFirst vs. a traditional agency or RPO

Same goal, filling your roles. A very different model, and a very different cost.

BizFirst
Traditional agency / RPO
Placement fee
Flat $1,000 per placement
10–12% of first-year salary (in addition to retainer)
Pricing model
Flat fees, quoted up front
Percentage-based, rarely published up front
Recruiter focus
3–4 accounts per lead
20–30 clients per account manager
Who runs your hiring
Senior single point of contact
Junior recruiters, account-manager handoffs
First candidates
About 3 business days
Three to four weeks
Screening
Every submission personally QA'd
High-volume, keyword-matched
Retention
94% still in seat past 90 days
Frequent churn and re-hires
Commitment
Month-to-month
Long-term contracts
What flat fees save you

On a $150,000 hire, the placement fee is $1,000 with BizFirst — versus $15,000 to $18,000 with a percentage-based agency or RPO.

Let's talk hiring

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

Compare on total delivery

Compare recruiting models on total delivery, not recruiter cost alone

Some alternatives look cheaper because their published price is only the recruiter. The rows below are what a fair comparison includes: senior oversight, candidate QA, delivery management, accountability. Models differ by provider, so “typically” and “varies” are deliberate; verify specifics with each.

CapabilityIndividual / fractional recruiterRecruiting marketplaceBizFirst PartnerHire (managed)
RecruiterUsuallyUsuallyYes
Senior Client Delivery LeadNot typicallyNot typicallyYes, in PartnerHire Core & Complete
Candidate-submission QARecruiter self-QARecruiter-dependent, variesClient Delivery Lead reviews every submission
Recruiter oversightClient responsibilityOften client responsibilityBizFirst
Client delivery managementLimited, variesVaries by providerIncluded
Escalation managementClient-dependentVariesIncluded
Hiring-manager calibrationVariesVariesIncluded
Recruiting-process accountabilityIndividual recruiterVaries by providerManaged BizFirst engagement

Categories are general; capabilities vary by provider, so verify with each. BizFirst DirectHire is contingent and includes a senior Client Delivery Lead on a per-role basis; the embedded, ongoing Client Delivery Lead described above applies to PartnerHire Core and PartnerHire Complete. Only HireSelect, the flat-fee single-role option, is recruiter-led without a Client Delivery Lead.

The relevant unit of comparison is not cost per recruiter, but cost per managed recruiting engagement, and ultimately cost per quality hire including the internal management burden required to reach it. A lower-priced recruiter who needs significant hiring-manager supervision, produces poorly calibrated submissions, or requires you to run your own QA can carry a lower invoice but a higher total delivery cost. BizFirst bundles recruiter execution and senior delivery oversight into one PartnerHire engagement rather than leaving you to manage and QA the recruiter internally. See how the delivery model works and what the Client Delivery Lead does.

Pricing FAQ

Common questions on cost

How much does DirectHire (contingent) cost?

DirectHire is 10–15% of the hire's first-year base salary and you pay nothing unless we place someone. 10% applies to a new requirement given to BizFirst on a 30-day exclusive; otherwise the fee is 12–15%, set by the difficulty and qualities of the role. A minimum placement fee may apply. A requirement that has been open a long time and worked extensively is harder to fill and priced toward the top of the range. You are invoiced on the candidate's start date, Net 30.

How much does PartnerHire Core cost?

PartnerHire Core is a flat monthly rate per dedicated recruiter, each with a shared Client Delivery Lead: $8,500/mo for one dedicated recruiter, plus $7,000/mo for each additional recruiter (so two recruiters are $15,500/mo and three are $22,500/mo; four or more get custom volume pricing). A part-time shared recruiter is available from $5,000/mo. Every engagement adds a $1,000 fee for each successful hire and includes senior oversight and all specified sourcing tools. Pricing is month-to-month; multi-recruiter teams start with a three-month initial term, then continue month-to-month. See the cost at your hiring volume

How much does PartnerHire Complete cost?

PartnerHire Complete starts at $18,000/mo plus a flat $1,000 per placement, never a percentage of salary. It is our deepest RPO engagement: a senior talent leader runs your recruiting function end to end as your single point of contact, backed by a dedicated recruiting pod, with unlimited active roles. The fee includes the strategic layer that turns hiring into a repeatable system: hiring process design and interview kits, employer value proposition and recruitment marketing, salary benchmarking and offer strategy, and pipeline and metrics in our ATS. Because it is a flat monthly engagement, your cost stays predictable no matter how much you hire.

What is the difference between PartnerHire Core and PartnerHire Complete?

Both give you a dedicated recruiting team on a flat monthly fee. The difference is who owns the recruiting function. With Core, our recruiters plug into your process and a shared senior lead QAs every submission, so you keep the process and strategy. With Complete, that lead runs the function for you, including process design, offer strategy, and pipeline and metrics, with unlimited roles. Two-recruiter Core starts at $15,500/mo, Complete at $18,000/mo. Either way, you keep the final hiring decision and employer-only steps like the offer, background checks, clearance adjudication, and onboarding.

Do you offer flat-fee recruiting, or a flat fee per placement?

Yes, on our retained models. PartnerHire Core and PartnerHire Complete charge a flat $1,000 per placement, never a percentage of salary, no matter what the hire is paid. That flat-fee-per-placement pricing is what separates the retained models from traditional agencies that bill 10 to 12% of first-year salary on top of a monthly fee. DirectHire, our contingent model, is different: it is priced as a percentage of first-year salary (10–15%), billed only when we place someone. So if you specifically want flat-fee-per-placement recruiting, PartnerHire Core and PartnerHire Complete are the flat-fee options.

Are there any hidden fees?

No. The prices shown are what you pay. PartnerHire Core adds $1,000 per placement, and DirectHire may carry a minimum placement fee. Any optional engagement fee on the Protected option is credited in full against the placement fee, so it is never an added cost. Anything non-standard, such as a specialized or cleared role, we quote up front before any work begins.

Do you offer a placement guarantee?

DirectHire placements include a 90-day replacement guarantee: if a placed candidate leaves or doesn't work out within the first 90 days, we recruit a replacement at no additional placement fee, subject to the terms in your agreement. For a critical or hard-to-refill role, our Protected option extends that guarantee to 180 days for an engagement fee credited in full against the placement fee. The retained models, PartnerHire Core and PartnerHire Complete, work differently. You're not buying a single result, you're keeping an embedded team that stays accountable for your hiring, so if a hire doesn't work out the team simply keeps recruiting at no extra placement fee. It's part of why 94% of our placements are still in seat past 90 days.

Do you offer custom or project-based pricing?

Yes. If your hiring does not fit one model, our Custom option shapes a team and a price around your project, drawing on any mix of DirectHire, embedded recruiters, and the Complete function, quoted up front before any work begins.

Whose ATS do you work in, and who owns the candidate data?

We run every search in our own applicant tracking system and sourcing stack, so you never buy tools, share logins, or manage our workflow. That keeps setup turnkey and lets us start right away. Your hires and their information stay yours: at the end of an engagement, on request, we hand over the resumes and submission history for every candidate we submitted, so nothing you paid for is locked in a system you cannot reach.

Does BizFirst pricing only pay for a recruiter?

No. A BizFirst PartnerHire fee pays for a managed recruiting engagement: a dedicated recruiter plus a senior Client Delivery Lead who owns client alignment, recruiter oversight, and quality assurance of every candidate submission. The recruiter runs the search; the Client Delivery Lead manages delivery and protects quality, so comparing the fee to the cost of a single recruiter understates what is included. DirectHire, our contingent model, also includes a senior Client Delivery Lead, on a per-role basis; only HireSelect, our flat-fee single-role option, is recruiter-led without one.

What does a BizFirst Client Delivery Lead do?

The Client Delivery Lead is a senior BizFirst delivery professional who owns client alignment and intake, recruiting strategy, oversight of the dedicated recruiter, quality assurance of every candidate submission, hiring-manager calibration, feedback and escalation management, and overall accountability for delivery quality. It is included in PartnerHire Core and PartnerHire Complete, and one Client Delivery Lead supports only three to four clients.

Is a BizFirst engagement comparable to hiring a fractional recruiter?

Not directly. A fractional or marketplace recruiter is typically one person executing searches, with the client responsible for calibration, oversight, and quality control. A BizFirst PartnerHire engagement adds a senior Client Delivery Lead who performs that oversight and QA for you. When comparing, check whether the alternative also includes senior delivery management and independent candidate-submission QA, or whether those functions become your responsibility.

Who reviews candidates before they are submitted to the client?

On PartnerHire, the Client Delivery Lead reviews and quality-assures every submission before it reaches you, so candidates are screened against your requirements by a senior person rather than forwarded straight from the recruiter.

Who manages the recruiter?

On PartnerHire, BizFirst does. The Client Delivery Lead directs the recruiter, monitors performance, and enforces your requirements, so you are not supervising the recruiter yourself. In many low-cost fractional or marketplace models, that supervision is the client's job.

Why can a fractional recruiter appear less expensive than BizFirst?

Because the published price often represents only the recruiter. A BizFirst PartnerHire fee also includes senior delivery management and candidate-submission QA. A lower invoice for a lone recruiter can carry a higher total cost once you account for the internal time spent calibrating, supervising, and QA-ing that recruiter, plus the cost of poorly matched submissions and search resets.

How should companies compare recruiting providers?

Compare the total delivery model, not recruiter fees alone. Ask whether each option includes a recruiter, a senior Client Delivery Lead, independent candidate-submission QA, client-facing delivery management, recruiter oversight, and clear accountability. If those functions are not included, the services are not equivalent, and a lower price may reflect a narrower scope.

Not sure which model fits?

Tell us your hiring volume and the roles you are filling, and we will recommend the right model and send a firm quote, usually within one business day.

Let's talk hiring

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

Compare model costs Flexible & fractional options Download Service Guide ↓

Hiring for a single role? HireSelect delivers 3 to 5 vetted candidates for a flat $3,500