How much a staff selection company charges

A staff selection company charges between 1,500 € and 15,000 € per process, depending on the model: percentage on annual gross salary (between 20% and 33%) or fixed rate closed. For a job of 38,000 € gross, that can be from 1,590 € with fixed rate up to 12,500 € with the most expensive headhunter. What you choose matters a lot.

The two models that exist (and what they hide)

Percent on annual salary

It is the classic model of traditional headhunter. The agency collects a percentage of the annual gross salary of the contract candidate, usually between 20 % and 33%. That percentage applies to the salary agreed in the contract, regardless of how long or how many candidates you are presented.

Example with real numbers:

Salary of post 20 % 25 % 33 %

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25.000 € 5,000 € 6,250 € 8,250 €

€38,000 €7,600 €9,500 €12,540

€55,000 €11,000 €13,750 €18,150

€70,000 €14,000 €17,500 €23,100

The problem is not just the price. It is that the incentive of the agency is aligned with the salary, not with your satisfaction. The higher the negotiated salary, the higher the commission. That can push towards more expensive candidates or towards inflating wage expectations. It does not always happen, but the conflict of interest exists.

Another detail that many companies discover late: if the candidate does not work and the process needs to be repeated, some agencies charge again. Or they apply a warranty so short that it does not cover the trial period.

Fixed fee for process or subscription

The alternative model decouples the price of the candidate’s salary. You pay a closed amount for the process, regardless of whether the post is covered with a salary of €28,000 or €45,000.

This changes the incentive: the agency has to close the process well for you to repeat, not for the candidate to win more.

Fixed rates in the Spanish market range from 1,200 € for very basic profiles to 4,000-5.000 € for intermediate or managerial managers. Some agencies also offer monthly subscriptions for companies that hire on a recurring basis.

When each model is compensated

Percentage may make sense if:

• You're looking for a very senior profile with a hard salary to estimate beforehand.
• You need a headhunter with its own network in a very specific sector.
• You hire once or twice a year and you don't want fixed commitments.

The flat rate compensates more if:

• The salary of the post is above 30,000 € gross (from there the percentage is triggered).
• You have several processes a year and you want predictability in the budget.
• You want the agency's incentive to close well, not to close expensive.

Doing the direct calculation: for a post of 38,000 € gross, a headhunter at 20 % is 7,600 €. A fixed rate equivalent rarely exceeds 2,500 €. The difference, in this case, is more than 5,000 €. That is real money.

What the price includes (and what not)

Before you sign anything, ask this:

• Is there an advance? Some headhunters charge a retainer (non-refundable advance) at the beginning, regardless of the result.
• What replacement guarantee does it include? The minimum acceptable standard is 60 days. If the candidate goes before and you don't get the process back at no cost, you're paying twice.
• How many candidates will you be presented? There are agencies that present 10 profiles and let you decide. Others present 2-3 highly filtered. None is better in abstract, but you need to know.
• Who does the job?In big agencies, the commercial closes the contract and then a junior works it. It’s not bad if the junior is good, but it’s good to know.

For example, in our process in Findehr, the average deadlines are 18 days for hospitality, 32 days for industrial managers and 11 weeks for senior engineering profiles. Such data exist because we shut down the processes; if it did not close, there would be no data.

Concrete market prices in 2025

For you to have a real reference and not just generic ranges:

• Traditional headhunter (%): 20-33 % of annual gross salary. No cap. No minimum rate in many cases.
• Medium-sized agencies, fixed rate per process: 1,500-3,500 € for average profiles. Up to 5,000 € for managers.
• Platforms of employment (job boards): €300-800 per publication. No real selection, only dissemination.
• Monthly subscriptions: From €590/month for a spot purchase up to €3,290/month for continuous processes. See Findehr prices as a reference to how this model is structured.

The pre-selected candidate pack is another option that some agencies offer: you pay to access already filtered profiles, without complete process. Useful when you have internal HR equipment and you only need the initial screening.

What no one tells you before signing

The price is not the only thing that matters. What hurts the most is not paying €8,000 for a selection; it is paying €8,000 and the candidate leaves after three months.

The metrics you should ask for before hiring any agency:

• Currency rate of candidates submitted to signed offer.If they present 20 profiles and only 1 ends in offer, the filter is bad or the volume is their strategy to look active.
• Average coverage time by job type. Without this, you can't plan.
• Percentage of candidates who pass the probationary period.No one publishes it, but you can ask.

A 94% rate of finalists receiving signed offers, as in the real case studies we have documented, is not a marketing claim: it comes from not putting forward candidates who are not a good fit.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do selection agencies charge if they don't find the candidate?

Depends on the model. With percentage, if there is no hiring, there is no charge (except initial retainer). At fixed rate, some agencies charge an advance and return the rest if they do not cover the process. Before signing, ask what happens if the process is deserted.

How long does it take to find a candidate?

Between 2 weeks and 3 months, depending on the profile. Hotel or operator profiles can be covered in 2-3 weeks. Senior engineers or managers need 8-12 weeks. It is not trusted of anyone who promises you any profile in 5 days.

Is it worth hiring an agency for a SME?

It depends on the cost of not filling the post and the time your team can spend on the selection. If a commercial takes 3 months to hire and you stop selling during that time, the opportunity cost more than €2,000 of an external selection. If the position is punctual and standard profile, it still makes up for doing it internally.

What is the difference between an ETT and a selection company?

The TTT (temporary work company) is the formal employer of the worker during the contract: pays payroll, quotes and manages lows. The selection company only seeks and filters candidates; the contract is signed by your company directly. They are different services with very different costs and logics.