Personnel selection by subscription: how it works

The selection of subscription staff is a model in which a company pays a fixed monthly fee in exchange for continuous access to selection processes, without paying a commission for each contract. Instead of paying 20-33 % of the annual salary each time you need to fill a post, you pay a flat fee and you launch processes when you need them.

Then what you need to know before deciding if this model fits you.

What a problem it solves (and what it doesn't)

The traditional headhunting model has a clear logic: you pay when you hire. If you are looking for a commercial with a salary of €38,000, the invoice ranges from €7,600 to €12,500. Once a year, you may be able to handle it. But if your company grows, opens a new line of business or has rotation in certain positions, those costs accumulate quickly.

The subscription changes the equation: the monthly cost is predictable, you can plan, and there is no perverse incentive on the part of the agency to place the first one that appears and collects before.

What doesn't solve: if you only need one selection process per year and you don't have an extra forecast, a subscription probably doesn't make up for it. That's why there's a process model, which charges a fixed fee for closed search.

How the Crew and Squad model works

The names vary according to the agency, but the logic of the plans is similar. In Findehr, for example, there are two levels of subscription:

Plan Monthly price What includes Warranty

--------------------------------------------------------------

Crew 590 €/month Processes at half price (junior profile: 790 €) 90 days

Squad 1,490 €/month Unlimited sequence processes, an active search at once 90 days

The Crew plan is designed for companies that hire with a certain cadence but do not have enough volume to justify internal HR. With 590 €/month you have a header recruiter all year round (direct line, salary benchmarks) and the processes go at partner price: a junior profile remains at 790 € — half the loose price (1,380 € in total adding the quota of the month). Thought for those who hire cadence almost monthly.

The Squad plan includes the processes in the quota: unlimited searches in sequence, one active at a time. And if you are growing up and need to cover multiple profiles at once — a commercial and a technician, for example — you add an extra search in parallel only as many months as you need it.

Both include replacement guarantee: if the contracted person does not exceed the agreed period, the process is reopened at no additional cost.

When the subscription comes out

Do the calculation with your real data. If you plan to close more than two or three processes a year, the subscription starts to gain ground against the traditional process model or headhunting.

A concrete example: three processes for profiles with an average salary of €30,000 with a traditional headhunter can cost you between €18,000 and €30,000. Twelve months of Squad are €17,880, with all the processes that that year gives of itself. And if your pace is one process per month, Crew (590 €/month) leaves each junior profile at €1,380 in total, including fee.

The subscription also works when predictability matters. A SME cannot put a 'whatever it costs to select' item into budget. With a fixed quota, the CFO sleeps better.

When it does not compensate: if you hire a person every two years, it pays per process. It makes no sense to keep an active subscription for that. In that case, a plan like Match (from €1,700 per single process, with replacement guarantee) is more efficient.

Real times: expectations vs. reality

One of the most common questions is how long a process takes under subscription. The honest answer is that it depends on the profile, not the payment model.

Some guidance data based on actual processes real cases:

• Hostel and operations: average coverage in 18 days
• Industrial directorate: about 32 days
• Senior Engineer or scarce technical profiles: up to 11 weeks

The subscription model does not magically speed up the search. What it does is keep the focus: the agency has an incentive to close well and quickly because its relationship with you is continuous, not punctual. If it takes too long or presents weak candidates, notice it in renewal.

What to look for before hiring a selection subscription

Not all subscription models are the same. Before signing, check these points:

• What does "a process" include? Some agencies count the interviews, others the complete process until signed offer. It matters to know.
• Is there a stay? A 12-month contract with penalty is not the same as untied monthly payments.
• How does the warranty work? That it exists is not enough. Look at the deadline (60, 90 or 120 days) and if the replacement is complete or partial.
• How many processes can you launch? Some plans limit the annual number even if they charge per month.
• Can you pause? If your company hires three months, do you pay the same?

These questions are the same as we ask when someone compares us to another agency. If an answer is not clear on your prices, ask for it in writing.

-...

Frequently Asked Questions

Is subscription selection only for large companies?

No. In fact, it works best in SMEs that hire between 3 and 15 people a year and have no consolidated HR department. A company of 200 employees with its own head of staff has less need to outsource continuously.

Can I mix subscriptions and loose processes?

Depends on the agency. Some allow you to add spot processes outside the quota. Others don't. If your volume is irregular — months with lots of hiring and others with nothing — ask if there are any hybrid models or if you can pause the subscription.

What if the contract candidate doesn't work?

The replacement guarantee covers this scenario: the agency reopens the process at no additional cost during the guaranteed period (between 60 and 120 days according to the plan). It is important that this commitment is written in the contract, with the specific time and conditions.

Is subscription better than traditional headhunting?

There is no universal answer. Traditional headhunting makes sense for very specific searches or high-level profiles where the price for success justifies the percentage. Subscription wins when volume is constant, you want predictability of costs and you seek a continuous working relationship with the agency, not transactional.