How Much Does It Cost to Hire an HR Professional Through a Specialist Recruiter?
Hiring the right HR professional can transform your organisation, but many businesses are unsure about the costs involved when using a specialist HR recruiter.
In this guide, we break down the typical fees, what influences pricing, and why partnering with an HR recruitment specialist can be a worthwhile investment.
Why Use a Specialist HR Recruiter?
Before discussing costs, it’s important to understand the value a specialist HR recruiter brings:
Access to a deeper talent pool: Specialist recruiters have access to passive candidates who aren’t actively applying for jobs, giving you the opportunity to hire the best person in the industry, not simply the best candidate active in the jobs market.
Faster hiring process: With industry expertise, they streamline hiring through efficient processes and systems, saving you huge amounts of time and internal resources.
Better cultural fit: Specialist recruiters often focus on both skills and cultural fit, reducing the risk of a mis-hire. At The HR Recruiters we have a culture-fit guarantee to ensure you hire an HR professional who fits the role, not just fills it.
What Are the Typical Recruitment Costs?
When hiring an HR professional through a specialist recruiter, the main cost comes in the form of a recruitment fee. This is usually charged as a percentage of the candidate’s first-year salary.
Average Fee Percentages:
Recruitment fees tend to range between 15% – 35% depending on the level of role and the type of recruitment support on offer.
For example:
Hiring an HR Manager with a salary of £50,000 could cost between £7,500 and £17,500 via a specialist HR recruiter.
For senior HR roles (e.g., HR Director), with salaries around £80,000+, fees may range from £12,000 to £28,000 depending on the service level.
Factors That Influence Recruitment Costs
Several factors determine how much you’ll pay:
Role seniority: Executive or niche roles often command higher fees due to the complexity of the search.
Service model: Contingency recruitment is paid on success, while retained search involves upfront or staged payments; this allows recruiters to work on fewer roles, dedicating more time to the search, with more in-depth headhunting.
Specialist vs. generalist agencies: Specialist HR recruiters will have in-depth knowledge of the sector, allowing them to add a lot more expertise to the search. They will be more targeted and efficient in their approach, therefore fees reflect their added expertise.
Candidate guarantees: Some recruiters offer replacement guarantees (e.g. a free replacement within 3 months) which can influence the cost.
Breakdown of Common Recruitment Fee Models
Recruitment Model
Fee Range
When You Pay
Best For
Contingency
15-25% of salary
Upon successful hire
Quick hires
Exclusive/Retained
25-35% of salary
In instalments (upfront + milestones)
Senior HR hires, confidential searches
Fixed Fee
£3,000 – £10,000+
Fixed upfront cost
Start-ups, SMEs with set budgets
Day Rate/Interim
£350 – £1200+ per day
Weekly or monthly
Interim HR projects, maternity cover
Are Specialist HR Recruiters Worth the Cost?
While it’s tempting to avoid recruitment fees by hiring directly, using a specialist HR recruiter often saves:
Time: Less time spent screening unqualified and unsuitable applicants.
Money: Lower risk of a bad hire, which can cost up to 3x the salary.
Stress: Professional management of the recruitment process from start to finish not only takes the burden from your internal team, it also ensures your reputation is managed in the market through a seamless candidate experience.
For businesses where HR plays a key role in driving performance, culture, and compliance, the right hire delivers significant return on investment.
What’s Included in Specialist HR Recruitment Fees?
A professional HR recruiter offers more than just candidate CVs. Typical services include:
Role consultation and salary benchmarking
Advert writing and job board promotion
Head-hunting passive candidates
In-depth screening and interviewing
Psychometric or culture-fit assessments
Interview coordination and feedback handling
Offer negotiation and onboarding support
Post-placement follow-up and guarantee period
This full-service approach justifies the cost, especially for key HR positions where hiring mistakes will be costly.
How to Reduce the Cost of Hiring HR Professionals
If recruitment costs are a concern, here are ways to optimise your hiring budget:
Exclusive engagements: Many recruiters offer reduced fees for exclusive roles.
Flexible payment terms: Some specialist recruiters allow staged payments.
Fixed-fee recruitment: Consider this option for straightforward hires.
Long-term partnerships: Negotiating rates for ongoing recruitment needs can lead to better value.
Final Thoughts
The cost of hiring an HR professional through a specialist recruiter varies based on role level, service type, and recruiter expertise. While the upfront fee might seem high, the long-term benefits of hiring the right HR talent often outweigh the costs.
If you’re considering hiring an HR professional and want tailored advice on costs and hiring strategy, our team of specialist HR recruiters is here to help.
Ready to hire your next HR star?Contact The HR Recruiters for a no-obligation consultation.
The HR Recruiters – where culture-fit comes guaranteed.
