Is There a Fee for Working with a Recruiter?

The search for employment can be an overwhelming process of creating resumes, writing cover letters, filling out applications and doing regular searches on LinkedIn and Indeed. With so many options, it can be hard for a job seeker to know where to concentrate their job-seeking efforts.

Considering Recruitment
One of the best ways, working with a recruitment agency, is not always top of mind but should be. Recruiters in a staffing agency are always on the lookout for qualified candidates. Recruiters conduct candidate searches on behalf of employment partners who contract with the recruitment agency.

When a recruiter identifies a candidate with the skills a company is looking for, they interview the candidate on behalf of the employment partner. If the candidate proves to be a good match for the skills and company culture, a recruiter will share these findings with the employment partner. When the process moves forward, the staffing agency will coordinate with the employer to set up subsequent phone and in-person interviews.

Dispelling Misconceptions
Working with a recruiter can make the job search easier and more efficient, but some job seekers hesitate because they believe there is a fee associated with the process. This is not true. The job candidate never pays a fee for working with a recruiter. The fee is paid by the potential employer who hires a staffing agency to recruit and screen candidates for the company’s open positions.

A staffing agency then receives payment for each placement. Once the employment partner extends a job offer and the candidate accepts, the fee is calculated by the compensation offered and accepted. This fee does not come out of the employee’s compensation. With Contract/Temporary positions, the fee is generally a mark-up of the hourly pay rate. This too, will not come out of the employee’s pay. The fee helps cover taxes, insurance and the time and efforts of the recruiter.

Win-Win Situation
Flexibility is another positive aspect of the recruitment process. The staffing agency may contact the candidate after finding a match for a desired set of skills or a job seeker can contact a recruiter directly. In both cases, the job seeker benefits from the recruiter’s knowledge of the labor market and knowing who is hiring. Candidates also benefit from the network cultivated by a staffing agency and its recruiters who have access to jobs and projects that might not be publicly listed.

One additional benefit is that job seekers receive quick feedback from the recruiter throughout the process, including help with interview skills and salary negotiation. When you’re looking for a new job, a recruiter can be a bridge to companies that are hiring.

Is There a Fee for Working with a Recruiter? is the first of a multi-part series from Staffing Kansas City featuring some of the most frequently asked job-seeker questions.

This article is brought to you by Staffing Kansas City, a full-service Kansas City employment agency that provides contract-to-hire, direct hire and contract employment placement services.