If you’re hiring for the first time or you’ve had mixed results before, it’s natural to ask: how much do recruitment agencies charge, and what am I actually paying for? This guide to recruitment agency fees keeps it simple and local to Sussex, so you can choose with confidence.
As the extension of your team you need, we know your week is already full. You want a clear view of recruitment agency fees so you can choose well and stay in control of cost. Across Worthing, Brighton, and beyond I meet many founders and managers at exactly this point, and this is the answer we share.
How do recruitment agencies work?
The short version:
Most UK recruitment agencies charge a percentage of salary for permanent hires. Typical ranges are between 15% and 30%, depending on the role, seniority, and exclusivity.
Temporary and contract hires are billed differently. They are usually at an hourly or daily rate that includes pay plus a service markup (typically 25%–75%) to cover payroll, compliance, and statutory costs.
There are three main pricing models:
- Retained – proactive, partnership-led search with staged payments
- Consultancy – project-based, fixed-fee or hourly support
- Contingent – pay on successful placement
How recruitment agency pricing works in the UK
Permanent recruitment is usually priced as a flat fee or percentage of the agreed base salary, invoiced when your new hire starts. Industry norms sit in the mid-teens to high-twenties. Rates rise for niche or senior job roles where the work needs to search deeper and the market is tighter.
Temporary and contract recruitment is different. You’ll pay an hourly or daily rate that includes the worker’s pay plus a markup, which covers statutory on-costs, payroll, compliance and service.
How do recruitment agencies make money?
These are three most common recruitment agency pricing models:
1) Retained
This model is all about focus, partnership, and proactive search. You pay a staged fee that allows the agency to dedicate senior time and resources to your hire.
Retained hiring fees are ideal for business-critical or specialist roles where cultural fit, confidentiality, or precision matters.
How we do it at GoGecko: We use a three-stage retained model, designed for flexibility:
- Upfront payment to start the search and secure commitment from both sides
- Payment on shortlist (once qualified candidates are presented)
- Final payment on start date or, in some cases, on accepted offer
For businesses that prefer to spread the cost, we also offer payment plans over 6 or 12 months, depending on the role.
Pros: There is a dedicated, senior-led focus on your vacancy, with a structured process and clear milestones. There is generally better alignment and candidate quality.
Watch-outs: It can be a higher initial cost. Before you commit, make sure your hiring outcome and the recruiter’s plan match. In practice, ask them to share a simple plan of sourcing channels, timeline, interview process, and reporting frequency, and agree it with you.
2) Consultancy
Another hiring cost method is paying by time or defined project outcomes rather than a placement fee. This is ideal when you need ultimate flexibility and support with process design, shortlisting, interview training or offer support, or you want to improve how you hire before you scale.
How we do it at GoGecko: Our consultancy work is project-based, with payment structures that fit your needs:
- Either a fixed fee paid upfront
- Or 50% upfront and 50% on delivery
We can also work on an hourly rate for ad-hoc or ongoing advisory support
Pros: Offers flexibility as in some cases you can buy the support you need, when you need it. That could be designing a hiring process, writing adverts that convert, or sitting in on interviews. This process also builds internal capability. Your team learns as we work and you leave with better tools, templates, and habits, not just a one-off result.
Watch-outs: The payment is not tied to a specific placement so you should agree exactly what you will get and when, so you can measure value.
3) Contingent
Also known as pay-on-success, this hiring fee model is where you only pay if you hire the candidate presented. Contingent recruitment pricing works well for non-specialist or higher-volume roles, or where speed is the driver. Keep in mind that with no upfront fee, agencies may spread effort across multiple briefs.With fees ranging from around 15% up to 30%, some agencies may even go lowe, but this often means there’s little or no profit margin, which can reduce the level of service and commitment you receive.
How we do it at GoGecko: We rarely work on a purely contingent basis because we act as a genuine extension of your team, not just a supplier in a CV race. We are your always-on wing women, and our pricing reflects that depth of involvement. We offer a hybrid contingent model, where we ask for a commitment fee upfront of £999 + VAT and then the rest on delivery. This money is then invested in your search and marketing process.
Our advice if you use this model go exclusive with the agency to avoid conflict and repeat CV’s and gain full commitment.
Pros: There’s no upfront cost, so you only pay if you hire. It also is quick to start, making it useful for common, repeat roles.
Watch-outs: If several agencies are briefed, each may invest less depth, thus diluting effort. Similarly, you can end up with a CV race instead of a considered shortlist, as well as mixed advert messaging and inconsistent screening.
Additional GoGecko services & recruitment costs
Interim Recruitment Consultancy with GoResourcing
At GoGecko, we offer a fixed-cost, halfway house, between DIY and full agency. We manage the recruitment process without running your advertising and marketing. You keep media buying in-house. We bring structure, selection and offer support so everything runs smoothly – from advert to offer.
People Engagement Programme
This is my favourite piece of work. We evaluate your team psychometrically, run a people audit, refresh job descriptions, set goals, and build accountability rhythms that help good people stay. Priced on request, as it scales with team size and scope.
DIY vs recruitment agency: what are you really comparing?
DIY hiring might look cheaper, but remember to factor in:
- Job board costs
- Time spent screening
- Lost productivity while a role sits vacant
- And the risk (and cost) of a mis-hire
Agency hiring adds reach, expertise, and speed.
The right route depends on role criticality, timeline, internal capacity and how the market looks for your skills in Sussex right now.
Our tip: compare the total cost of the hire, not just the percentage. Include the fee, the time you save, the risk removed and the cost of a mis-hire. At GoGecko, we also offer a replacement guarantee if the hire leaves within an agreed timeframe usually from 1 to 3 months (we’ll outline full details when we agree your brief). This covers the financial risk for the time it takes to know you have found the right person.
Which model should you choose?
There isn’t a right or wrong model. Transparency is what matters. You should choose recruitment agency fees that reflects the role’s specificity and your preferred payment rhythm. Ask the agency to show how their plan looks in practice for your role.
Start with the outcome you want.
- If speed matters because a job vacancy is slowing operations, contingent (success-only) recruitment can make sense.
- For senior or niche roles, a retained search gives you more time and deeper market reach. You pay in stages and receive a focused shortlist.
- Ifyou want structure and insight, consultancy work helps you build the right internal approach before you grow.
Before you choose, ask:
- Who will write the job advert?
- Who screens and interviews candidates?
- How many candidates will I see?
- What guarantee is included?
What drives recruitment agency costs up or down?
- Exclusivity and clarity usually reduce your percentage.
- Scarcity and complexity increase the work and the fee.
- Speed often requires more senior time.
- Location matters. Sussex dynamics shift by town, salary band and sector.
If you’re still unsure on recruitment agency fees, pricing bands, or option fits, we’ll work with you to find the best package for your situation.
We support employers across Sussex, including Worthing, Brighton, Hove, Shoreham-by-Sea, Littlehampton, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Eastbourne, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill.
Message us to start the conversation.
