Fast, but not careless.
Most contingent recruitment is a volume game: send enough CVs and something sticks. We run it the other way. A tight brief, a deliberate search, and a short list we are willing to defend.
Brief
Thirty minutes on the phone with a founder. What the role really needs, what the team is like, what would make someone say no.
Search
Our own databases first, then the open market. Every approach is made by someone who understands the technical content of the role.
Screen
A real conversation with every candidate before you see them. Motivation, notice, expectations, right to work, the lot.
Shortlist
Usually three to five people, each with a note on why they fit and where the gaps are. Never a CV dump.
Close
We manage the offer, the counter offer and the resignation. This is where most contingent processes fall over.
No upfront cost does not mean no process.
The commercial risk sits with us, which is exactly why we are selective about the briefs we take. We would rather decline than send you noise.
Curated shortlists
Three to five candidates with a written note on each. If we cannot find people who genuinely fit, we will say so rather than pad the list.
Permanent and contract
The same engagement model covers both. If a role is better filled on a day rate we will tell you, and run it that way.
Replacement guarantee
Agreed in writing before we start. If a placement does not hold for the guarantee period we replace them.
Transparent fees
A percentage of the package, agreed up front, invoiced on start. No escalators, no advertising charges, no admin fees.
Founder led screening
Lucas or Vinnie speaks to every candidate before you do. Nobody reaches your inbox on the strength of a keyword match.
Market feedback
Even when a search is hard, you get the market read: who is out there, what they are paid and what is stopping them moving.
The default for most specialist roles.
Contingent carries no commitment, so it suits the majority of mid to senior hires. It is the wrong tool when the pool is tiny or the brief is confidential.
A good fit when
Mid to senior specialist roles. Project managers, engineers, commercial, HSE, quality, planning. The core of most project teams.
You need to move quickly. A shortlist in ten business days, with no procurement process to clear first.
The role is well defined. You know what good looks like and you have interview availability in the next fortnight.
You want to test us. Most of our longest client relationships started with one contingent role and no commitment either way.
Probably not the right model when
The pool is tiny and passive. If there are twenty credible people nationally, a contingent process is competing with everyone else for the same handful. Retain it.
The search must stay confidential. Contingent work means approaching the market openly. That does not suit replacing an incumbent.
You need a whole team. Ten roles against one program is project recruitment, planned and sequenced rather than filled one at a time.
The decision will take months. Candidates in a contingent process are usually talking to others. A slow panel loses them.
Contingent recruitment, answered.
What does it cost?
A percentage of the first year package, agreed in writing before we start and invoiced when the person starts. Nothing is payable if we do not place anyone, and there are no advertising or administration charges on top.
How quickly will I see candidates?
Ten business days to a shortlist is typical for a well defined mid to senior role. Scarce disciplines such as commissioning management or grid connection take longer, and we will tell you that at the brief rather than after three weeks of silence.
Can I run you alongside another agency?
You can, and sometimes that is sensible. Be aware it usually produces more CVs and worse candidates, because speed starts to matter more than fit. If you do, tell us, so we are not both approaching the same people.
What is the replacement guarantee?
If a placement leaves or is terminated within the agreed guarantee period, we run the search again at no further fee. The period is set in the terms of business before the first candidate is submitted.
Do you cover contract roles on this model?
Yes. Contingent describes how the fee works, not whether the role is permanent. For day rate and hourly rate work the engagement usually runs through our contract model instead, which handles timesheets, compliance and payroll.
Why do you send so few candidates?
Because a shortlist of twelve is not a shortlist, it is an admission that we did not do the screening. If we send you three, it is because three people fit.
Not the right shape for your brief?
Four models, and we will tell you honestly which one fits. Most clients end up using more than one of them over a relationship.
Executive Search
Retained process for the appointments that set the direction. Board, C suite, general management and functional leadership.
See how it worksProject Recruitment
A whole permanent project workforce, planned against your org chart and mobilised in waves to your program.
See how it worksContract Recruitment
Day rate and hourly rate contractors, and whole contract teams. Online timesheets, payroll funded by LUVI.
See how it works