--- title: "How to Choose a Recruiter for Your Startup: Questions to Ask" description: Choose a startup recruiter by picking the fee model first, then asking who does the work, what it costs, how fast you see candidates and what if it stalls. image: https://funded.club/hubfs/blog-featured-images/fc-how-to-choose-a-recruiter-startup.png --- [![Primary\_logo](https://funded.club/hubfs/Primary_logo.svg)](https://funded.club/) [Book a call](https://funded.club/contact-us) - [Hire](https://funded.club) - [Pricing](https://funded.club/pricing) - [Find a job](https://funded.club/startupjobs) - [Case Studies](https://funded.club/case-studies) - [Locally](https://funded.club/case-studies/locally) - [Supernova](https://funded.club/case-studies/supernova) - [Isolocity](https://funded.club/case-studies/isolocity) - [WeTravel](https://funded.club/case-studies/wetravel) - [Digital Science](https://funded.club/case-studies/digital-science) - [Blog](https://funded.club/blog-results) - [Resources](https://funded.club/resources) - [Predict success](https://signup.predict.ventures/) - [Growth Planner](https://funded.club/growth-planner) - [Glossary](https://funded.club/glossary) - [FAQ](https://funded.club/faq) - [Contact us](https://funded.club/contact-us) [Book a call](https://funded.club/contact-us) - Engagement options: - [Hiring solutions](https://funded.club) - [Pay-as-you-go](https://funded.club/pricing) - Membership plan # How to Choose a Recruiter for Your Startup: Questions to Ask ![how-to-choose-a-recruiter-for-your-startup:-questions-to-ask](https://funded.club/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-featured-images/fc-how-to-choose-a-recruiter-startup.png?width=1200&height=628&name=fc-how-to-choose-a-recruiter-startup.png) [Ray Gibson](https://funded.club/blog/author/ray-gibson) Sep 29, 2026, 8:30:11 PM *Updated September 2026* To choose a recruiter for your startup, first decide which model suits you (contingency, retained, marketplace, software plus on-demand recruiters, or fixed fee), then interview two or three providers with the same set of questions. Ask who will do the work, exactly what you pay and when, how fast you will see candidates, and what happens if the search stalls. ## Decide which model you are buying first Recruiters differ more by model than by name, so compare models before you compare firms: | Model | How it works | Typical fit | | --- | --- | --- | | Contingency | A percentage of first-year salary, paid when someone is hired | Occasional hires where cost is less of a concern | | Retained search | Fees paid in stages over an exclusive search | Senior leadership and executive roles | | Recruiter marketplace | Many independent recruiters can submit candidates for a role | Teams that want wide reach and can manage volume | | ATS plus on-demand recruiters | Hiring software with recruiting help added when needed | Teams that want to run most of the process themselves | | Fixed fee | A set price per hire agreed upfront | Startups that want budget certainty across several hires | Our guide to [flat-fee recruiters for startups](https://funded.club/blog/flat-fee-recruiter-startups) and our list of the [best recruiting companies](https://funded.club/blog/best-recruiting-companies) go deeper on each option. Check each provider's own site for current pricing, as terms change. ## Checklist: questions to ask any recruiter Use the same questions with every provider you speak to, and write the answers down so you can compare them side by side. ### Who does the work - Who will work on my search day to day, and how many other searches are they running? - Will the person I speak to now be the person who sources and screens candidates? - Have you hired for this type of role, at this stage of company, recently? - How will you learn our product, culture and hiring bar before you start sourcing? ### Fees and terms - What is the total fee for this role, in currency, not as a percentage? - When is each part of the fee due? - If the salary changes during the search, does the fee change? - What happens if you do not find the right candidate? Is any money returned? - What happens if a hire leaves in the first few months? ### Process and speed - How soon will I see the first screened candidates? - How many candidates do you expect to present, and how are they screened? - How often will you report progress, and in what format? - Will you support us through the offer and negotiation? ### Proof - Can I speak to two founders you have hired for in the last year? - Which roles have you not been able to fill, and why? ## What good answers sound like Good answers are specific. A named recruiter, a fee in dollars, a date for the first shortlist and a clear rule for what happens if things go wrong. Be cautious of answers that stay vague on who does the work, or that only quote a percentage without telling you what it means for your salary range. Pay attention to the questions the recruiter asks you, too. A good recruiter will push to understand what the hire needs to achieve, who they report to and why the last person in the role did or did not work out. If they only ask for a job description, expect a list of CVs rather than a shortlist. ## Run a small test before a big commitment If you are planning several hires, start with one or two roles. Judge the partner on the quality of the first shortlist, how well they represent your company to candidates and how much of your time the process takes. Then expand what works. ## Where Funded.club fits Here is how Funded.club answers the checklist. It is a fixed-fee recruiting partner, founded in 2019, that has helped 500+ startups from Seed to Series D across North America, Europe and APAC. - **Who does the work:** one dedicated recruiter runs each search end to end, covering sourcing, headhunting, screening and support through the offer. - **Fees:** a fixed fee agreed upfront, from $4,900 for salaries up to $70,000 to $15,900 to $21,900 above $150,000. That averages 6 to 9% of salary. See [pricing](https://funded.club/pricing). - **When you pay:** an advance at the start, the balance when the candidate accepts. First-time customers can ask to defer the advance until they see their first candidates. - **If it does not work:** if there is no shortlist of at least 3 qualified candidates within 30 days, you can claim the advance back in full. - **Speed:** first screened candidates within 7 days, 33 days average from kick-off to hire. More detail is in the [FAQ](https://funded.club/faq). ## Frequently asked questions ### How many recruiters should a startup speak to before choosing one? Two or three is usually enough, as long as you ask each one the same questions. That gives you a fair comparison without turning the selection into a project of its own. ### Should a startup use more than one recruiter for the same role? It can cause confusion, with candidates approached twice and mixed messages about your company. Most startups get better results from one committed partner per role, with a clear deadline for the first shortlist. ### What is the most important question to ask a recruiter? Ask who will work on your search day to day and how many other searches they are running. The individual recruiter's time and focus shape the result more than the firm's brand. Worth a brief chat about your next hire? [Book a free call](https://funded.club/contact-us). ## Hiring after a funding round? First candidates in 7 days. Fixed-fee, no commission. [See pricing](https://funded.club/pricing) [Book a free call](https://funded.club/contact-us) [Try the Growth Planner](https://funded.club/growth-planner) [![Primary\_logo](https://funded.club/hubfs/funded-images2022/Primary_logo.svg)](https://funded.club) © 2019-2026 Funded.club B.V. All Rights Reserved. Chamber of Commerce: 63083809    VAT (BTW): NL855084844B01 ## Contact Us - [Hiring service](https://funded.club) - [Pricing - Recruiting projects](https://funded.club/pricing) - [Find a job](https://funded.club/startupjobs) - [Our team](https://funded.club/fundedteam) - [Blog](https://funded.club/blog) - [Case studies](https://funded.club/case-studies) - [Startup resources](https://funded.club/resources) - [FAQ](https://funded.club/faq) - [Contact Us](https://funded.club/contact-us) ## Follow Us © 2019-2026 All rights reserved. - [Privacy Policy](https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/56133290) - [Cookie policies](https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/56133290/cookie-policy) - [Terms of Use](https://funded.club/terms) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@id" : "https://funded.club/#ray-gibson" }, "dateModified" : "2026-09-29", "datePublished" : "2026-09-29", "headline" : "How to Choose a Recruiter for Your Startup: Questions to Ask", "image" : [ "https://7828179.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/7828179/blog-featured-images/fc-how-to-choose-a-recruiter-startup.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://funded.club/blog/how-to-choose-a-recruiter-startup", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://funded.club/#organization" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://funded.club/#organization", "@type" : "Organization", "areaServed" : [ "North America", "Europe", "Asia-Pacific" ], "description" : "Fixed-fee recruiting partner for funded startups and fast-growing teams across North America, Europe and APAC. 500+ startups helped since 2019. 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