--- title: Recruiting from Scratch Alternatives for Startup Tech Hiring description: "Recruiting from Scratch alternatives for startup tech hiring: compare contingency, in-house, RPO and fixed-fee models and what to ask any tech recruiter." image: https://funded.club/hubfs/blog-featured-images/fc-recruiting-from-scratch-alternatives-tech-hiring.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 # Recruiting from Scratch Alternatives for Startup Tech Hiring ![recruiting-from-scratch-alternatives-for-startup-tech-hiring](https://funded.club/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-featured-images/fc-recruiting-from-scratch-alternatives-tech-hiring.png?width=1200&height=628&name=fc-recruiting-from-scratch-alternatives-tech-hiring.png) [Ray Gibson](https://funded.club/blog/author/ray-gibson) Sep 29, 2026, 9:00:11 PM *Updated September 2026* Startups looking for alternatives to Recruiting from Scratch for tech hiring can consider contingency recruiters, an in-house technical recruiter, RPO, or a fixed-fee recruiting partner such as Funded.club. Recruiting from Scratch is a tech recruiting firm working with startups. The right option depends on how many engineering and product roles you plan to hire and how you want the cost to scale, so check each provider's own site for current pricing. ## The four common models for tech hiring - **Contingency:** the recruiter is paid a percentage of first-year salary when a hire is made. There is no fee if no hire is made, but the fee rises with salary. - **In-house technical recruiter:** a salaried employee who recruits only for you. Works well at steady high volume, but takes time to hire and ramp. - **RPO or fractional recruiting:** an outside recruiter embedded in your team for a period, usually billed by time. - **Fixed-fee recruiting:** one set fee per hire, agreed before the search starts, with a dedicated recruiter running it. Our guide to [fractional recruiting vs RPO vs agencies](https://funded.club/blog/fractional-recruiting-vs-rpo-vs-agencies-for-startups-2026) compares these in more depth. ## Cost it across your whole engineering plan Tech hiring usually comes in batches, so compare models on the full plan rather than one role. A worked example: three senior engineers at $140,000 each. With a 20 to 25% contingency fee, that is $28,000 to $35,000 per hire, or $84,000 to $105,000 in total. With Funded.club, each role up to $150,000 is a fixed $11,500, so $34,500 for all three. The same arithmetic applies to product managers, designers and data roles. For more examples, see [how much a recruiter costs for startups](https://funded.club/blog/how-much-does-a-recruiter-cost-for-startups). ## Questions to ask any tech recruiter - **Who does the first technical screen?** Ask what the recruiter checks before a candidate reaches your engineers, and what they leave to you. - **How do you source?** Active applicants, a database, outbound headhunting, or a mix. Strong engineers are often not looking. - **How many searches does each recruiter run?** This affects how much attention your role gets. - **What reporting will I get?** Weekly numbers on outreach, replies, screens and interviews show where the funnel is thin. - **What happens if the first shortlist misses?** Look for a clear commitment on shortlists and timing. ## Keep your technical process tight Even the best sourcing fails if the interview process drags. For startup engineering roles: - **Limit the steps.** A recruiter screen, a technical conversation, one practical exercise and a founder or team meeting is enough for most roles. - **Respect candidates' time.** If you use a take-home task, keep it short or offer a paid or live alternative. - **Use a written scorecard** agreed before the first interview, so interviewers assess the same things. - **Decide quickly.** Book debriefs the same day as final interviews and make offers within a few days. If you are hiring several engineers at once, our guides to [the first 10 hires after funding](https://funded.club/blog/first-10-hires-after-funding) and [hiring a CTO](https://funded.club/blog/hire-cto-startup) help with sequencing. ## Where Funded.club fits Funded.club is a fixed-fee recruiting partner for funded startups across North America, Europe and APAC. Since 2019 it has helped 500+ startups from Seed to Series D hire engineers, product managers and other roles. - **A dedicated recruiter** sources, headhunts and screens candidates, then supports you through to offer. - **Fixed fees by band:** $4,900 up to $70,000, $7,500 up to $110,000, $11,500 up to $150,000, and $15,900 to $21,900 above $150,000. That averages 6 to 9% of salary, against the 20 to 25% typical of contingency recruiters. See [pricing](https://funded.club/pricing). - **First screened candidates within 7 days** and 33 days average to hire, with a 100% fill rate. - **Proof:** Supernova (YC W19) made 22 hires with Funded.club at 27 days average time to hire, saving about EUR 210k versus percentage fees. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Recruiting from Scratch? Recruiting from Scratch is a tech recruiting firm working with startups. For its current services and pricing, check the Recruiting from Scratch website. ### Is contingency or fixed fee better for engineering hires? It depends on volume and salary. Contingency fees rise with salary, while a fixed fee does not. On a plan with several engineers, the gap between the two usually grows with every hire. ### How fast can Funded.club deliver engineering candidates? Funded.club delivers first screened candidates within 7 days of kick-off. The average from kick-off to hire is 33 days. ### Does Funded.club only hire engineers? No. Funded.club hires engineering, product, sales, marketing, operations, customer success and leadership roles for startups from Seed to Series D. 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" : "Recruiting from Scratch Alternatives for Startup Tech Hiring", "image" : [ "https://7828179.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/7828179/blog-featured-images/fc-recruiting-from-scratch-alternatives-tech-hiring.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://funded.club/blog/recruiting-from-scratch-alternatives-tech-hiring", "@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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