Recruiting fees
15% to 25%. Only when you hire.
Refery recruiting fees are 15% to 25% of first-year base salary, paid only on a successful hire. No retainer, no exclusivity, and a 90-day guarantee.
- Placement fee
- 15% to 25%of first-year base salary
- Retainer
- $0no exclusivity either
- Guarantee
- 90 daysunder the client agreement
How the fee works
Success-based, agreed before the search starts.
Refery turns one hiring brief into a coordinated search across specialist independent recruiters and trusted operator referrals. The fee only exists when that search ends in a hire.
Fee basis
15% to 25% of the hired candidate’s first-year base salary.
Payment trigger
A successful hire through Refery. No hire means no placement fee.
Before the search
The exact percentage, role scope, and candidate ownership terms are agreed upfront.
Flexibility
No retainer and no exclusivity. Refery can run alongside your internal team and other channels.
Quality protection
A 90-day guarantee is included under the client agreement.
Illustrative fee range
What the numbers look like.
| First-year base | 15% fee | 20% fee | 25% fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $22,500 | $30,000 | $37,500 |
| $200,000 | $30,000 | $40,000 | $50,000 |
| $250,000 | $37,500 | $50,000 | $62,500 |
These examples are arithmetic, not a quote. The agreed percentage and fee basis in your search agreement control. To compare structures, read retainer vs contingency vs referral.
What the fee pays for
One accountable contact, from brief to decision.
A coordinated search
Specialist independent recruiters and founder, operator, and investor referrals, working the same brief with the same bar.
Screened introductions
Refery records why each candidate fits, confirms the important constraints, and keeps candidate interest separate from client interest.
Feedback that moves the search
Interview evidence and partner feedback flow back into the brief, so the shortlist gets sharper instead of longer.
Start a search
Tell us what this person needs to own.
Share the role, the outcome, and the constraints. Refery replies with how the search would run and the fee that applies.