For In-house talent acquisition leaders
Good judgment travels. Keep the boundaries clear.
Know someone who could build an early team? Start with their permission and your own obligations. TA partners earn 70% of the collected placement fee on eligible hires they originate.
- First-year base
- $200,000
- Client fee
- 15% of base, paid on hire
- Collected fee
- $30,000
Illustrations. The introduction is an example of the structure we ask for, and the arithmetic uses our published rates. Neither is a historical result or promised earnings.
How it works: Refery works with TA leaders who can make authorized, consent-based introductions to VC-backed Seed to Series B startups. The focus is Engineering, AI, and GTM. The partner share is 70% of collected placement fees on eligible hires. Participation is not a guarantee of employer approval, anonymity, or clearance under an employment agreement.
Refery is a startup recruiting network for VC-backed Seed to Series B companies hiring Engineering, AI, and GTM talent. It combines specialist independent recruiters with referrals from founders, operators, and investors.
- Partner share
- 70%of collected placement fees on eligible hires
- Company focus
- Seed to BVC-backed startup teams
- Joining fee
- $0no subscription or platform fee
The companies you would introduce people to are backed by investors including:
Why Refery
See the person. Respect the context.
A person can be excellent and wrong for one particular role. Your judgment may help them find a better fit. That does not make an employer’s candidate database, interview notes, or confidential information yours to share.
A relationship, not an export
Make an introduction the person wants, using information you are authorized to share. Do not upload an employer’s candidate archive or internal assessments.
Context without confidential detail
Explain the candidate’s interests and relevant experience. Separate public or authorized information from anything learned under a duty of confidentiality.
Boundaries before a fee
Raise employment, investment, and company conflicts before a referral. If permission is unclear, pause and resolve it before sharing information.
The companies and roles
Early teams. Work that matters.
VC-backed Seed to Series B companies hiring Engineering, AI, and GTM talent. The brief should explain what the hire needs to own, not just which logos belong on a résumé.
Engineering
Founding and senior software engineers, infrastructure, and data. Look for evidence of building and owning systems.
Engineering recruiting →AI
AI/ML and forward-deployed engineers. Distinguish research, model development, and production implementation experience.
AI recruiting →GTM
Founding GTM, enterprise sales, and growth. Explain the customer, sales motion, and what the person built themselves.
GTM recruiting →These are examples of our recruiting focus, not a live vacancy list or a promise of an available role. Confirm the current search, location, compensation, and working arrangement before making an introduction.
Consent and conflicts
Before your first TA referral
Refery does not provide legal clearance for outside activity. This checklist is not legal advice. If you are unsure what your agreement or local rules permit, seek qualified advice before participating.
- Review your employment agreement, outside-activity policies, and any required approvals.
- Confirm that you may make the introduction and receive a referral payment; get qualified advice where needed.
- Get the candidate’s permission for the specific introduction and information being shared.
- Tell Refery which company relationships or restrictions need review before an introduction proceeds.
- Agree what may be shared, with whom, and on what terms. Do not rely on anonymity as a substitute for permission.
- Who
- Senior backend engineer, Series A fintech
- What they owned
- The migration off the monolith: picked the boundaries, wrote the cutover, stayed through two failed attempts
- How I know
- We were on the same team for two years
- Why now
- Wants more scope than the current role allows
- Constraints
- Berlin or remote CET, notice 2 months
The economics
One fee. Your 70% share.
Independent recruiters, operator scouts, and TA partners each earn 70% of the collected placement fee on eligible hires they originate. No joining fee, no subscription, and no retainer to chase.
Payment follows collection of the client fee and your partner agreement, including the client's 90-day guarantee. Attribution and payment timing are confirmed in writing. An introduction alone does not earn a placement fee.
How it works
From introduction to a hiring decision.
Check permission first
Resolve your own employment and confidentiality obligations. Candidate consent alone does not settle every restriction.
Discuss fit and boundaries
Apply and tell us which roles you know well. Raise potential conflicts before sharing candidate information.
Introduce with consent
Use an authorized profile and a clear account of the person’s interests. Refery reviews the fit and coordinates next steps.
Follow the agreed terms
Your 70% share applies to eligible hires and collected client fees. The partner agreement governs attribution, timing, and guarantee adjustments.
A referral does not guarantee an interview or hire. Timing depends on the search, candidate, and hiring team.
Questions
The details, before you start.
Updated . The applicable signed agreement governs individual engagements.
What is a Refery TA referral partner?
A Refery TA referral partner is an in-house talent professional who makes authorized, consent-based introductions outside their employer’s confidential systems. Refery coordinates the startup search. The partner must first confirm that their employment terms and other obligations allow the referral and any payment.
Can I participate while employed as an in-house TA leader?
Do not assume that you can. Review your employment agreement and employer policies, obtain any required approvals, and seek qualified advice if the position is unclear. Refery cannot determine your permission to participate or receive a referral fee.
Will my employer find out, or can I stay anonymous?
Refery cannot promise that an employer will never learn of a referral or guarantee anonymity. Discuss what information may be shared before participating. Privacy preferences are not a substitute for required disclosure or employer approval.
Can I refer someone I interviewed at work?
Only proceed after confirming that you are authorized to make the introduction and share the information, as well as obtaining the candidate’s consent. Do not export an employer’s candidate database, confidential interview notes, or internal evaluations. If permission is uncertain, pause.
Does Refery automatically prevent employer conflicts?
Do not assume automated controls clear every conflict. Tell Refery about relevant company restrictions before an introduction and confirm how they will be handled. If circumstances change, stop further introductions involving the conflict until the position is resolved.
How much do Refery partners earn?
Independent recruiters, operator scouts, and TA partners all earn 70% of the collected placement fee on eligible hires they originate. This is a share of the fee Refery collects, not of the hire’s salary, and not a promised payout. An introduction alone does not earn a placement fee.
When do I get paid, and what if a hire leaves?
Payment follows collection of the client placement fee and the terms of your partner agreement. Confirm the payment schedule and how the 90-day client guarantee affects your payout before making introductions. This page does not promise a fixed payment date, automatic refund, or exemption from adjustments.
How are attribution and duplicate introductions handled?
Confirm the attribution window, prior-candidate rules, duplicate-submission handling, and any post-termination rights in your partner agreement. Disclose an existing introduction to the same company before submitting. Do not assume that sending a name alone establishes payout eligibility.
Is there a fee to join?
There is no subscription or platform fee to join the Refery partner network. Refery earns through successful placements. Review the partner agreement before you start.
The other paths
Different context, same share.
Independent recruiters, operator scouts and TA partners each earn 70% of the collected placement fee on eligible hires they originate. What differs is the evidence you bring and who owns the candidate conversation.
Apply to the network
Bring your judgment. Start a conversation.
A short application. Tell us the roles you know and how you know the people you would introduce. If there is a fit, we’ll set up a call.
Or email partners@refery.io. Also for candidates and hiring teams.