Refery vs Jack & Jill
Recruiters and referrals, or AI-agent introductions?
Both can introduce candidates. Look at how the search is run, what you learn about each person, and the full agreement. The label “AI” or “human” does not settle the hiring decision.
Short answer: Refery combines specialist independent recruiters with founder, operator, and investor referrals. Jack & Jill pairs a candidate-facing AI agent, Jack, with a hiring agent, Jill. Refery charges 15% to 25% of first-year base salary; Jack & Jill advertises 10% of first-year salary. Confirm how each agreement defines the fee basis. [1][2]
Written by Refery. Reviewed . Sources and scope.
The current offer
What Jack & Jill describes today.
Jill’s product page describes matching a role against Jack’s candidate network, then making an introduction when both sides are interested. It also describes support for refining the hiring brief and reviewing candidate fit. [1]
The pricing page lists no subscription, retainer, or upfront fee, and advertises a full refund if a hire leaves or is dismissed within the first three months. Treat that as the published offer; confirm the applicable conditions in the agreement. [2]
How Refery works
Recruiting specialists. Operator context.
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.
Send us the role and what this person needs to own. Refery coordinates the search, screens candidates, and provides context on why each person fits. Recruiter-led sourcing and personal referrals are different sources of evidence; the candidate brief should make that distinction clear.
Companies pay 15% to 25% of first-year base salary on a successful hire. No retainer. No exclusivity. A 90-day guarantee under the client agreement. See Refery’s fees and guarantee.
At a glance
Compare the actual scope.
Public positioning, not a negotiated quote. On smaller screens, scroll the table horizontally.
| Compare | Refery | Jack & Jill |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate sourcing | Specialist independent recruiters plus founder, operator, and investor referrals. | AI-agent matching using conversations between candidates and Jack. [1][3] |
| Hiring workflow | A managed search with one Refery contact, screening, and candidate briefs. | Brief Jill, review matching candidates, and request introductions. [1] |
| Success fee | 15% to 25% of first-year base salary. | Advertised at 10% of first-year salary. Confirm salary definitions and any applicable conditions. [2] |
| Guarantee | 90-day guarantee under the client agreement. | Advertised full refund for departure or dismissal within three months; check the agreement. [2] |
How to choose
Start with the role. Then the model.
Price matters. So does the work behind the introduction. Compare proposals against the same role brief and compensation assumptions. A percentage of base salary and a percentage of a differently defined salary figure may not produce the same invoice.
For a founding or senior hire, ask to see the reasoning behind a recommendation. What has the person actually owned? What do they want next? Where does the evidence come from? Which parts still need testing in an interview? Apply the same bar to a recruiter, an operator referral, and an AI-generated match.
Choose Refery when you want a managed startup search drawing on both recruiting specialists and operator relationships. Consider an AI-agent workflow if that is how your team wants to brief, review, and meet candidates. Compare the actual process and evidence, not an unsupported claim that one model always produces better hires.
Building an early team? Explore startup recruiting, AI recruiting, and founding engineer hiring.
Ask before starting
- How was this candidate found, and have they expressed interest in our role?
- Which claims about their work have been checked, and which are self-reported?
- How do we correct a brief or challenge a recommendation?
- What compensation is the fee calculated on, and what does the guarantee cover?
Questions
Common questions.
Does Jack & Jill charge the same fee as Refery?
Not necessarily. Jack & Jill’s pricing page advertises 10% of first-year salary. Refery charges 15% to 25% of first-year base salary. Compare the agreed rate and compensation definition, not just the headline percentage.
[2]Is this simply human recruiting versus AI recruiting?
That is too broad. Compare the candidate source, who reviews fit, how feedback is handled, and who is accountable for the search. Refery uses specialist independent recruiters and founder, operator, and investor referrals. Jack & Jill describes an AI agent on each side of the hiring process.
[3]Can I use Refery alongside another recruiting provider?
Refery does not require exclusivity. Check the other provider’s agreement before running parallel searches, and agree how existing candidates and duplicate introductions will be handled. Do not assume the providers have identical terms.
Sources
Sources and scope.
This comparison is written by Refery, not an independent reviewer. Competitor descriptions summarize the official pages below, checked on September 19, 2026. Our recommendations are editorial judgment, not measured performance rankings.
- Jack & Jill: Jill’s hiring workflow
- Jack & Jill: published pricing and refund overview
- Jack & Jill: candidate and company agents
Public pages and commercial terms can change. Confirm the scope, fee basis, and guarantee conditions directly before signing. We do not rank providers by unverified placement counts, candidate volume, or hiring speed.
Start a search
Tell us what this hire needs to own.
A job description, a Notion doc, or a paragraph is enough to start the conversation. We’ll discuss the brief, search approach, and terms with you.