Engaged search · contingent · staffing·17 years of placement expertise·Backed by ProHireHQ AI ↗
Engaged Headhunters/Solutions/Direct Hire
Solutions · Pillar

Direct Hire.

Permanent placement onto your headcount. Senior staffing partner, calibrated shortlist, replacement guarantee.

Fee
18-35% or flat per role
Best for
Permanent W-2 hires
Timeline
30-90 days
Guarantee
90 days standard
Definition

What is direct hire?

Direct hire is a permanent placement model. The candidate is hired onto your company's headcount as a W-2 employee from day one, and the firm is paid a one-time placement fee at start date.

It is the right model for permanent roles where you want the candidate fully on your benefits, payroll, and equity from the beginning. Contingent by default, run alongside other channels. Exclusive options exist (engaged search, retained search) when the role demands deeper firm commitment.

Fee structure is a percentage of first-year compensation (typically 18 to 25 percent for mid-level, 25 to 35 percent for senior) or a flat fee per role. Final structure is selected with you at scoping based on role tier and urgency.

How it works

The placement, in five steps.

From kickoff to start date in 30 to 90 days depending on tier. Senior staffing partner runs the search end-to-end, no junior handoff, ProHireHQ AI scales the sourcing.

  1. Scoping & fee

    We define the role, the bar, the geography, the urgency, and the comp band. Placement fee structure (percent or flat) and replacement-guarantee window agreed in writing.

  2. Sourcing & outreach

    Senior staffing partner sources via direct outreach, niche networks, and ProHireHQ AI passive-talent reach. We do not blast the role on job boards.

  3. Shortlist & interviews

    Calibrated shortlist with diligence, references, and comp validation. We schedule interviews, run candidate communications, and gather feedback after each round.

  4. Offer & close

    Offer support, counter-offer management, start-date logistics. We work the close as hard as the sourcing, because the offer stage is where most searches break.

  5. Start & guarantee

    Placement fee invoiced on start date, net 15. Replacement guarantee runs from start date for the agreed window. If the candidate leaves, we restart at the scoped cost.

Compare

Direct hire vs. Contract.

Two different shapes of employment. Pick the one that matches the role's permanence and your headcount commitment.

Direct Hire

  • Candidate on your W-2 day one
  • One-time placement fee
  • Permanent headcount
  • 90-day standard replacement window
  • Best for permanent roles

Contract Staffing

  • Candidate on our W-2 for the term
  • Bill rate (pay + markup)
  • 3 to 12-month engagements
  • Convertible to direct hire
  • Best for project, leave, surge
Where this runs today

Direct hire by industry.

Industry pages are SEO/AEO entry points. Direct hire scales any permanent role; staffing partners work in niches we may not yet list.

SILO · 01

Healthcare

Clinical · post-acute · health-tech

RNs, NPs, PAs, MDs, clinical leadership

See staffing partners →
SILO · 02

Behavioral Health

BCBA · clinical · operations

BCBAs, clinical directors, operations leads

See staffing partners →
SILO · 03

Wealth Management

Advisors · operations · paraplanners

Wealth advisors, ops leads, paraplanners, CFPs

See staffing partners →
SILO · 04

Technology

Engineering · product · sales

Engineers, PMs, AEs, CSMs, support, SREs

See staffing partners →
SILO · 05

Manufacturing

Plant ops · supply chain · engineering

Plant managers, planners, engineers, EHS

See staffing partners →
SILO · 06

Construction

Project teams · estimation · field

Project managers, estimators, supers, foremen

See staffing partners →
FAQ

Direct hire,
specifically.

The questions hiring managers ask in the first call. Answered the way we answer them in the call.

When is the fee owed?
On the candidate's start date. Standard payment terms are net 15 from start. The fee is fully earned once the candidate begins work; if the candidate leaves inside the replacement guarantee window, we replace the role at the cost the guarantee was scoped to.
What is the replacement guarantee?
Standard direct-hire engagements carry a 90-day replacement window. Longer windows (120 or 180 days) are available with a fee adjustment. If the placed candidate leaves inside the window for any reason other than termination-without-cause, we run the replacement search at no additional placement fee.
How long does a direct-hire search take?
Mid-level roles typically close in 30 to 60 days from kickoff to signed offer. Senior roles run 60 to 90 days. Highly specialized roles (rare niches, restricted geographies) can take 90 to 120 days. We pace the search against your urgency and tell you up front if the timeline you want is unrealistic for the role.
Is the engagement exclusive?
Direct hire is typically run as a contingent engagement, which means you can run it in parallel with other channels. We are paid only if our candidate is the one hired. If you want exclusive commitment with funded sourcing, choose engaged search; if you want exclusive with full firm commitment, choose retained.
Who runs my direct-hire search?
A senior staffing partner inside the niche. The recruiter runs sourcing, screening, scheduling, and the shortlist directly with you, no junior-associate handoff. ProHireHQ AI sourcing scales the outreach.
Can the candidate convert from contract first?
Yes. If you want to try a candidate on contract before committing to permanent headcount, that engagement runs through Contract Staffing first and converts to direct hire on a pro-rata schedule against the contract markup. After about 12 months on contract the conversion is typically fee-free.
●Start a direct-hire search

Tell us the role, the bar, the start date.

We come back inside one business day with a fee quote, a market read, and a candidate timeline.

Start a search →See contract →
SILO · 01 — FOR COMPANIES