What Does Hiring Really Cost? The Numbers Most Companies Don’t Calculate

When companies think about hiring, the conversation usually starts in the same place.

Cost.

More specifically, the cost of using a recruitment agency.

Agency fees are clear, visible and easy to measure. A percentage of salary, a single invoice, a defined cost. It is no surprise that many organisations look at this number and decide to manage hiring internally instead.

On the surface, it feels like the cheaper option.

But this only tells part of the story.

A Practical Example

To bring this into focus, we analysed a typical hiring scenario.

A €60,000 role.
A standard internal recruitment process.
A realistic hiring timeline.

Even in a smooth, best-case scenario, the internal cost of running that process quickly adds up when you factor in time, advertising and the impact of vacancy.

When these costs are viewed alongside a typical recruitment agency fee, the comparison becomes far less straightforward than it first appears.

Why This Matters

This is not about saying that recruitment agencies are always the right solution. Many organisations successfully hire internally, particularly for certain roles or at particular stages of growth.

The issue is not the approach itself. It is how the decision is made.

Too often, hiring decisions are based on one visible number, without considering the full economic impact of the process. When you look at the complete picture, the question shifts from:

“How much does a recruitment agency cost?”

to:

“What is the most cost-effective way to make this hire?”

A More Transparent Look at Hiring

We created this report to give a clearer, more transparent view of the economics behind hiring decisions.

It breaks down:

• Recruitment agency fees
• Internal hiring costs
• The cost of vacancy
• The financial impact of a bad hire

Not to convince you that one approach is better, but to give you the information needed to make the right decision for your organisation.

Download the Full Report

If you are responsible for hiring, planning growth, or reviewing your recruitment strategy, this report will give you a clearer view of what hiring actually costs.

Download the full report here.