Comparison

Placement vs Traditional Recruiting Agencies

How Placement's construction recruiting marketplace differs from working with a traditional recruiting agency.

Quick answer

Placement gives you access to multiple specialized recruiters competing on your role, with full transparency on their performance data and negotiable fees. Traditional agencies assign whoever's available, with limited visibility into track record. Both can work—the right choice depends on whether you value transparency and competition or prefer a single established relationship.

Side by side

How they compare.

	Placement	Traditional Agency
Recruiter selection	You choose based on data	Agency assigns
Performance data visible
Multiple recruiters on role
Upfront cost	$0	Often retainer
Fee negotiation	Per role (18-25%)	Fixed agency rates
AEC specialization guaranteed		Varies
Replacement guarantee	56 days	30-90 days
Account management	Per role	Dedicated AM
Avg. time to first submission	48 hours	1-2 weeks

What is it

How Placement works

Placement is a recruiting marketplace built specifically for construction. When you post a role, we match it to recruiters with proven placement history for that title, market, and seniority. You see their track record—CV-to-interview ratios, time-to-fill, retention rates—and choose who you work with. Multiple recruiters compete on your role, accelerating candidate flow. You pay only when someone starts, with fees negotiable down to 18%.

What is it

How traditional agencies work

When you engage a traditional recruiting agency, they assign a recruiter (or team) to your search based on their internal availability and account structure. The agency manages the relationship, billing, and guarantees. You typically don't see individual recruiter performance data—you're trusting the agency's reputation. Some agencies specialize in construction, many don't. Fee structures are usually fixed at the agency level.

Trade-offs

Pros and cons.

Placement

Pros

Multiple specialized recruiters competing on your role
Full transparency on recruiter performance data
Fee negotiation per role (18-25%)
No upfront cost—pay only on hire
All recruiters vetted for AEC specialization
56-day replacement guarantee built-in

Cons

Newer model—less established than legacy agencies
No single account manager across all roles
Requires some involvement in recruiter selection
Better suited for permanent placement than temp staffing

Traditional Agency

Pros

Established relationships and processes
Single account manager across all roles
May have exclusive candidate relationships
Can handle temp/contract staffing
Brand recognition and track record

Cons

Recruiter assignment is agency-controlled
Limited visibility into individual recruiter performance
Fixed fee structures with less flexibility
Specialization varies—may not know construction deeply
Often requires retainers or upfront fees

Decision guide

Which is better for construction hiring?

Use placement when:

You want to see recruiter performance data before engaging
You value multiple recruiters competing on your role
You prefer paying only on successful hire
You need AEC-specialized recruiters specifically
You want fee flexibility per role
Speed matters—you want submissions in 48 hours, not 2 weeks

Use traditional agency when:

You have an established relationship with a trusted agency
You want a single account manager for all hiring needs
You need temp/contract staffing, not just permanent placement
You're comfortable with the agency's fixed fee structure
The agency has deep, proven expertise in your specific market

Where Placement fits

How Placement approaches this.

We built Placement because we saw construction employers struggling with agencies that didn't understand AEC, recruiters who weren't accountable for their track record, and fee structures that didn't align incentives. Our marketplace model addresses these issues: every recruiter is vetted for construction specialization, their performance data is visible, and you pay only when someone starts. It's not the right fit for every situation—but for employers who want transparency and competition, it's a better model than the traditional agency relationship.

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FAQ

Common questions.

Not exactly. We're offering an alternative model that works better for certain use cases—particularly permanent placement of specialized construction roles. Agencies still have advantages for temp staffing, high-volume hiring, and situations where a single account relationship matters more than recruiter-level transparency.

You can use both. Many employers keep their agency relationship for certain roles and use Placement for others—particularly hard-to-fill positions where multiple specialized recruiters can accelerate the search. The models aren't mutually exclusive.

Every recruiter on Placement is vetted for AEC experience before they can access job orders. We show you their placement history by role type, market, and seniority—so you can see exactly what they've placed, not just what they claim.

Many of our recruiters run independent practices or small agencies. Placement gives them access to qualified job orders without the business development overhead. Others work at agencies but use Placement for roles outside their agency's core relationships.

There isn't one. We take our fee from the recruiter's payout, not from you. You pay one invoice on hire—typically 18-25% of first-year comp depending on the role and recruiter. No platform fees, no seat licenses, no posting costs.

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