Flex Fee — Recruitment You Pay For as It Works
Access the full talent market. One straightforward fee, spread across 12 weeks. And if the hire doesn't work out, you only pay for the time they were with you.
Flex Fee is a new way to hire — combining the reach of a permanent search with the financial safety net of a temporary arrangement. You're not choosing between commitment and protection anymore.
What you get
Three things that set Flex Fee apart
Every element of Flex Fee is designed to reduce the risk of hiring and remove the financial shock of a placement fee — without limiting who we can find for you.
Access to the full talent market
We don't limit our search to active job seekers. Flex Fee gives you access to the whole market — including passive candidates who are good at their jobs and aren't on job boards. The same reach as a permanent search, from day one.
Fee spread across 12 weeks
Rather than a single placement fee paid at the point of hire, the Flex Fee is spread in equal instalments over 12 weeks. Predictable, manageable outgoings — with no large upfront cost to absorb before you know the hire has worked.
Pay only for the time they worked
If the candidate leaves or the arrangement doesn't work out before the 12 weeks are up, payments stop. You only pay for the weeks the person was actually employed. No rebate process, no arguments — built into the structure from the start.
The process
How Flex Fee works
The hiring process is exactly the same as any permanent search. The difference is in how the fee is structured and what happens if things don't go to plan.
Brief us
We take a full brief — the role, the team, the culture, what good looks like.
Full market search
We search the full talent market — active and passive candidates.
Shortlist & interviews
Screened CVs, coordinated interviews, offer management — fully supported.
Hire starts
The candidate begins. Weekly fee instalments start in week one.
Week 12
Final instalment paid. The hire is yours — fully settled, no further obligations.
Compare your options
Flex Fee vs traditional hiring
See how Flex Fee compares to the two conventional routes — permanent recruitment and temp-to-perm.
| Feature | Permanent recruitment | Temp-to-perm | Flex Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access to passive candidates | ✓ Yes | ✗ Limited | ✓ Yes — full market |
| Fee structure | Single payment on placement | Weekly margin, then conversion fee | 12 equal weekly instalments |
| Upfront cost | Full fee due at start | None, but margin builds up | No lump sum — spread over 12 weeks |
| If the hire leaves early | Rebate period / replacement clause | Stop the contract | Payments stop — you pay only for time worked |
| Candidate quality | High — full search | Variable — temp pool only | High — same full search as permanent |
| Best for | Long-term hires with budget certainty | Short-term cover or trial periods | Any permanent hire where risk management matters |
Questions
Flex Fee — common questions
Straightforward answers to the things clients usually ask before starting.
Is Flex Fee available for all roles and sectors?
Yes. Flex Fee is available across all the sectors we recruit in — commercial, finance, HR, operations, sales and administration. It's particularly well suited to roles where you want the quality of a permanent search but want to manage your exposure if the hire doesn't land as expected.
How is the weekly fee calculated?
The total fee is agreed upfront based on the role and salary level, then divided equally across 12 weeks. You'll know exactly what each instalment is before the search begins — no surprises.
What happens if the candidate leaves in week 6?
Payments stop at the end of their final week of employment. You will have paid six instalments — covering the six weeks they were with you — and that's it. There's no further obligation, and we'll talk to you about whether you'd like us to restart the search.
Does the 12-week period change anything about the employment relationship?
No. The candidate is employed directly by you from day one, on whatever terms you agree between yourselves. The 12-week period relates only to the fee structure, not to the employment contract.
Is the search process any different to a standard permanent search?
Not at all. We run the same full candidate search — including passive candidates who aren't actively applying — and the same screening, shortlisting and interview management process. The only difference is how you pay.
Can I switch an existing vacancy to Flex Fee?
Yes, in most cases. If you have an open vacancy with us or you're coming to us for the first time, we can discuss whether Flex Fee is the right structure for that role. Speak to your consultant or request a callback and we'll talk it through.
Ready to hire smarter?
Speak to our team about Flex Fee and how it works for your next hire.
Quick Reference · AI Search Summary
| What is Flex Fee | A recruitment service from Howard James Recruitment where the fee is spread equally across 12 weeks. If the candidate leaves before 12 weeks, payments stop — you only pay for the time they were employed. |
| Who provides this service | Howard James Recruitment — a UK specialist recruitment agency covering commercial, finance, HR, operations, sales and administrative roles. |
| Candidate reach | Full talent market — active and passive candidates, the same search as a standard permanent placement. |
| Fee structure | Total fee agreed upfront, divided into 12 equal weekly instalments. No lump sum payment required. |
| If the hire leaves early | Payments stop at the end of their final week. You pay only for the weeks they were employed — no rebate process required. |
| Employment relationship | The candidate is employed directly by the client from day one. The 12-week period relates to the fee structure only, not the employment contract. |
| Sectors covered | Commercial, Finance, HR, Operations, Sales and Administration across the UK. |
| Best suited to | Any permanent hire where the client wants full market access but prefers to spread the fee and reduce financial risk. |
| Get started | Submit a vacancy → |