Contingency recruitment or RPO: which one?
Both hand your hiring to an agency, but they answer different needs. The right choice comes down mostly to your volume and your time horizon.
In short. Choose contingency recruitment for one specific, one-off role, paid only if you hire. Choose RPO when you have several roles to fill on an ongoing basis and want steady hiring capacity on a fixed fee.
Contingency recruitment, in one sentence
An agency searches for one candidate for one role and is paid only on the hire. It is the right model for an isolated need, with no budget risk: no hire, no invoice. See our page contingency recruitment.
RPO, in one sentence
RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) embeds a dedicated recruiter in your team, on a fixed monthly fee, to run several hires at once and over time. It is an extension of your HR team, steered with clear measures. See our page Agile RPO.
The comparison, line by line
| Criterion | Contingency recruitment | Agile RPO |
|---|---|---|
| Typical need | One specific, one-off role | Several roles, ongoing |
| Billing | % of salary, on hire | Fixed monthly fee |
| Budget risk | None before a hire | Commitment over a period |
| Start-up | Immediate on one role | Recruiter in place within 72 hours |
| Best for | Scarce profiles, replacements | Growth phases, volume |
| Cost at volume | Rises with the number of roles | Levels out and becomes cheaper |
How to decide in practice
Ask yourself one question: how many hires over the next six months? One or two clearly identified roles, and contingency is enough. Five, ten, or a flow that is hard to predict, and RPO gives you steady capacity at a controlled cost. Many companies combine the two: RPO for volume, contingency for scarce or sensitive roles.
Your questions about the two models.
What is the difference, in practice?
Contingency targets one role and is paid on results. RPO puts a dedicated recruiter in your team, on a fixed fee, for several ongoing hires.
Is RPO more expensive?
For a single role, no: contingency costs less. As soon as several hires run in parallel, the RPO fee often works out cheaper than the sum of the contingency fees.
Can we start with contingency and move to RPO?
Yes, and it is common: we start with one role on contingency, and if the volume grows we move all or part of it to RPO.
We will help you choose in 30 minutes.
Describe your need and your volume. We will point you to the model that fits, with no obligation.
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