For independent recruiters
Terms agreed after the first CV is sent are terms you'll argue about.
Independent recruiters often start a search on a phone call: the hiring manager is in a hurry, you send three strong CVs that afternoon, and the terms of business are an attachment nobody signs. Then the client hires one of your candidates three months later 'through another route', or the hire leaves in week six and they want a refund, or they gave the same role to four agencies without saying so.
ApeiroCraft sends the terms as a link with the fee model, what triggers the fee, the guarantee or replacement period, exclusivity, candidate ownership and payment terms. You see when it's opened and reopened, the hiring manager signs in the browser before you send a CV, and the fee — or the retained instalments — is invoiced from the accepted proposal.
Where recruitment fees get lost.
Unsigned terms
The client says they never agreed to your terms. Without a signature, collecting a fee for a placement can become a long negotiation.
Candidate ownership
A candidate you introduced is hired months later, directly or through another agency. If ownership period and fee terms weren't agreed, you may not be paid.
Guarantee disputes
A hire leaves early. The client wants a full refund; you offered a replacement. Without written terms, it's your word against theirs.
Signed terms, then the search.
Fee model and trigger, clear
State whether the search is contingent or retained, how the fee is calculated, and what triggers it — offer accepted, start date, or stage of search.
See when the hiring manager reads it
Opens and re-opens are recorded on the link. If it hasn't been opened, chase the terms before you send CVs.
Signed before the first CV
The signature records name, email, IP address and a UTC timestamp and can't be altered — the fee, guarantee and ownership terms are on record.
Invoice on placement or by stage
Convert the accepted proposal into an invoice when the fee is triggered. Retained searches are invoiced in instalments from the same proposal.
What a recruiter's terms of business have to include.
Employment and agency rules vary by country, and some regulate what recruiters can charge or how. Check yours. Commercially, these are the essentials.
Fee model and calculation
If it's left vague
Disagreement over what the percentage is applied to.
With ApeiroCraft
State contingent or retained, the basis of the fee (such as first-year base salary) and what's included.
Fee trigger and payment terms
If it's left vague
Disputes over when the fee is due.
With ApeiroCraft
Say what triggers the fee and the payment terms.
Guarantee or replacement
If it's left vague
A full refund is expected for an early leaver.
With ApeiroCraft
Give the guarantee period and whether it's a replacement, a partial refund, or a credit.
Candidate ownership
If it's left vague
Introduced candidates are hired later without a fee.
With ApeiroCraft
State how long an introduction remains yours and the fee if they're hired within it.
Exclusivity
If it's left vague
The role is quietly given to several agencies.
With ApeiroCraft
Say whether the search is exclusive and for how long.
- Placement and retained-instalment invoices from one proposal.
- Pipeline view of clients and searches by stage.
- Editable tax-rate field and your own payment link.
Common questions.
How do independent recruiters usually charge?
Common models are contingent fees (paid only on placement, usually a percentage of the hire's salary), retained search (fees in instalments at stages such as engagement, shortlist and placement), fixed-fee recruitment, and hourly or day-rate recruitment consulting. Guarantee periods are common. ApeiroCraft holds the model; it doesn't suggest fee levels.
What does a retained search proposal look like?
A brief for a senior role; a retained fee calculated on first-year base salary, payable in three instalments — at signing, on shortlist and on placement; exclusivity for a set number of weeks; candidate ownership for a set period after introduction; a replacement guarantee if the hire leaves within a stated time; payment terms. The hiring manager reopens it after talking to finance, signs, and you invoice the first instalment.
When is ApeiroCraft not the right fit for a recruiter?
It isn't an applicant-tracking system or recruitment CRM: no candidate database, CV parsing, job board posting or interview scheduling. You'll need an ATS for candidates. ApeiroCraft fits the client side — terms, signatures, invoices and a simple client pipeline.
Can I invoice the fee once the salary is confirmed?
Yes. When the fee is triggered, convert the accepted proposal to an invoice and set the amount from the confirmed salary. Invoices are editable until sent.
Can contract recruiters use it for timesheet billing?
Not well. ApeiroCraft doesn't handle timesheets or contractor payroll. It's better suited to permanent placement and retained search.
Get the terms signed before the first CV.
Write your fee, guarantee and ownership terms once and send them to every new client.
Start freeStill deciding? Talk to the founder
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