I recently screened a candidate who was well below our client’s compensation range.
And by “well below,” I mean about $60,000 below the client’s targeted $200,000 total compensation package.
That creates an interesting question.
Should I increase the candidate’s expectations because the client has room in the budget?
No.
Why a Fractional Recruiter Has No Incentive to Inflate Compensation
In a traditional contingency recruiting model, the recruiter is often paid a percentage of the candidate’s first-year compensation.
That means a higher salary can potentially create a higher recruiting fee.
Our Fractional Recruiter model works differently.
We Get Paid for the Recruiting Work, Not the Candidate’s Salary
Our clients pay us for the recruiting time we use to support their search.
Because our fee isn’t directly tied to how much the candidate earns, we have no financial incentive to increase salary expectations just because the client has a larger budget.
If a candidate says they need $140,000 in total compensation and the client is targeting $200,000, we share accurate information and let the hiring process determine the right compensation package.
Transparency Changes the Recruiting Relationship
A recruiter should help both sides make informed decisions.
That becomes harder when the recruiter financially benefits from pushing compensation higher or keeping important information hidden.
What We Don’t Have an Incentive to Do
Our Fractional Recruiter model removes many of the incentives that can exist in traditional agency recruiting.
We have no reason to:
Inflate candidate salary expectations
Hide employer or candidate contact information
Alter resumes to make candidates appear different than they are
Push a higher-compensated candidate simply because it creates a larger fee
Create unnecessary barriers between the employer and candidate
Our goal is much simpler: help the client make the right hire.
What Full Recruiting Transparency Looks Like
The candidate tells us what they need.
The client tells us what they are prepared to pay.
We communicate honestly with both sides and determine whether there is a fit.
Better Information Leads to Better Hiring Decisions
If a candidate’s expectations are significantly below the client’s compensation range, that is useful information.
If compensation is too low to attract the talent a client needs, that is useful information too.
The recruiter’s job should be to provide accurate market feedback—not manipulate the numbers because doing so creates a larger placement fee.
Do You Trust the Salary Expectations You Receive?
If you regularly work with contingency recruiters, have you ever looked at a submitted candidate and wondered:
“Is this really what the candidate is expecting?”
That question matters because compensation influences everything from candidate selection and internal equity to offer negotiations and long-term retention.
A recruiting model should give employers confidence that the information they’re receiving is accurate.
A Different Approach to Recruiting
As a Fractional Recruiter, On The Hook Recruiting works as an extension of our clients’ hiring teams.
Our model is built around transparency, partnership, quality, and value rather than maximizing a placement fee.
If you want recruiting support where the recruiter has no incentive to inflate compensation or hide information, our Fractional Recruiter Service could be the solution you need.
The image is also generated above with the $140K candidate expectation vs. $200K client target as the main visual hook.