How can Business Leaders make their recruitment budgets go further?

Written by Paul Withers

Hiring is expensive.

Especially when recruitment agency fees start creeping into the 25–30% range.

So, how can you stretch your recruitment budget without compromising on quality?

Here are two ways to do it:

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1. Reduce Agency Spend (Yes, Really)

It might sound odd coming from someone who runs a recruitment business, but investing in your internal team is one of the best ways to control costs.

Give your team the tools, training, and time to build your employer brand, talent pipelines, and market presence.

When you need external help, because sometimes you will, be smart about who you engage.

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2. Work With Niche Recruitment Partners

The big players will tell you they have “all the candidates.”

That hasn’t been true for a long time.

Boutique recruitment companies offer better value:

• They’re not spending your fees on high-rent offices, non-billing managers, or company cars.
• They focus on quality, not KPI sprints like “power hour” or “10 before 10.”
• They operate in today’s market, not like it’s still 1997.

Recruitment Has Changed. Have Your Suppliers?

The internet revolutionised recruitment.
AI is about to take it even further.

But the way many companies buy recruitment services and the way that recruiters sell them hasn’t changed at all.

You’re still being charged like it’s the fax machine era, while the tools and talent have moved on.

And where have all the best recruiters gone?

They’ve either gone in-house or joined smaller, specialist firms that focus on specific markets or functions.

This Is Where the Value Lies

Niche recruiters:

• Know your market inside out
• Offer higher delivery standards
• Don’t carry huge overheads
• Can often work to more flexible or fixed-fee arrangements

And most importantly, they know how to recruit.

They don’t rely on massive databases or big teams of juniors.
They rely on deep networks, good judgment, and genuine partnerships with clients.

A Better Way to Spend

So next time you need recruitment support:

• Skip the corporate machine
• Call the recruiter who knows your space
• Build a long-term relationship with someone who’ll represent your brand like it’s their own

It’s not about cutting costs at all costs.

It’s about spending smarter.