What is a fractional recruiter?
A fractional recruiter is an experienced talent acquisition professional who works as a part-time, embedded
extension of your team for a flat monthly fee. You get the sourcing capability, process discipline, and market
knowledge of an internal recruiting function without adding permanent headcount and without paying a placement
fee on every hire.
How is this different from a staffing agency?
A staffing or contingency agency is paid per placement, which rewards speed and volume over long-term fit. A
fractional desk is paid the same regardless of how many people you hire, so we're aligned with retention rather
than throughput. We also work your full req list rather than cherry-picking the easiest roles to fill.
Are there really no retainers or long-term contracts?
No retainer, no setup fee, no exclusivity clause, and no percentage of salary. Engagements run an initial
90 days — roughly the time it takes to open a desk, build pipelines and land the first hires — and then
continue month to month, cancellable on 30 days' written notice. You're billed monthly in advance, and the
desk goes live once the first month is settled. That is a world away from a multi-year agency agreement, but
it is honest: three months is what it takes to do this properly.
Do you charge a placement fee when we hire someone?
No. Hiring is the outcome we're already paid for. There are no per-hire fees, no bonuses on offer acceptance,
and no re-fee if you hire a candidate from our pipeline months later.
Can you fill hourly production and warehouse roles, or only salaried ones?
Both. The same desk that recruits a plant manager also recruits machine operators, forklift and material
handlers, shipper/receivers, and general labour. High-volume hourly hiring is often where a flat monthly rate
saves the most, because per-placement fees multiply with every operator you add.
How is the monthly rate worked out?
By capacity, not by headcount. We agree how many requisitions are worked at the same time and how hard those
roles are — a millwright in a tight market and a plant director are not the same search. That sets the
monthly rate. Hiring five people instead of two in a given month does not change your invoice; what changes
it is asking us to run more searches at once, or materially harder ones.
When is payment due?
The first month is due before sourcing begins — the desk is activated once it's settled, not on signature.
After that, each month is invoiced ahead of the period it covers. This is standard for fractional
engagements, and it's the reason we can work without a retainer or a placement fee: we're never carrying
unpaid work.
Why aren't your rates published?
Because a published rate is a number our competitors can price against, and because no two plants need the same
desk. A single site hiring a handful of trades roles and a multi-site group running executive search alongside
a night-shift ramp are different engagements. We quote after a scoping call, against your actual req list —
and the quote holds whether you hire once that month or five times.
Which industries do you recruit for?
Automotive and Tier 1/Tier 2 parts manufacturing, food and beverage processing, shipbuilding and marine
fabrication, packaging and converting, mining and mineral processing, industrial and heavy civil construction,
oil & gas — upstream, midstream, and downstream — and pharmaceutical and food science, including GMP
manufacturing, aseptic fill-finish, and product development. We also recruit across supply chain and
logistics — distribution centres, 3PL and warehousing, freight and fleet, planning, and procurement —
along with defence, utilities and power generation, and waste management and environmental services.
Do you replace our HR department?
No — we take the recruiting load off it. HR keeps onboarding, compliance, labour relations, and employee
experience. We handle sourcing, screening, scheduling, and offer support so your HR generalist stops spending
half a week per req on résumé triage.
How fast is the first shortlist?
Intake within 48 hours of kickoff, sourcing live in the first week. Most production, warehouse, and skilled
trades roles produce a screened shortlist in 7–10 business days. Supervisory and technical roles typically run
2–4 weeks; confidential executive searches, 4–8 weeks.
What if we only need help for one hiring wave?
That's a normal engagement. Plants use a fractional desk for an expansion, a new shift launch, a seasonal ramp,
or a greenfield startup, then give notice when the wave is done. Because there's no term commitment, short
engagements cost nothing extra.
Do you work in the United States as well as Canada?
Yes. Our core market is Canadian manufacturing, industrial, and logistics — Ontario, Québec, Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and
Atlantic Canada — and we regularly support cross-border and U.S. Great Lakes manufacturing sites.