Permanent recruitment in Belgium typically costs between 15% and 25% of the recruited candidate’s gross annual salary. For mid- to senior-level positions, this translates in practice to a fee of approximately €8,000 to €25,000 or more, depending on the profile and sector. The exact cost depends on the type of collaboration, the complexity of the search assignment, and the agency’s experience. Looking for the right candidates? Explore our talent pool to get started. In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about recruitment costs in Belgium.
How is a recruitment agency’s fee calculated?
A recruitment agency’s fee for permanent recruitment is calculated as a percentage of the recruited candidate’s gross annual salary. This percentage typically ranges between 15% and 25%, and is applied to the fixed annual salary, sometimes including variable components such as bonuses or a company car.
The calculation is relatively straightforward: if a candidate receives a gross annual salary of €80,000 and the agreed percentage is 20%, the recruitment fee amounts to €16,000. Some agencies work with a fixed fee per type of position, but the percentage model is by far the most common in Belgium for permanent placements at mid- to senior level.
Important to know: the fee is typically exclusive of VAT. Some agencies also offer a guarantee period, during which they repeat the search at no cost if the candidate leaves within an agreed timeframe.
What are the standard rates for permanent recruitment in Belgium?
The standard rates for permanent recruitment in Belgium range between 15% and 25% of the gross annual salary. For specialized or scarce profiles at senior or executive level, this percentage can rise to 30%. The exact rate varies by agency, sector, and the difficulty of the assignment.
To illustrate: for a financial manager with an annual salary of €90,000, at a rate of 20% you pay a recruitment fee of €18,000. For a COO profile with a package of €150,000 and a rate of 25%, the fee rises to €37,500.
Agencies that work on a retained search basis — where you pay a retainer at the start of the assignment — sometimes charge higher rates because they work exclusively and more in depth. No-cure-no-pay agencies more often work with lower percentages, but that approach comes with different trade-offs.
What factors influence the cost of a recruitment process?
The cost of a recruitment process in Belgium is determined by several factors: the seniority of the profile, the scarcity of the required talent, the sector, the urgency of the hire, and the type of collaboration with the agency. The more complex the search, the higher the investment tends to be.
Specifically, these elements play a role:
- Seniority of the position: executive and management roles require more in-depth research and a broader network, which drives up the cost.
- Scarcity of the profile: for technical specialists, bilingual profiles, or niche expertise, the search takes longer and the fee is correspondingly higher.
- Sector and region: the Brussels labor market and Flemish Brabant have specific dynamics in terms of salary expectations and talent availability.
- Urgency: a fast turnaround requires more intensive effort from the agency and can affect the price.
- Type of agreement: retained search is generally more expensive than no-cure-no-pay, but offers greater certainty and depth.
What is the difference between no-cure-no-pay and retained search?
With no-cure-no-pay, you only pay the recruitment fee upon a successful hire. With retained search, you pay a portion of the fee upfront, regardless of the outcome. The fundamental difference lies in the risk distribution and the intensity of the collaboration.
No-cure-no-pay
No-cure-no-pay is attractive because you take on no financial risk if no suitable candidate is found. However, with this model agencies often work for multiple clients simultaneously on similar profiles, which limits the exclusivity and depth of the search. The model works well for common profiles with a large supply on the labor market.
Retained search
With retained search, you engage the agency exclusively for your assignment. You pay a retainer at the start, a second installment during the process, and the balance upon hire. This model is ideally suited for scarce, senior, or sensitive profiles where discretion, in-depth market research, and a proactive approach are required. The likelihood of a quality match is generally higher, because the agency is fully focused on your assignment.
What are the hidden costs of recruiting in-house versus outsourcing?
Recruiting in-house may seem cheaper, but the hidden costs are substantial. Consider the time investment of internal staff, advertising costs, subscriptions to job platforms, the cost of a bad hire, and the productivity loss during a prolonged vacancy. When you add this up, outsourcing to a recruitment agency is often more cost-efficient.
A concrete comparison:
- Internal time investment: HR staff and line managers spend an average of dozens of hours screening CVs, conducting interviews, and coordinating the selection process.
- Advertising costs: a visible job posting on multiple job platforms quickly costs several hundred to thousands of euros per month.
- Cost of a bad hire: a mismatch at senior level typically costs an organization several months’ salary in productivity loss, onboarding, and potential severance costs.
- Missed candidates: the best profiles are rarely actively looking. Without a network and market knowledge, you cannot reach them.
A recruitment agency provides direct access to passive candidates, market knowledge on salary expectations, and a structured selection process. This accelerates the process and increases the likelihood of a lasting match.
When is engaging a recruitment agency the right choice?
Engaging a recruitment agency is the right choice when internal capacity is lacking, the profile is scarce or specialized, the position is strategically important, or when discretion is required. The higher the impact of the hire on the organization, the more relevant an external partner becomes.
Concrete situations in which an agency adds value:
- You are looking for a mid- to senior-level profile that is not actively seeking a new position.
- You do not have the internal time or expertise to run a quality selection process.
- The vacancy has been open for a long time without result.
- You want to conduct a confidential search, for example in a succession scenario.
- You do not know the market value of the profile and want to avoid offering above or below the standard salary level.
For positions with limited impact or a large pool of candidates, recruiting in-house is a viable option. But as soon as the strategic importance or complexity increases, the investment in an agency outweighs the risks of a slow or failed hire.
How Skill&Will helps you with permanent recruitment
We guide ambitious companies in Belgium in finding the right mid- to senior-level profiles for permanent positions. Our approach is concrete and results-driven:
- We map out your organization, culture, and strategic goals before we start searching.
- We work with a targeted shortlist of screened candidates who truly fit your needs — not a stack of CVs.
- We draw on a deep network in the Belgian market, with particular expertise in Brussels and Flemish Brabant.
- We offer transparent rates and clear agreements on guarantee periods and follow-up.
- We think along with you on salary expectations, market positioning, and employer branding to maximize your chances of a successful hire.
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