FlatFee IT FAQs

Flat Fee IT

1. How does FlatFee IT pricing work?

We charge a flat rate for each search. Our pricing is based on an estimate of hours and level of difficulty, and typically falls into one of the following categories at rates 50-70% less than traditional contingency based models:

Junior level search

  • Examples: Help Desk Level 1, Project Coordinator, Sales Representative, AP/AR, bookkeeper, Administrative Support (entry level), customer service representative etc.

  • Average salary range: $40,000 - $50,000

Intermediate level search

  • Examples: Help Desk Level 2; Help Desk Bilingual; Desktop Support Analyst, Technical Writer, Recruiter, Web Administrator; Web Designer, Sales Consultant, Pre-Sales Consultant, etc.

  • Average salary range: $55,000 to $80,000

Senior level or niche-role search

  • Examples: Manager Help Desk, Project Manager, IT Audit Manager, Business Systems Analyst, QA engineer, Senior Web Developer, Front-end Web Developer, Solution Architect, Pre-sales Engineer, etc.

  • Average salary range: $80,00-$100,000

Right IT Candidate

Some exceptions apply and we will let you know after we’ve had a chance to review the role. We will provide you with a competitive flat-rate quote based on how long we believe the search will take. 

2. I understand you charge an upfront fee of $750 which is non-refundable? How does that work? 

We ask for a small portion of the fee upfront ($750) and the remaining balance (less the deposit) once the search is complete. The fee helps us lock in a dedicated recruiter to your role and covers some of our setup costs.

Right time to hire

3. How is this different from what other recruitment firms offer?

Most agency firms charge on a contingency basis which means you pay only when the hire happens. While it may sound like a great way to structure your search, it has many downsides.  

First the contingency model leads to the poor practice of taking on more searches than you can manage, investing less time on each step of the recruitment process, and throwing resumes at clients to see what sticks. 

What many people don’t know is that agency recruiters on average fill about 1-out-of-4 roles they work on. Since they do not fill every single role, the fees are typically between 15-20% of a candidate’s first year salary – you’re paying for all the searches they worked on that they didn’t get paid for. Also, when the going gets tough, they spend their time on easier projects where they have a higher chance of getting paid. 

We believe that’s a wasteful and frustrating way to work. When we receive a portion of the fee upfront from our clients, we know they are committed to working with us on the search. We can invest the time on each step of the process: research, outreach, interviewing and vetting. It’s a win-win model. You save a lot of money because our model has no waste. Our recruiters are happy because they finally get to work on real orders for customers who are serious about finding top talent.

4. What’s the catch? 

There’s no catch. Nevertheless, what we’re offering is a completely different approach, so it’s important to know whether the FlatFee approach is right for you. 

First, consider when you work with a traditional recruitment firm operating on a contingency-based model, there’s no upfront fee required, which means you can work with many firms at once. But, keep in mind that the recruiting firm in this scenario is taking on all the upfront risk, which means the fee is usually around 20% of the candidate’s first year salary. 

Next, it’s important to understand that we charge a non-refundable $750 fee upfront. The remaining balance less the deposit is due once the search is complete. This fee is your commitment to working exclusively with Poly Tech Talent to fill the role. 

5. Do you offer executive search services? 

Yes, we do offer executive searches and can provide you with a competitive FlatFee based search.  We assign a senior recruiter to perform the search and upfront fees may vary.

6. What type of roles do you fill?

Our core competency is IT search, including Technical Support/Service/Help Desk Support, Software Development, Security, Operations, Web Development, Systems Integration Consultants, QA and Testing, IT Audit, Project Managers, BAs and so much more.  We also have extensive experience working with SMB’s on a wide variety of business and operational roles including, sales, finance, marketing, HR and more. 

If you have a question about a specific role, let’s talk to see if we are the right tech talent recruiting firm for you needs.

IT Recruiting Process

7. What happens if I don’t like any of the candidates you send my way? 

We take great pride in providing our clients with a list of the top 3-4 best candidates for the role and only do so after careful consideration and a thorough recruitment search process. If for some reason they don't fulfill your need, we continue with the search until the position is filled.

8. You claim you have a proven process that delivers 94% success. How is this possible? Most companies report that hiring is unpredictable and has a 50/50 chance of working out. 

Our secret is simple: We slow down in order to speed things up. 

We spend time upfront to really understand the job, decide what success looks like and agree on the competencies required for success. We find that most hiring mistakes are made because managers lack clarity about the position’s real needs. It’s like building a house without a blueprint – the result won’t match your expectations. 

For more information about our process which includes an Outcome-Driven Job Description, visit our free guide.  It is the beginning of how we have built such a strong success rate for our clients.
Right place to find IT Candidates

9. Is it true that your process improves onboarding and retention?

Creating an Outcome-Driven Job Description (ODJD) improves the recruitment process, decreasing hiring mistakes because managers are now crystal clear on what’s required. 

It also has many other benefits:

  • Onboarding is accelerated, so employees feel engaged and hit the ground running earlier, contributing in tangible ways sooner.

  • It drives engagement and meaningful conversation around expectations. Linking work to a mission provides a more inspired approach to work. Prioritizing the right tasks enables an employee to accomplish the most important work, and expedites success. 

  • Progress and performance are measured along the way according to the ODJD, so the overhead of performance management is more organic and feels less burdensome.

10. How does the FlatFee IT Guarantee work?

Our Outcome-Driven Job plans result in 94% of our new hires still on the job 12 months later. Our process is solid and our stats prove it. But, if for any reason you're not 100% satisfied with the selected candidate within the first 90 days, we will conduct a new search at no additional cost.

11. How do we get started?

  1. The most effective way to begin is by booking a time to speak with us by scheduling a call directly using this link or by phone 416-440-3362. During our call, we’ll discuss your recruiting needs, goals and timeframes.  After that, we’ll send you a proposal/quote outlining what we discussed as well as your FlatFee pricing. 

  2. When you decide to partner with us on your tech talent search, we’ll send you a copy of our agreement (simple one-pager) via email which confirms key terms and conditions with an invoice for small non-refundable deposit of $750 upfront, which is part of the total fee. Once the document is signed and the deposit is paid we get right to work to find your next team member.