There are four common ways to fill a role. Each is the right answer somewhere, and most growing companies end up using more than one. This comparison sets them side by side so you can match the model to the hire.
| In-house only | Recruitment agency | RPO | Talent Engine | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Your recruiters advertise, screen and hire | Agency searches and submits a shortlist | Provider runs some or all of your process | We source and engage passive candidates; they book calls with your team |
| Main source of candidates | Mostly inbound applicants | Agency network and search | Depends on contract | Outbound, across email, LinkedIn, text and voice notes |
| Who talks to candidates first | Your team | The agency | Often the provider | Your team |
| Who owns the pipeline | You | The agency | Depends on contract | You |
| Visibility | Full | The 5 to 10 candidates submitted | Through provider reporting | 100% transparency via our client portal |
| Pricing | Salaries, adverts, tools | Typically $10,000 to $20,000 per placement | Varies by contract | From £1,999 (USD 2,499) per job, for as little as 150 candidates monthly per job |
| Best for | Roles with strong inbound demand | One-off and senior hires | Outsourcing recruitment as a function | Recurring and high volume roles |
In-house only
Full control and the lowest marginal cost, as long as enough good people apply. The weakness is reach: an inbound process only sees candidates who are actively looking.
Recruitment agency
Agencies bring outbound reach and search skill. You pay per placement, see a curated shortlist, and the wider pipeline stays with the agency. Strong value for one-off and senior hires, expensive for roles that repeat.
RPO
Recruitment process outsourcing transfers part or all of the hiring process to a provider. It suits organisations that want a partner to run recruitment for them, at the cost of handing over process ownership.
Talent Engine
Peopleflow Talent Engine adds the outbound reach of an agency to your in-house team. Everything before the first call runs on our side, then the candidate books with your recruiter. You keep control and the pipeline, and compared with a typical placement fee you can save up to 80% per hire. For senior roles, Talent Engine clients get 20% off our fees for a hands-on search.
Choosing the right mix
- Plenty of good applicants already? Stay in house.
- A single senior or confidential hire? Use a hands-on search.
- Want to hand over recruitment entirely? Look at RPO.
- Hiring for the same roles again and again, with a team that can interview but lacks reach? That is what Talent Engine is for.
Not sure which applies to you? Book a discovery call and we will tell you honestly.