Switching recruiting partners: Checklist and a clean handover
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Morten Laufer
Founder
The transition rarely fails because of the contract, but rather due to candidate protection: protection periods of up to 24 months make presented profiles subject to a fee after termination. 30-day review, candidate list, handover in seven steps. Nova Search: first shortlist in 5 working days.
Protection periods of up to 24 months mean that a profile presented by the former consultant is still subject to a fee even after the change.
Usual recruitment fees: 20 to 30 per cent of the gross annual salary, according to the BDU an average of 27.5 per cent of the target income (2024).
Switch after a 30-day review based on three criteria: shortlist appointment, adherence to the briefing, and feedback on rejections.
Request the candidate list in writing before terminating the contract and have the protection periods confirmed.
Nova Search contractually guarantees the first shortlist within 5 working days, covering more than 100 mandates, with a 90-day guarantee.
AI This article was created with the help of AI.
When a change is truly justified
A change of partner should follow a defined checkpoint, not frustration. Our recommendation from practical experience: the 30-day rule. After a runtime of 30 days, you measure the mandate against three objective criteria instead of a gut feeling. Those who measure this way change earlier, with justification, and without burdening the new partner with a vague backstory.
Did the promised shortlist arrive within the agreed time? If a delivery time was promised and has passed without profiles arriving, that is a hard, documentable fact.
Did the profiles match the briefing? This refers to the fit in terms of tech stack, seniority, and salary expectations, not just the sheer number of CVs.
Was there structured feedback on rejections? A reputable consultant explains why a candidate rejected the offer and draws conclusions for the search.
This is followed by an honest self-assessment, because often it is not the consultant's fault. An unclear requirement profile, an internal process that is too slow, or a salary band that is not competitive in the market will produce the same results with the next provider. Only those who eliminate their own sources of error change for good reason.
Symptom | Is it due to the partner or your own process | First step |
|---|---|---|
No shortlist after 30 days | Usually due to the partner, provided no delivery time was agreed | Request delivery time in writing and set a deadline |
Profiles do not fit technically | Often due to your own briefing: role defined too vaguely | Rewrite the requirement profile, prioritise tech stack |
Candidates drop out of the process | Usually your own process: long feedback loops | Shorten interview loop to two rounds, set feedback deadline |
Rejections due to compensation | Non-market-rate salary band | Check salary against current market benchmark |
For context, a realistic comparison base: owner-managed consultancies in the SME sector often need 12 to 18 weeks for management and key positions. With purely success-based models, however, a binding job placement is usually not guaranteed, so the depth per vacancy varies accordingly. To see how both feel in practice, read our IT-Personalberatung Erfahrungen and our post on gründergeführtem Recruiting.
Candidate protection: the point that gets expensive
The change almost never fails due to termination clauses, but because of candidate protection. Almost every agency agreement contains a protection period, typically 6 to 12 months, and in the executive segment, often significantly longer. During this period, a profile introduced by the old consultant remains subject to a fee, even if another consultant presents it again later. Anyone who changes without a documented candidate list risks exactly two things: a double commission or a rejection out of caution because the new partner is not allowed to touch a profile.
An example from a published industry terms and conditions document shows how far-reaching such clauses are: according to this, the entitlement to a fee arises if a contract is concluded with the introduced candidate within 24 months of the initial contact or sending of documents, regardless of the position, and expressly also for employment in another group company. In this example, the fee is one third of the gross annual salary, at least 15,000 euros. Although the legal entitlement to commission only arises when the employment contract is concluded as a result of the introduction or mediation (§ 652 BGB), contractual clauses regularly extend this. This is not legal advice: the wording of your own contract is always decisive.
Regarding the scale of costs: recruitment fees, depending on the model, range between 20 and 30 per cent of the annual gross salary; according to a BDU market study, the average fee in 2024 was 27.5 per cent of the target income. For a senior developer position, we are quickly talking about a five-figure sum that could be due twice over.
Request a complete candidate list with the initial contact date for each profile
Get written confirmation of which profiles are under the protection period and until when
Document the status of ongoing processes: interview rounds, offers, rejections
Clarify outstanding fees and their due dates before the termination is sent
This list is your bargaining chip. It protects the new partner from claims by the old one and you from paying for a profile twice. Without it, the new consultant will prudently filter out candidates who are already on your own list.
The handover in seven steps
A clean handover is craftsmanship, not diplomacy. These seven steps have proven themselves in practice:
Freeze ongoing processes. Do not accept new interview rounds or new profiles while the handover is running. This keeps the status reproducible.
Request the candidate list. Demand the complete list of all presented profiles, including initial contact dates, and have it confirmed in writing.
Document protection periods. Record for each profile how long the protection period lasts and whether it extends to other positions or group companies.
Clarify outstanding fees. Check which fees are due or will become due. Note: Many contracts oblige you to report a contract conclusion with an introduced candidate in writing within a short period—in the example terms above, it is 14 calendar days.
Inform candidates in active processes. Anyone in the middle of an interview process deserves a clear update on who will be looking after them from now on. This protects your employer brand.
Set up a new briefing for the new partner. Use the change to sharpen the requirement profile: readjust the tech stack, salary band, must-haves, and nice-to-haves.
Agree on a start date and SLA. Fix delivery times, feedback deadlines, and escalation paths in writing. Details on choosing a model can be found in our comparison of Contingency and Retained Search Contingency vs. Retained Search.
Two pitfalls deserve special mention. First: in purely success-based models, a free replacement search in the event of termination during the probationary period is usually not provided for; the fee usually remains due. Second: we cover fee models in detail and the design of service levels separately; for the handover, the rule is enough: everything in writing, everything dated.
Selecting the new partner differently
If you have changed once, you should not agree to anything verbally the second time. These five commitments should be in writing in the mandate this time:
Commitment | What you should look out for |
|---|---|
Delivery time for the first shortlist | Concrete deadline in working days, not “promptly”; ideally with the number of profiles |
Number of parallel mandates | How many search mandates the consultant handles simultaneously so that your vacancy does not end up in the queue |
Who conducts the interviews | Name and seniority of the advising person; no handover to junior recruitment after the pitch |
Feedback deadline | Binding deadline for feedback after each interview so that candidates do not drop out |
Replacement guarantee | Free replacement search if the placed candidate leaves again during the guarantee period |
Reputable consultants link binding commitments to documented intermediate results and a replacement guarantee if the placement fails. As an example of contractually promised service levels: at Nova Search, the first qualified shortlist of 3 candidates is contractually guaranteed in 5 working days, across more than 100 mandates. The briefing takes about 60 minutes, the shortlist is created via a two-stage screening process consisting of a technical deep-dive and a culture interview, feedback in the interview process is structured and provided within 48 hours, and the 90-day guarantee secures the replacement without additional costs. The mandate is handled by founders or senior consultants, not handed over to juniors. The fact that this combination of speed and fit works is shown by the collaboration with PPI: more than 10 placements over 4 years with 100% retention.
What else you should look for in a specialised partner is summarised in our guide with 6 Kriterien. And if you are currently in the middle of a mandate and unsure whether a change is necessary: get a second opinion. A non-binding briefing of around 60 minutes will quickly show whether it is due to the partner or the briefing.
Sources
FAQ
How do I properly terminate a contract with a recruitment agency?
First, check the cancellation period and terms in your own contract, then terminate in writing. Before terminating, you should request the list of candidates, clarify ongoing fees and freeze ongoing procedures. The details are always regulated by your individual contract, so this is not legal advice, but rather a checklist for the process.
What is a protection period in candidate protection?
A protection period determines how long after a candidate is introduced a fee becomes due if you hire that person. The usual period is 6 to 12 months; typical industry terms and conditions stipulate up to 24 months, in some cases regardless of the position and also for hiring within the group. Without a documented candidate list, you will not know which profiles are still subject to a fee after the change.
Do I have to pay twice if the new consultant introduces the same candidate?
The risk exists: If the old consultant introduces the profile and the new one places the candidate, two fees can be incurred depending on the contract, usually 20 to 30 percent of the gross annual salary per placement. Therefore, request the candidate list in writing before making the switch and clarify overlaps with the new partner in advance, rather than cancelling out of caution in case of doubt.
When is it worth changing recruitment partners?
Not based on gut feeling, but after a 30-day review with three criteria: Did the promised shortlist arrive in the promised time? Did the profiles match the briefing? Was there structured feedback on rejections? Before doing so, self-examine: an unclear requirement profile, a slow internal process or a salary band that is not in line with the market will produce the same results with the next provider.
Do I get the fee back if the candidate resigns during the probation period?
Generally not: A termination during the probation period does not affect the entitlement to commission. However, many contracts stipulate that the recruitment agency will present a replacement candidate free of charge. Nova Search goes beyond this with a 90-day guarantee: if the placed person leaves the company within 3 months, the replacement is made at no additional cost.
What should I get in writing from the new recruitment consultant?
Five points: Delivery time for the first shortlist, number of parallel mandates, who conducts the interviews, a binding feedback deadline and a replacement guarantee. Reputable consultants link binding commitments to documented intermediate results. Nova Search contractually guarantees the first qualified shortlist with 3 candidates in 5 working days, across more than 100 mandates.
How much does recruitment usually cost?
For contingency-based recruitment, 20 to 30 percent of the first gross annual salary is common; according to the BDU, the average fee in 2024 was 27.5 percent of the target income. In Executive Search with a retained model, fees range between 25 and 40 percent, usually paid according to the third-party model upon assignment, shortlist and contract signature.
