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For permanent recruitment in the UK, agencies commonly charge a percentage of the successful candidate's base salary.
Reed currently describes a broad market range of around 10% to 30%, with higher percentages more common for senior or higher earning roles.
Specialist and executive searches can also use a fixed fee or retained structure.
That means the answer to what does an EdTech recruitment agency cost depends on the role and the type of search.
Take an £80,000 base salary.
At 20%, the recruitment fee is £16,000.
At 25%, it is £20,000.
The percentage matters, but it is not the only part of the commercial decision.
You also need to understand what the agency is actually doing for that fee.
A specialist search may include role scoping, salary and market advice, direct sourcing, outreach to passive candidates, screening, interview support, candidate management, offer support and a replacement period.
For senior roles, the recruiter may also map the market before presenting candidates.
That work matters because the strongest candidate may never have seen your job advert.
A low fee paired with little proactive search can be expensive if the role stays open for months or the wrong person is hired.
With contingency recruitment, the agency is normally paid when a successful candidate starts or accepts, depending on the agreed terms.
With retained search, part of the fee is paid earlier, often in stages, because the recruiter is being engaged to run a dedicated search.
Retained work is more common for leadership, specialist or confidential appointments.
The right model depends on the role, not on which label sounds cheaper.
Several things can affect the fee.
Seniority.
How scarce the talent is.
Whether the search is exclusive.
How much market mapping is needed.
Location.
Whether the agency is working on a confidential replacement.
How much support is needed with the brief and interview process.
A Head of Sales search is not the same assignment as hiring five Account Executives from a broad local pool.
The useful questions are practical.
Will the recruiter approach passive candidates?
How many similar roles have they worked on?
How will they challenge the brief if the market does not support it?
Will they represent your company directly to candidates?
How do they screen commercial performance?
What happens if the preferred candidate declines?
What replacement terms apply?
How often will you get market feedback?
A percentage alone cannot answer those questions.
A bad hire has a cost beyond the agency invoice.
There is lost revenue, founder time, team disruption and the cost of restarting the search.
That does not mean companies should pay any fee they are quoted.
It means procurement should compare value, access to talent and the quality of the search, not only the percentage.
For EdTech companies, sector knowledge can also matter because the recruiter needs to explain your customer, product and stage credibly to candidates.
If you are comparing recruitment options for an EdTech role, RecruitHer can help you work out which search model makes sense before you commit.
Fees vary by role and service. A broad UK market range is often around 10% to 30% of base salary, while specialist or senior searches may use different fee structures.
For percentage based permanent recruitment, the agreed percentage is usually applied to the successful candidate's base salary. Always check the agency's exact terms and what is included.
Compare the depth of search, access to passive candidates, market mapping, screening quality, replacement terms, communication and the recruiter's ability to challenge an unrealistic brief.
Emilia Kruszewska is an EdTech recruiter and headhunter at RecruitHer, working with EdTech companies on commercial and leadership hiring.
