saiyō.

Alternatives

Looking for an alternative to your embedded recruitment partner?

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The short answer

Most embedded recruitment partners add recruiting capacity. That fixes a bandwidth problem. It does not fix an access problem, where the people you want to hire are not applying and are not answering messages. These guides set out the main alternatives to the best-known providers, what each is good at, and when each one is the right call.

Alternatives guides

Talentful alternatives

For teams comparing large embedded RPO providers with headhunting-led and specialist options.

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Troi alternatives

For teams weighing embedded RPO models against embedded headhunting.

Read

Move recruitment alternatives

For teams comparing embedded talent consultancies with headhunter-led embedded models.

Read

Compare by model

Embedded recruiter vs embedded headhunter

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Saiyō vs traditional executive search firms

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Saiyō vs contract recruiters

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Saiyō vs RPO, Agency and In-house

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The one question that decides it

Before you compare providers, decide which problem you have.

A capacity problem looks like this: plenty of decent candidates, not enough recruiter hours to process them. Interviews slip, candidates go cold, hiring managers chase. More recruiters solve it.

An access problem looks like this: the process runs fine, but the shortlist is thin, the best people in the market never appear in it, and senior roles stay open for months. More recruiters do not solve it. They run the same process faster.

Most providers in this market are built for the first problem. Saiyō is built for the second.

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  • 94% offer acceptance
  • 100-day replacement guarantee
  • 59% average reduction in cost per hire
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Frequently asked questions

What are the main alternatives to an embedded recruitment partner?

The main alternatives are another embedded recruitment or RPO provider, an embedded headhunting partner such as Saiyō, a traditional executive search firm for single senior hires, contingency agencies, contract recruiters, and building or growing an in-house talent acquisition team. Most scale-ups end up running a mix.

How do I know if I have a capacity problem or an access problem?

Look at where hires fail. If good candidates drop out because your process is slow, you have a capacity problem. If your shortlists are consistently thin, or hiring managers keep saying "is this really the best out there?", you have an access problem.

Is embedded headhunting the same as embedded recruitment?

No. Both place someone inside your team on a subscription. Embedded recruitment typically puts a talent partner in the seat to run your hiring process. Embedded headhunting puts a trained headhunter in the seat whose day job is mapping the market and approaching people who are not looking.