Model comparison
Saiyō vs contract recruiters: renting capacity or buying access?
Last reviewed:
The short answer
Contract recruiters are individuals hired on a day rate to add short-term capacity to your TA team. They are quick to start and easy to stop. Saiyō embeds trained headhunters on a flat subscription, backed by a research function, a specialist network and delivery and replacement guarantees. Contractors add hours. Saiyō adds access, continuity and accountability for the outcome.
Side by side
| Dimension | Contract recruiter | Saiyō embedded headhunting |
|---|---|---|
| Commercials | Day or hourly rate, paid for time | Flat monthly subscription plus hiring credits, presented as all-in cost per hire |
| What you are paying for | Hours | Delivery, backed by guarantees |
| Backing | One individual | Embedded headhunter, in-house research and sourcing, curated global specialist network |
| Typical skill set | Varies widely: from process recruiters to experienced sourcers | Trained headhunters with years of technology search behind them |
| Cover for absence or exit | None. If they leave, the work stops | Continuity built into the service |
| Market knowledge when they leave | Leaves with them | Retained and reused across your hires |
| Guarantees | None | 45-day delivery guarantee and 100-day free replacement |
| Best for | Short, predictable bursts of process work | Ongoing specialist hiring where reach matters |
The hidden cost of day rates
A day rate looks simple. The cost sits elsewhere: the ramp-up time before a contractor is productive, the market map that walks out at the end of the contract, the hiring manager time spent re-briefing the next one, and the absence of any commitment on outcome. You pay for effort whether or not a shortlist arrives.
Questions to ask before hiring a contract recruiter
- Is the problem hours, or reach? A contractor adds the first, rarely the second.
- What happens to the market intelligence when the contract ends?
- Who covers if they are ill, leave early or take another contract?
- What are we committed to paying if no hire is made?
When a contract recruiter is the right call
- A short, defined burst of process work, such as interview coordination during a hiring spike
- Roles that fill well from inbound
- Your TA lead has capacity to manage and brief them closely
When Saiyō is the better fit
- Ongoing hiring across Leadership, GTM and AI roles
- Roles where the best candidates are not applying
- You want a provider accountable for delivery, not just hours
- You need continuity across many hires and regions
Saiyō's perspective
We are not built to rent you hours. We are built to deliver shortlists of people your process would not otherwise reach, with a first shortlist in under 10 days and a 45-day delivery guarantee on the roles we own.