Agencies sell resumes. Fractional recruiting owns the loop.
A clear comparison of fractional recruiting versus traditional staffing agencies — fees, ownership, speed, and when each model actually makes sense for Seed–Series B hiring.
25 minutes · Speak directly with a senior recruiter
// The short answer
Fractional recruiting is search ownership. Agencies are submission volume.
A staffing agency is paid to introduce candidates — often at 20–25% of first-year salary per hire. Fractional recruiting pays a senior recruiter to run sourcing, screening, coordination, and weekly accountability inside your tools, usually without a placement fee.
// Side by side
Fractional recruiting vs staffing agency
Masarna fractional
Staffing agency
Primary incentive
Owned progress on your roles
Submit candidates / close fees
Pricing
From $75/hr or monthly hour-blocks
Typically 20–25% of first-year salary
Who does the work
One senior recruiter, same person weekly
Often rotating recruiters / coordinators
Where work happens
Your ATS, Slack, inbox, calendar
Agency CRM + email attachments
Time to first shortlist
~7 days after intake (typical)
Often 4–6 weeks to useful signal
Contract
Month-to-month; dial hours up or down
Retainer + contingency / exclusive terms
Best for
1–2 priority roles needing ownership
High-volume fills where fee math works
// Choose Masarna when
Fractional recruiting is the better fit if…
✓You need screened shortlists, not a flood of resumes
✓A founder or hiring manager is currently owning the search
✓You want work inside your ATS and Slack — not a parallel agency process
✓Placement fees on a $180k+ hire would dwarf a month of senior recruiting capacity
✓You want one accountable owner from kickoff through offer
// An agency can still make sense when
Be honest: agencies aren't always wrong.
You only need introductions
If your internal team already screens, coordinates, and closes — and you just need more top-of-funnel — a contingency search can be enough.
You have a rare, one-off niche seat
Some specialized agencies have deep networks in a narrow niche. For a single exotic hire, that network may matter more than embedded process.
You accept fee-for-outcome economics
If you'd rather pay only when a hire starts — and you're comfortable with the fee — contingency can align cash timing even when total cost is higher.
// FAQ
Fractional vs agency, answered.
No. The product is different. Agencies optimize for submissions and placement fees. Fractional recruiting buys senior execution time to own sourcing, screening, and coordination in your stack.
25 minutes · Speak directly with a senior recruiter. Tell us which roles are open — we'll map whether fractional recruiting beats an agency fee on your search.