Standard Recruiting Fees & Terms

Edward,

I've seen it all over the map:
15% up to 30% of base salary.
I've seen warrants / options included (matching above).
I've seen performance based (you pay when you get a candidate); All-prepaid (you pay for the service, whether it works or not); A sliding scale where there is a base, a success fee, and then a claw-back if the employee doesn't pan out.

Generally for retained search I've seen something like half up front then half on success, sometimes delayed out a few months if "success" is defined as "they stuck around for 3 months".

It depends highly on how rare / expensive the talent is and how well-regarded your recruiter is. The good ones don't work on commission alone, and for very good reason.

KP