A new model of executive recruitment based on professional services such as accountancy and law, in which recruiters are paid on an hourly basis, has resulted in global security company G4S filling 14 senior roles, as well as massive savings in the model’s first 18 months of operation, according to the firm’s global head of resourcing. 

Colin Minto told Recruiter the model has been used to fill senior executive level positions across the UK, US, South Africa, Asia and the Middle East, saving G4S £317k when compared to fees that would have been charged by headhunters and specialist agencies based on a percentage of salary.

Minto explained that G4S uses online resourcing firm eSift, who sub-contracts the work out to individual recruiters, generally ex-HR or resourcing professionals or ex-senior agency recruiters. “I would firmly say that being an expert recruiter is a specialist service. When you look at accountancy or law, there is no reason why recruitment shouldn’t operate in the same way,” said Minto.  

Minto said the model was also a better option than setting up an in-house team, with its requirement for investment in costly infrastructure and additional headcount.

Although he accepted that headhunters and specialist agencies have missed out on work they would otherwise have got, Minto said this was not about “agency bashing.” 

“It is taking a professional service and treating it as a professional service,” he emphasised. 

Geraldine Cole, owner of eSift, told Recruiter that one of the big attractions of the model for clients was its transparency, with charges based on an hourly rate reflecting the work done. She said that while one G4S role was filled in 10 hours, others have taken 60 hours or more. eSift had three other clients that used the model for roles with salaries in the £70k to £200k salary range, she said.