Contingency recruitment is a transactional hiring model in which an external agency sources and presents candidates on a no-cure-no-pay basis. The client pays a fee only when one of the presented candidates signs an employment contract, typically calculated as a percentage of the first-year gross salary.
In the Dutch market, contingency is common for mid-level commercial, technical, and operational roles where speed and volume matter more than exclusivity. Employers often brief several agencies in parallel, which creates competitive pressure to submit quality shortlists quickly. Agencies therefore tend to focus on active jobseekers and lightly engaged candidates rather than deep headhunting.
Because no retainer is paid upfront, the recruiter carries the commercial risk of unfilled vacancies. This shapes behaviour: faster turnaround, broader outreach, and less time per candidate than retained search. Dutch employers should align contingency engagements with clear role definitions, honest salary ranges, and AVG-compliant data handling to avoid low-quality shortlists and duplicate submissions.