Becoming an independent recruiter: where to start

Choose your legal status

Sole trader, company, umbrella… The right status depends on your volume and country. Start simple: many independent recruiters begin as sole traders, then move to a company as the business grows.

Define your specialty

A generalist recruiter drowns; a specialist (tech, finance, healthcare, a sector, a region) moves faster and charges more. Pick the ground where your network and expertise make the difference.

The crux: finding assignments

This is where 90% of independent recruiters stall — not on sourcing, but on business development. Two options: build your own client portfolio (slow), or join a collective that brings you the assignments.

Getting paid on results

• A fee known before you accept an assignment
• Payment triggered on a successful hire
• A guarantee that reassures your clients

Start without prospecting

On AGOON, you join a collective: you pick, among assignments already brought in, the ones that fit your expertise, and focus on what you love — finding the right people. The prospecting is our job.