Compensation & fees
One fee. Fully disclosed. Due only after you start.
This page sets out, in plain language, everything about how we are paid and what protects you. It mirrors the Active Reverse Recruiting Services Agreement and the fee schedule we are required to give you before any interview — which is exactly why it is public.
Dual-compensation notice — please read
We operate a dual-stream compensation model. Upon a successful placement: (1) you pay a Client Placement Fee equal to 10% of first-year gross base salary; and (2) the hiring employer separately pays an Employer Placement Fee equal to 10% of first-year gross base salary. Both arise from the same placement. The combined maximum across both streams is 20%. These are the only fees we charge. There is no registration fee, intake fee, retainer, deposit, subscription or other charge of any kind. You consent to this arrangement by signing.
Calculate it
Your fee, your due date, your compensation class.
Hourly positions: 10% of projected annual gross earnings, calculated as the contracted hourly rate × 2,080 hours. Fees never exceed the posted fee schedule.
Within the engagement range.
What the fee does — and does not — touch
Base salary only. Everything else you negotiate is yours.
The placement fee is calculated on first-year gross base salary. Sign-on bonus, target bonus and equity are excluded — so a stronger negotiated package costs you nothing extra, which is exactly why we negotiate those components hard. Model an offer below.
Illustrative, not financial advice. Equity value depends on grant terms, vesting and valuation; we analyse the full package — including vesting schedule — before you accept. Hourly roles convert at rate × 2,080.
Within the engagement range.
Jobseeker fee schedule · Civil Code §1812.505(a)
The maximum fee, fixed by class.
The client placement fee equals 10% of projected first-year annual gross base — which is mathematically identical to 120% of your first month's gross — in every compensation class. No fee charged or collected may exceed the fee as scheduled. The row for your salary above is highlighted.
| Compensation class (first-year annual gross base) | Maximum client placement fee | % of projected annual gross | % of first month's gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250,001 – $299,999 | $29,999 | 10% | 120% |
| $300,000 – $349,999 | $34,999 | 10% | 120% |
| $350,000 – $399,999 | $39,999 | 10% | 120% |
| $400,000 – $449,999 | $44,999 | 10% | 120% |
| $450,000 – $499,999 | $49,999 | 10% | 120% |
| $500,000 and above | 10% of first-year annual gross base | 10% | 120% |
Any change to this schedule takes effect no earlier than seven days after posting and does not apply to any agreement executed before the change. A copy of the schedule in effect, and of all changes, is retained for one year.
No other fees — the full list
What we never charge.
The Client Placement Fee is the sole and entire fee charged to a client. No amount is payable at any time unless and until you accept an offer procured through our services.
- Registration fee or intake fee
- Retainer or deposit
- Subscription or membership fee
- Administrative or processing fee
- Cancellation or termination fee
- Résumé, counselling or coaching fee
- Minimum fee of any kind — directly or indirectly
When and how you pay
- Due date. Within fifteen calendar days of your first day of employment with the placing employer.
- Methods. Credit card, debit card or ACH transfer via our secure Stripe portal. Where a single payment is impractical, Klarna is available on terms arranged directly between you and Klarna — we receive nothing from Klarna.
- Late payment. Amounts not received by the due date accrue interest at 1.5% per month (18% per annum), compounded monthly.
- Disputes. Notify us in writing of any good-faith calculation dispute within ten calendar days of the due date; it is resolved through the agreement's good-faith negotiation process.
Refund & placement protections · Civil Code §1812.506
What protects you after you sign.
Fee repaid on request
If you have paid or become obligated to pay a fee and fail to accept employment, we repay the fee on request. If it is not returned within 48 hours, we pay an additional sum equal to that amount.
Permanent means longer than 90 days
Employment for which a fee is received is considered permanent only if it lasts longer than ninety days. Leave for just cause, or be discharged for reasons other than misconduct, within the first ninety days and the fee is refunded or reduced under the statute.
A second search at no charge
If your employment ends for any reason within ninety days of your first day, we conduct a replacement placement search on request at no additional charge — and no further fee is payable on the result, whether it pays more or less than the original role.
Refund for services not rendered
If we fail to perform the contracted services, you are entitled to a full refund of fees paid. If we perform some but not all and no placement results, a pro-rata refund proportional to the services not rendered. No fee is earned unless and until you accept an offer procured through our services.
Independent legal review — at our cost
Before signing, you may request an independent legal review of the agreement at no cost to you. We arrange and pay for up to one hour with an independent California employment attorney who represents your interests exclusively. Our payment creates no attorney-client relationship between us and that counsel and does not direct the advice you receive, consistent with California Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 1.8.6. We are separately represented by our own counsel, who does not represent you.
Salary history — never sought, never used
You provide a target compensation range — a minimum acceptable base and a desired level. We do not seek, request or condition our services on your current or prior compensation, and we do not rely on it in setting our advocacy position, consistent with California Labor Code §432.3.
Surety bond · Civil Code §1812.503
We maintain a $3,000 surety bond (Bond No. 566610Y, effective September 1, 2026) in favour of the people of the State of California, conditioned on our compliance with Civil Code §§1812.500–1812.508, for the benefit of any person damaged by a violation. Current surety identification is available on written request.
All statutory disclosuresQuestions about a fee?
Ask before you sign. Ask after, too.
Every calculation is delivered in writing on acceptance of an offer. If anything is unclear, email us — or take the hour with independent counsel first.