For most startups the answer is one specialist firm per role family, not five generalists on the same role. One accountable recruiting firm gives you a focused shortlist and clean candidate ownership; several contingency firms on one role can widen reach but create duplicate submissions and ownership disputes. Recruiting from Scratch works on contingency and sends 3–5 qualified engineers, with half its candidates reaching an offer within 29 days of a first interview.
Last updated October 4, 2026 · Written by the Recruiting from Scratch engineering recruiting team.
Want one firm accountable for your engineering searches? Recruiting from Scratch sends 3–5 qualified engineers, on contingency. Book a 15-minute call → or Get a shortlist of 3–5 engineers →
We compare three setups on five criteria a founder can check:
Recruiting from Scratch is a recruiting firm and has an interest in the exclusive option. We note below when a multi-firm approach is right.
| Setup | How it works | Shortlist quality | Ownership risk | Founder overhead | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One firm, exclusive | One firm owns the role for a stated window | Highest: the firm invests fully | Lowest | Lowest | A priority role you want filled well |
| One firm per role family | Different specialist per function (engineering, GTM, executive) | High within each family | Low | Medium | Hiring across several functions |
| Several firms on one role | Open contingency race | Variable | Highest | Highest | A very hard role, or an urgent gap after one firm has stalled |
A recruiter on a contingency search is deciding where to spend the next hour. On an exclusive role, effort goes into that role. On an open race, a recruiter knows other firms may submit the same person, so outreach tends to go to quick, obvious candidates rather than the slow, careful ones. Exclusivity does not mean a lock-in: a time-boxed window with a clear exit if the firm does not deliver is a fair middle ground.
This is also why a firm that sends a shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates matters more than the number of firms. Quality filters at the front reduce the pile you need extra firms to cover.
Using more than one firm means deciding in advance who owns a candidate. The conflicts founders hit most often:
Put a written rule in each contract: ownership runs from first documented submission for a fixed number of months, and candidates you already have are excluded. Our contingency vs retained guide shows how fee terms interact with these rules.
If you do hire more than one firm, split by function, not by headcount.
For stage-specific guidance, our Series B staff-engineer guide explains where senior hiring changes the picture. Splitting by role family keeps each firm's pool distinct and avoids overlap by design.
Cinder hired forward-deployed engineers and senior full-stack engineers through us, Mercor hired backend and machine-learning engineers and strategic project leads, and Decagon hired an agent software engineer in New York. The pattern we recommend from searches like these: give one firm the engineering searches and keep other functions separate. Candidate ownership stays simple, and founders review one shortlist, not several overlapping ones.
Usually one per role family. A single engineering specialist plus separate firms for other functions keeps reach broad and ownership clean.
It can work for a very hard or urgent role, but expect duplicate submissions and set written ownership rules before you start.
For priority roles, a time-boxed exclusive window with a clear exit usually gets stronger effort. Avoid open-ended exclusivity.
The contract decides. The usual rule is that the first documented submission owns the candidate for a set period, so write that down.
No retainer or upfront cost is required. Searches are contingency with a replacement guarantee, and we ask you to share candidates you already know.
Related: Recruiting Firm Guarantees Compared: Replacement Terms Founders Should Ask For · How to Choose a Recruiting Firm: A 10-Question Checklist for Startup Founders · Embedded Recruiter vs Recruiting Firm: The Right Choice for Your First 20 Hires
Recruiting from Scratch sends a shortlist of 3–5 engineers who fit your stage, stack and budget, on contingency with a replacement guarantee.
Get a shortlist of 3–5 engineers → or Book a 15-minute call →
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