The best recruiting firm for a startup founder is the one that recruits your function only, works on contingency, shows a real process and names proof you can verify. Use the ten questions below on every intro call. Recruiting from Scratch answers them for engineering: contingency with no upfront cost, a replacement guarantee, a shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates and half of 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 to put these ten questions to us? Recruiting from Scratch sends 3–5 qualified engineers, on contingency. Book a 15-minute call → or Get a shortlist of 3–5 engineers →
The checklist is built on the criteria that separate a good fit from a costly mistake. We weigh each answer on five points:
Recruiting from Scratch publishes this checklist and is a recruiting firm, so we have an interest. We wrote the questions to be asked of us too.
| # | Question | A good answer sounds like | Red flag | Why it matters | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Do you recruit my function only? | Names specific roles and stacks | "We do everything" | Depth drives shortlist quality | Role mix on their site |
| 2 | Do you work at my stage? | Examples at your funding stage | Only enterprise clients | Startups need different pitches | Client list |
| 3 | How are you paid? | Contingency or clear retainer terms in writing | Vague fee talk | Fee drives behavior | Contract |
| 4 | What is the guarantee? | Replacement or refund with the clock stated | "We never need one" | Early departures happen | Clause text |
| 5 | What will I receive? | A short qualified list | Resume dumps | Your time is limited | Sample shortlist |
| 6 | Who will work my search? | A named recruiter | A rotating bench | Continuity matters | Intro call |
| 7 | How do you source? | Outbound plus network | Only job board reposts | Passive candidates are most of the market | Process walkthrough |
| 8 | Which companies have hired you? | Named, role-matched examples | Names with no role detail | Proof should be checkable | References |
| 9 | How do you handle candidate ownership? | Written rules and time windows | "We will figure it out" | Avoids fee disputes | Contract |
| 10 | What do you need from me? | Feedback in days, a clear brief | "Nothing" | Speed depends on you | Intro call |
Specialty and stage. A firm that recruits every function can still be good, but you want evidence it has placed your kind of role at your kind of company. Our Series A recruiter guide shows what that evidence looks like.
Fees and guarantee. Ask for the fee structure and guarantee in writing before the second call. For engineering, contingency is common and aligns incentives, and the difference between contingency and retained search is covered in our contingency vs retained guide. A replacement guarantee keeps a recruiter working after a hire leaves.
Ask to see what a shortlist looks like. A firm that sends 3–5 qualified candidates, each with a short note on why they fit, respects your time. Ask who the recruiter on your search will be, how they find passive candidates and for role-matched examples. Verify claims: ask for a reference you can call, and compare what the firm says with what their own pages show. Read our write-up on alternatives to traditional recruiting firms for the models you may be comparing.
Candidate ownership and your own responsiveness are the two things founders forget. Agree in writing how long a submitted candidate belongs to the firm and which candidates you already know. Then commit to feedback within a few days of each shortlist; slow feedback loses strong candidates faster than any recruiter can replace them.
Score each question as clear, partial or missing, and compare recruiting agencies side by side. A firm with clear answers to questions 1, 3, 4 and 8 is usually worth a trial search even if other answers are partial. One missing answer on fees or the guarantee is a reason to pause.
Role-matched, named, qualitative. We've placed forward-deployed engineers at Cinder, backend and machine-learning engineers at Mercor, and an agent software engineer in New York at Decagon. Teams like Mercor, Cinder and Decagon have hired through Recruiting from Scratch, and you can ask any firm for the same level of detail: which company, which role, what the search involved.
Match the firm's specialty and stage to your role, get fees and the guarantee in writing, ask to see a sample shortlist and verify role-matched proof.
Whether they recruit your function, how they are paid, what the guarantee is, who works your search, how they handle candidate ownership and who has hired them.
Vague fee terms, resume dumps instead of a shortlist, no named recruiter, no role-specific proof and no written guarantee.
Contingency suits most engineering searches because you pay on hire. Retained search suits leadership roles with a long, confidential process.
Yes, for engineering: contingency with no upfront cost, a replacement guarantee, a 3–5 candidate shortlist, 300+ placements and 150+ companies served.
Related: Recruiting Firm Guarantees Compared: Replacement Terms Founders Should Ask For · How Many Recruiting Firms Should a Startup Use at Once? · Dover vs a Recruiting Firm vs In-House Recruiting: Which a Series A Should Use
Recruiting from Scratch sends a shortlist of 3–5 engineers who fit your stage, stack and budget, on contingency with a replacement guarantee.
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