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Contingent Search
also: Contingent Recruitment
A fee model where the recruitment agency is paid only when a placement is made. No placement, no fee. Lower risk for the employer, but the agency may work the role at lower priority than a retained engagement.
Retained Search
also: Retained Recruitment
A fee model where the recruitment agency is paid a portion of the fee up-front and the remainder on placement. Typically used for critical or senior roles. The agency commits dedicated resource and priority access to candidates.
Passive Candidate
A professional who is not actively looking for a new role but may consider the right opportunity if approached. Passive candidates make up roughly 80% of placements made by specialist agencies like 37Talent.
Active Candidate
A candidate who is actively searching for a new role. Usually found through job boards, applications, and direct outreach to advertised positions.
ATS
Applicant Tracking System
Software used by employers and recruiters to manage job applications. ATS systems typically score and filter resumes before a human reviews them, which is why formatting and keyword matching matter for candidates.
Time to Fill
The number of days between a role being briefed and a candidate accepting the offer. 37Talent's average time to fill for senior digital roles is 37 days.
Time to Shortlist
The number of days between a role being briefed and the agency presenting a shortlist of vetted candidates. 37Talent averages 48 hours.
Placement
A successful hire made through a recruitment agency. A placement is usually counted once the candidate has signed the offer and started in the role.
Shortlist
A curated list of candidates presented by the recruitment agency to the hiring manager. A typical shortlist is 3 to 5 candidates chosen for their fit against the brief.
Day Rate
The per-day cost of a contract worker. Day rates are usually 50 to 100 percent higher than the equivalent permanent salary on a daily basis, reflecting the lack of benefits and job security.
Contract to Perm
An engagement model where a candidate is hired on a contract basis with the option to convert to a permanent role after a trial period. Often used as a risk-reduction strategy by employers.
Executive Search
A specialised recruitment service for C-suite, VP, and Director-level roles. Usually conducted under a retained engagement with discretion, direct outreach, and deep networks rather than advertised listings.
Employer Brand
The reputation an employer holds among current, former, and potential employees. A strong employer brand attracts passive candidates and reduces cost per hire.
Offer Acceptance Rate
The percentage of job offers that are accepted by candidates. A healthy agency averages over 90 percent. Low acceptance rates usually signal weak briefing, salary misalignment, or poor candidate experience.
Notice Period
The amount of time a candidate must give their current employer before leaving. In Australia, standard notice periods range from 2 weeks to 3 months depending on seniority and contract terms.
Counter Offer
A revised offer made by a candidate's current employer to retain them after they have received an external offer. Counter offers are usually accepted less than 20 percent of the time and often lead to the candidate leaving within 12 months anyway.
Salary Benchmarking
The process of comparing a role's compensation against market rates for equivalent roles. 37Talent publishes a quarterly Salary Guide covering 210 roles across 8 industries and 6 Australian cities.
Talent Pool
A curated network of candidates a recruitment agency maintains for ongoing opportunities. Candidates in a talent pool are usually contacted first when a relevant role opens.