AI-assisted recruitment and HR

The search you can watch working.

Q: Why are the fees this low?

The firm runs on an offshore cost base, so senior recruiting work costs a fraction of a London or New York salary and the saving goes into the fee. AI-assisted screening handles the applicant volume; a person makes every decision that reaches you.

A recruitment and HR firm for companies in the US, UK and the Gulf. A written rubric in 48 hours, AI-assisted screening on every candidate, a live skills screen before any shortlist. Placements at 10% of first-year base. Every fee published.

Start a search See every fee

Reply within one business dayCandidates never pay90-day free replacement

Account executive searchDay 4 of 10

AT-104SaaS AE, 6 yrs, mid-market, quota carriedScreening

AT-112Enterprise AE, 8 yrs, healthcare accountsScreening

AT-127SMB AE, 4 yrs, outbound-ledScreening

AI scores against a written rubric. A person makes every decision. Profiles blinded until kickoff. Sample data.

Standard placement 10% of first-year base, minimum $2,500 Specialist placement 12%, minimum $4,000 Remote hire under $40k base $1,500 flat Dedicated seats $950 to $1,500 a seat a month Retained search 15% success fee, $1,500 engagement fee credited Fractional Head of Talent $1,500 a month Fractional HR partner $950 a month HR and AI projects $900 to $1,500 fixed 90-day free replacement on every placement Invoices net 15, in US dollars

10 to 400peopleOne offshore buildout, under two yearsA US healthcare technology company grew from 10 to more than 400 people on the hiring engine our founder designed and ran.

90%Year-one retention across that buildoutNine in ten hires were still on the team after their first year. That method is the one AtherTalent sells.

10%Placement fee, paid only when the hire startsTypical agency for the same search: 20 to 25%. The gap is overhead, not effort. Full fee table on the pricing page.

48hFrom kickoff to a written rubricYou see what good looks like, in writing, before anyone is sourced. Then a shortlist of 3 to 5 in 5 to 10 business days.

What do you need done?

Five ways to work with us, each with its price on the door

Fill one roleFrom 10% of first-year base, minimum $2,500. Pay when the hire starts.Recruitment on commission Build an offshore team$950 to $1,500 a seat a month. Recruiting, HR admin and replacement included.Dedicated seats Run a senior search$1,500 engagement fee credited against a 15% success fee. Six-month replacement.Retained search Get HR handledFractional HR partner from $950 a month. Fixed-fee audits, handbooks and policy from $900.HR consulting Add AI to hiringScreening, ATS automation and sourcing set up on your tools. Projects from $900, fixed.AI hiring services

What sets it apart

Three things in writing before you pay anything

10%

Every fee on the site, before the call

Placements at 10% of first-year base against a typical agency's 20 to 25%. Dedicated seats from $950 a seat a month against $8,000 or more for an onshore embedded recruiter. The gap is overhead, not effort: the firm runs on an offshore cost base.

48h

A search you can see

A written rubric in 48 hours that you sign off, AI-assisted screening against it, and a live skills exercise before any shortlist. You interview three to five finalists, not a pile of CVs.

90 days

A guarantee in writing

If a placement leaves inside 90 days, we run the search again at no fee. Six months on retained searches. Free replacement at any time during the term on seats.

How it works

From first call to a hire who stays, with dates attached

We agree the bar in writing before anyone is sourced. That is why the shortlist is small and the interviews are short.

Day 0
Calibration call
Fifteen minutes. You describe the seat or the team. We say honestly whether it is fillable at your budget, and at what fee.
Day 2
Written rubric
A scorecard for the role and a comp note for your market, so we agree on what good looks like before sourcing starts.
Day 3 to 8
Screening, then a live skills screen
AI-assisted screening scores every applicant against the rubric. A person runs a live exercise with the ones who pass. Nobody reaches you on a CV alone.
Day 5 to 10
Shortlist of three to five
You interview finalists only. Feedback gathered inside five business days, references run, offer supported to signature.
Day 30, 60, 90
Check-ins and the guarantee
Onboarding plan and retention check-ins. If a hire leaves inside the guarantee, we refill the seat free.

Search recordSample

Role: Account Executive, mid-market SaaSFillable
Base $85,000, remote USMarket rate
Fee agreed: 10% on start date$8,500
90-day free replacementIn writing

The call ends with a yes or a no, and a number. Never a maybe.

Pipeline built from zero, twice
Quota carried, attainment shown
Discovery and communication
Tool stack: CRM, sequencing, data
Domain: healthcare buyers

Five weighted criteria and a comp note, signed off by you, before sourcing starts.

AT-104, scored against the rubric7.9 / 10
AT-112, scored against the rubric8.4 / 10
AT-127, scored against the rubric6.1 / 10
Live exercise: a 20-minute discovery call, recorded2 passed

AI scores the volume. A person watches the exercise and makes the call.

AT-112, enterprise AE, healthcare accountsShortlist
AT-104, mid-market AE, quota carriedShortlist
AT-139, AE, outbound-ledShortlist
Interviews scheduled, feedback inside 5 daysDay 9

Three finalists, each with a one-page note on why they passed and where to probe.

30Onboarded

60Settled

90Guaranteed

Invoice on the start date, net 15. If the hire leaves inside 90 days, we run the search again at no fee.

$8,500 total fee on an $85,000 hire

The full process, step by step

What it costs

Three ways to pay, every one priced per seat and published

One role, a whole team, or hiring leadership on a retainer. Nothing is hidden behind "contact us", and the typical agency number sits beside each of ours.

Commission

One role at a time, any industry, any level. Pay only when the hire starts.

10%of first-year salary

Typical agency: ~~20 to 25%~~

Shortlist of 3 to 5 in 5 to 10 business days
Written rubric and live skills screen
Minimum $2,500 per placement

90-day free replacement

Invoiced on start date, net 15. Specialist and senior roles 12%.

Estimate this fee

Recommended

Seats

A dedicated recruiter or offshore team member, one monthly price, everything included.

$1,500per seat per month, maximum

Onshore embedded recruiter: ~~$8,000+ a month~~

Recruiter seats $1,500, healthcare staff $1,200, business staff $950
Works your hours, inside your tools
Recruiting and HR admin included

Free replacement at any time

3-month minimum, 30-day notice, no setup fees. Invoiced monthly in advance. Seats start in 2 to 3 weeks.

Estimate this cost

Retainer

Senior searches, fractional talent leadership, and HR without the full-time salary.

$1,500per month or per seat

Fractional Head of Talent elsewhere: ~~$4,500 to $7,500~~

Fractional Head of Talent, up to 3 open roles
Retained search: $1,500 engagement fee credited against a 15% success fee
Fractional HR partner from $950 a month

6-month replacement on retained searches

Month to month, 30-day notice. Invoiced monthly in advance.

Compare every plan line by line Run your numbers on the calculator

The method

Where AI is used, and where it is not, is written down.

AI-assisted screening scores every applicant against a rubric you signed off. A person runs the live exercise, makes every decision that reaches you, and is accountable to the start date. The rules we hold ourselves to are published, and candidates never pay.

Read the method The rules we work by

Questions clients ask first

Fees, guarantees, seats, time zones

How much does a placement cost, exactly?

Standard placements are 10% of first-year base salary, minimum $2,500, invoiced on the start date. Specialist and senior searches are 12%, minimum $4,000. Offshore remote hires under $40k salary are a $1,500 flat fee. Three or more hires in a quarter drops the standard rate to 8%. Typical agencies charge 20 to 25%.

What happens if the hire leaves?

Every commission placement carries a 90-day free replacement. Retained searches carry six months. Seat plans include free replacement at any time during the term. Replacement means we run the search again at no fee; it does not mean a refund, and the terms of business say so plainly.

What does a seat actually include?

Recruiting the person, HR administration, time tracking, backup coverage and replacement, for one monthly price between $950 and $1,500 per seat. Three-month minimum, 30-day notice, invoiced monthly in advance. You get one invoice a month and no tool fees.

Why are the fees this low?

The price is not a discount on quality. The firm runs on an offshore cost base, where senior recruiting work costs a fraction of a London or New York salary, and the saving goes into your fee rather than a downtown lease. AI-assisted screening handles the applicant volume; a person with nine years of hiring experience makes every decision that reaches you.

How do time zones work?

Our base is UTC+5. US mornings are our working evenings, and the UK and Gulf business days overlap fully. Seat staff work your hours. You get same-day turnaround, not a 12-hour lag.

Start a search

Send the role you cannot fill.

One call tells you whether we are the right fit, what it costs, and when you will see candidates. If we are not the right fit, we say so and point you somewhere useful.

Book a 15-minute call faraz@athertalent.com

We reply within one business day. Working hours cover US mornings, UK and Gulf business days.