Recruiting fees depend on placement terms and staffing costs. Everhour keeps rates and billable work tied to invoices.
Fill in your details, add line items, hit Print when ready.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Tax | Amount |
|---|
The calculator gives you the number — Everhour takes it from there.
One click and you're timing. Start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Everhour.
Set a budget, assign rates, and get alerted before you're over.
Measurement
Track your budget through time or costs
Every report you need — configured your way, always up to date.
Tracked hours flow straight into a polished invoice — no copy-paste, no manual math.
Recruiting invoices usually cover one of two jobs: a direct-placement fee tied to a successful hire, or temporary and contract staffing billed over time. A clear invoice names the service type first, because the buyer reviews a contingency placement differently from a weekly staffing bill. Add the client name, invoice number, invoice date, payment terms, candidate or role reference, service period, and remittance details.
For a direct placement, a line can read: "Permanent placement fee, Senior Account Executive, 25% of $120,000 first-year salary." For staffing, the invoice should show the worker or role, week worked, billable hours, bill rate, and any approved expenses. Recruiting software should let you separate these patterns instead of forcing every engagement into one generic service line.
Contingency recruiting invoices are success-based. The fee is earned when the candidate is hired or placed, and typical headhunter commissions run 20% to 30% of first-year salary. Management and executive searches are commonly cited at 25% to 35%. The invoice should reflect the agreement, including candidate name, role, start date, agreed percentage or flat fee, and any guarantee or refund language that affects payment.
Retained executive search needs a different structure. AESC describes executive search as retained and exclusive, with written terms covering scope, timing, fees, payment schedule, deliverables, guarantees, off-limits terms, conflicts, and data management. Longer searches can run from a few weeks to several months, so milestone invoices or retainer installments often fit better than one final invoice after the role closes.
The fastest way to slow approval is to invoice "recruiting services" without tying the amount to the engagement. A hiring manager, finance reviewer, or procurement team needs the role, candidate or worker reference, fee basis, due date, and contract term that explains the charge. Split-fee arrangements need extra clarity because ASA guidance says written agreements should address fee amounts, entitlement, collection, disbursement, guarantees, and refunds.
United States private-sector invoices do not follow one federal invoice-format statute or a national VAT or GST invoice regime. Invoices support business records, and IRS Publication 583 lists invoices among documents that show business transactions and gross receipts. Sales and use tax depends on state and local rules, nexus, service taxability, and where the sale is sourced, so the invoice should apply the tax treatment required for that client and service.
A free invoice tool is enough for a single placement fee, a one-time retainer installment, or a clean staffing bill where the approved amount already exists. It gives you a presentable document with the fields needed for review: client, service, dates, amount, terms, and payment details. It works when the invoice is the final step, not the system of record.
A managed workflow is better when recruiters, sourcers, and account managers work across many clients or roles. Everhour separates internal cost rates from client-facing billable rates, supports default per-person rates and per-project overrides, and preserves dated rate changes. That matters when staffing margins, recruiter bill rates, and client-specific pricing need to flow into invoices without rebuilding the numbers from spreadsheets.
This content is for general information only, may not be fully up to date, and is provided without any warranty or liability.
High Performer
G2
Summer 2026
Best Ease Of Use
Capterra
Summer 2026
Rated in the top time trackers across G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius — with consistent praise for ease of use, integrations, and support.
Yes. Direct placement and temporary staffing use different billing logic, so they should appear as distinct service types. A placement invoice usually points to the hired candidate, role, fee basis, and placement agreement. A staffing invoice usually points to workers, dates, billable hours, bill rates, and approved expenses for the billing period.
Use the fee basis in the signed placement agreement. Contingency recruiting commonly charges a success-based fee after hire or placement, often 20% to 30% of first-year salary. Retained search commonly uses retainer installments or milestone billing. The invoice should show the agreed percentage, salary base, flat fee, or payment schedule instead of a vague recruiting total.
No single federal private-sector invoice format applies to ordinary United States business invoices. Businesses may choose a recordkeeping system that clearly shows income and expenses, and invoices act as supporting documents. Federal procurement is the clearest national exception because FAR 32.905 defines proper invoice fields for federal contract invoices.
Sales and use tax is state and local, not a national VAT or GST line. Service taxability varies by state and service type. California generally taxes retail sales of tangible personal property and only some service or labor charges, while Texas defines 16 broad categories of taxable services. Apply the rule for the client, service, nexus, and place of sale.
A missing link to the signed engagement slows payment most often. The invoice should identify the role, candidate or worker, service period, fee basis, payment terms, and any guarantee or refund term that affects the amount due. For temporary staffing, the invoice should also tie the charge to approved hours or shifts.
Everhour separates internal cost rates from client-facing billable rates, so recruiting teams can track margin without exposing financial data to every user. Admins can set default rates per person, override rates by project, and apply dated rate changes so older reports keep the original pricing.
Everhour Billing & Invoicing can turn uninvoiced billable time and expenses into invoices. Teams can group invoice lines by project, task, person, date, or another available breakdown, then export invoices to QuickBooks Online, Xero, or FreshBooks as drafts.
Use Everhour to keep recruiter cost rates, client billable rates, and project overrides connected as work moves from search activity to invoice-ready billing.
14-day free trial · No credit card · Cancel anytime
