Hiring
How do I find talent in Ireland? (2025 guide for employers)
You find talent in Ireland through three main routes: a managed search where an agency sources, screens, and presents candidates for a fixed fee; job advertising where you run your own campaign on Irish job boards; or a contingency agency that charges 15–25% of first-year salary only on success. Managed search works best for roles that are hard to fill or when you lack time. Advertising suits roles where you already have a strong employer brand. Contingency can work but often means competing with other employers for the same agency’s attention. The right route depends on the role, your budget, and how quickly you need someone in the seat.
Finding talent in Ireland has shifted. Unemployment is low, candidate expectations have changed, and the old ways — post an ad, wait for CVs — rarely deliver on their own. Employers now choose between running the process themselves or paying someone to run it for them. Each route has a different cost, timeline, and chance of success.
The three ways to find talent in Ireland
| Route | How it works | Typical cost (market) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed search | An agency sources, screens, and presents a shortlist. You pay a fixed fee regardless of salary. | €1,800–€4,300 (our fees) | Hard-to-fill roles, confidential hires, or when you lack time |
| Job advertising | You pay to post your role on Irish job boards and manage the response yourself. | €499–€599 (our packages) | Roles with strong employer brand appeal; you have time to screen |
| Contingency agency | An agency works on the role and charges a percentage of salary only if they fill it. | 15–25% of first-year salary | Roles where you are happy to compete with other employers for the agency's focus |
There is no single best route. A €70,000 engineering role that has been open for four months needs a different approach to a €32,000 customer service role you want to fill next week.
Managed search: when you need someone to own the outcome
With a managed search, you brief the agency, they go to market, and they return with a shortlist of people who have been screened and interviewed. You are not sifting through 200 CVs. You are meeting four or five people who can already do the job.
Our fees are fixed by salary band:
| Salary band | Fee (€) |
|---|---|
| Up to €34,999 | 1,800 |
| €35,000 – €49,999 | 2,300 |
| €50,000 – €69,999 | 3,300 |
| €70,000 and above | 4,300 |
If we do not fill the role, you get a 100% refund. Your money back, not another candidate.
Across eight roles we have published in full, the median time to fill was 53 days. The fastest was 20 days; the slowest was 137. The middle half of roles landed between 22 and 69 days. For those eight roles, we sourced and screened 322 people, interviewed 121, presented 51 to clients, and nine were hired. The median number of candidates worked per role was 30.
See how managed search works or view our success stories.
Job advertising: when you want to run the process yourself
If you have a recognisable brand, a straightforward role, and someone on your team who can screen and interview, advertising can work. You pay a flat fee to post your role across Irish job boards and you manage the response.
Our advertising packages:
- Premium — €499
- Premium Plus — €599
Both put your role in front of active job seekers on the platforms Irish candidates actually use. You keep control of the process. The trade-off is time: you will be reading CVs, arranging interviews, and chasing feedback yourself.
Compare advertising packages or post a job now.
Contingency agencies: the market norm
Most recruitment agencies in Ireland work on contingency. They charge a percentage of the successful candidate’s first-year salary — typically 15–25%. You pay nothing if they do not fill the role.
The catch is focus. A contingency agency only gets paid if they fill the role before someone else does. That means they prioritise the roles they are most likely to fill quickly. If your role is niche, the location is awkward, or the salary is below market, it may sit at the bottom of their list.
Contingency works well when:
- The role is in high demand and candidates are plentiful
- You are willing to work with multiple agencies simultaneously
- You are not in a rush
It works less well when:
- The role is specialised or senior
- You need confidentiality
- You want a single point of contact who is fully invested in your hire
Which route costs less?
It depends on the salary. A contingency fee of 20% on a €60,000 role is €12,000. Our managed search fee for that band is €3,300. Advertising is €499–€599, but you carry the time cost internally.
For roles under €50,000, the difference is smaller but still meaningful. A 20% contingency fee on €40,000 is €8,000. Our fee is €2,300.
Read our full breakdown of hiring costs in Ireland.
Where you look changes who you find
Dublin has the deepest talent pool in the country, but it also has the most competition. A role advertised in Dublin might attract 80 applicants; the same role in Leitrim might attract 12. That does not mean you cannot fill the Leitrim role — it means you need a different approach. Managed search works well outside the capital because it does not rely on passive candidates stumbling across an ad.
Read more on hiring in Dublin versus the regions.
How long should you expect to wait?
Our data says the median is 53 days from brief to accepted offer. That is faster than the market average for managed recruitment in Ireland, but it is not instant. If someone promises to fill a niche role in a week, ask them how.
See our full data on time-to-fill.
Finding talent is about choosing the right tool
There is no mystery to it. You either pay someone to run the search or you run it yourself. The right choice depends on the role, the market, and how much of your own time you can spend on hiring. If you want to talk through which route fits your situation, call us on (01) 575 5347.
About TalentFinder | Contact us
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to find talent in Ireland?
Job advertising is the lowest cash outlay — our packages start at €499. But the real cost includes the time your team spends screening, interviewing, and managing the process. For a €40,000 role, a contingency agency charging 20% costs €8,000. Our managed search fee for that band is €2,300, with a 100% refund if we do not fill the role.
How long does it take to find someone in Ireland right now?
Across roles we have filled, the median time from brief to accepted offer is 53 days. The fastest was 20 days; the slowest was 137. The middle half fell between 22 and 69 days. Timeline depends on the role, salary, location, and how quickly you can interview and decide.
Should I use a contingency agency or a managed search?
Contingency agencies charge 15–25% of salary only on success, which suits roles where candidates are plentiful and you are not in a rush. Managed search charges a fixed fee upfront and gives you a dedicated recruiter who sources and screens specifically for your role. It works better for niche, senior, or confidential hires where you need someone fully invested in filling your role.
Sources
Want the fixed price for your role?
Advertise it yourself across Ireland's major job boards from €499, or hand the whole search to a dedicated recruiter with Guaranteed Hire — a flat fee by salary band with a 100% refund if the role is not filled. No VAT is added for Irish businesses.
See Guaranteed Hire Advertise a job
Or call (01) 575 5347.