Recruitment agency fees in France are most often set as a percentage of the hired candidate's gross annual salary, more rarely as a flat fee. No law sets the rate: it depends on the role, how hard it is to fill, exclusivity and the guarantee offered. The calculation, the payment schedule and the guarantee are written into the proposal.
This article describes the ways of calculating fees, the assignment models, what makes your rate vary and what to put in your terms.
Article checked on 11 November 2026.
How fees are calculated
An agency most often charges a percentage of the hired candidate's gross annual salary. The base is fixed pay, plus variable pay if the contract says so. Fees excluding VAT are the base multiplied by the rate; French VAT at the standard 20% rate applies to the fees, not to the salary.
Example: for a role at €55,000 gross fixed annual salary and an agreed rate of 20%, fees come to €11,000 excluding VAT, or €13,200 including VAT. The rate in this example is not a market benchmark; use the one in your own proposal.
A flat fee per role suits repeat or volume hiring: several identical roles, the same profile for several sites. It simplifies the invoice and the negotiation, but pays poorly for a role that turns out harder than expected.
Assignment models
The calculation method says how much you charge; the assignment model says when and on what terms. Agencies combine three models: contingency, exclusivity with a deposit, and a flat fee for several hires. The model changes your risk as much as the rate does, because it decides what is paid if the role is not filled.
| Model | When the client pays | The risk you take |
|---|---|---|
| Contingency | When the candidate presented is hired | Working for nothing if another agency places |
| Exclusivity with a deposit | A deposit at the start, the balance on hiring | The deposit covers part of the work done |
| Flat fee for several roles | According to the agreed schedule | A role harder than expected |
The deposit is invoiced under the rules for a deposit invoice, with its VAT; see our article on the deposit invoice on recruitment fees.
What makes your rate vary
Your rate reflects the work and the risk of an assignment. A rare profile, a senior role, direct approach of employed candidates or a tight deadline justify a higher rate. Exclusivity, a volume of roles or an established relationship with the client sometimes justify a gesture. Write these criteria down for yourself before negotiating.
- How rare the profile is: how many credible candidates exist, and how many are employed.
- The level of the role: pay goes up, and so does the care expected in the assessment.
- Exclusivity: without it, you share the risk with other agencies.
- The guarantee: a longer guarantee commits more potential work.
- The deadline: an urgent hire ties the consultant to a single assignment.
Do not copy a rate found online without a source: it knows nothing about your specialism or your client. On price objections, see how to handle client objections.
Write your terms down
Written terms prevent most fee disputes. They are handed over before the assignment starts, in the proposal or the agency's terms of business, and the client accepts them in writing. An assignment launched on a verbal agreement gets renegotiated when the invoice arrives.
To write down in black and white:
- the base (fixed only, or fixed and variable) and the rate, or the flat fee;
- the schedule: deposit, balance, due date;
- the replacement guarantee: length, conditions, exclusions (dismissal for misconduct, change to the role);
- non-solicitation: what happens if the client hires a candidate you presented without going through you;
- payment terms: deadline, late payment interest and, in France, the fixed €40 recovery fee.
For deadlines and late payment interest, see how long to give clients to pay an invoice. For the contract itself: drafting your first commercial contract.
Who pays, and when to talk about it
Fees are paid by the client company. The French Labour Code forbids charging any fee, even partial, to a job seeker in return for a placement service (article L5321-3). Your candidate pays nothing, at any point of the process, including when the hire falls through or the guarantee applies.
When prospecting, price comes up quickly, often on the first call of an adchase. Explain how fees are calculated if asked, then send the rate in writing with the proposal once you understand the role: how difficult the role is and whether it is exclusive change the value of the assignment.
In Marvin
Marvin prepares the invoice from the placement: fees, payment schedule (deposit then balance), the client's billing details and purchase order number are carried over without re-entry. You review the draft before issuing it; for a client established in France, it then goes to Pennylane as a draft, without duplicates. For other software, the data exports as CSV.
Reminders follow your due dates: you see what is pending, overdue or paid. See the invoicing software for recruitment agencies.
FAQ
How are a French recruitment agency's fees calculated?
Most often as a percentage of the hired candidate's gross annual salary, fixed pay only or fixed and variable depending on the contract. Some agencies charge a flat fee per role. No law sets the rate: it is negotiated with each client and written into the proposal.
What is the difference between a contingency assignment and an exclusive one?
On contingency, the client only pays if the candidate presented is hired, and can give the same role to several agencies. With exclusivity, the client gives the role to a single agency and usually pays a deposit at the start, with the balance due on hiring.
What is a replacement guarantee?
The agency's commitment to find a new candidate, at no extra fee, if the person hired leaves the role within a set period, often linked to the probation period. Its length, conditions and exclusions are written into the contract.
Should you give your fees on the first call?
Explain how fees are calculated when the hiring manager asks, and send the rate in writing with the proposal. A price given too early, before you understand the role, is hard to defend: how difficult the role is and whether it is exclusive change the value of the assignment.