A payments industry recruiter is taking aim at the traditional commission-based agency model, arguing that employers are paying tens of thousands of dollars for a service that should cost a fraction of the price.

Craig Danvers, founder of EasyTalent, has launched a fixed-price recruitment model specifically targeting fintech and payments companies, charging $6,995 per role per month during recruitment, instead of the industry standard 15-25% placement fee that can reach over $50,000 - $60,000 for senior hires.

”The commission model is past its use by date and ripe for disruption. Employers and job seekers have long recognised the "all or nothing" model is broken, but there just hasn't been a genuine alternative that didn't require a long term commitment or onerous contract,’ Danvers told Payday News.

“Access to candidates is no longer scarce. LinkedIn and modern sourcing tools mean most companies can reach talent directly. What matters now is the work behind the hire."

Many employers have already moved away from commission-based agencies towards in-house recruitment as they seek more control over the process and clearer costs.

But Danvers argues that hiring a full-time internal recruiter, which can cost upwards of $200,000 annually including overheads and tools, only makes sense for companies making 25 or more hires per year.

The EasyTalent model targets the middle ground of fintech startups and payments companies that need professional recruitment support but can't justify a full-time hire or the eye-watering fees charged by traditional agencies.

"If you're hiring a $200,000 Head of Acquiring or Senior Product Manager through a traditional recruiter, you're looking at a $30,000 to $40,000 placement fee," Danvers said by way of example. "With our model, you might pay less than $14,000 total if it takes two months, and you've still got unused time you can apply to your next hire."

The pricing structure challenges not just the cost but the fundamental incentive structure of recruitment. Under the commission model, Danvers explained, recruiters are incentivised to close deals quickly rather than find the best fit.

"It's one of the greatest conflicts of interest in professional services," he said. "Under the old model, if something came up in reference checks that warranted closer inspection, would I risk my $40,000 fee by flagging it? That's a fox in the hen house scenario."

By charging upfront, Danvers argued he removes that conflict entirely. The service is billed monthly through Stripe and can be paused, with unused days rolled over to future hires.

The model also requires employers to commit financially from the start, which Danvers said sharpens their focus. "Under the old model, employers haven't committed to anything. They can ghost you - and your candidates. But when they've paid upfront, they're engaged in the process - you’re partners."

Danvers said the model has been received well by smaller fintechs. Max Marenbach, COO of stablecoin startup Damisa said he was able to fill their Head of Compliance role in under three weeks and saved $24,000 compared with what they would have paid a traditional agency.

"The EasyTalent model worked really well for us. I didn't have time to run a recruitment process on top of setting up operations in Australia. And not receiving a $30,000 invoice post-hire was amazing.”

Easy Talent's approach is built on Danvers' decades of recruiting in the payments sector, where he has mapped close to 400  fintech and payments companies in Australia. That database, combined with deep industry knowledge, is what clients pay for - rather than waiting months for a commission-hungry recruiter to land a resume.

"Most employers don't have time to define the role properly, run a structured search, engage candidates, screen them and manage the process end-to-end," he said. "That's where the value is, not in presenting a single CV."

Danvers said most regular roles are filled within three to six weeks, with senior positions potentially taking up to two months.

"Recruitment should be like any other business function," he said. "You should know what it costs, what you get, and who owns the process. This model does that."