Flat Fee Recruitment

Tired of Bad Hires and Bloated Recruiter Fees?

One flat fee. One great hire. A system you own forever.

15-25%

What agencies charge per hire on salary

60%

Of new hires quit within the first month

35+hrs

A business owner spends per DIY hire

$23K

Average cost to hire in Australia today

The Real Cost of Bad Hiring

Small Businesses Are Bleeding Money on Hiring

Recruitment agencies charge 15-25% per hire – that’s $12,000-$16,000 for an $80,000 role. Yet the outcome? 60% of new hires quit within a month. Nearly 78% leave by three months.

It’s ruining your culture, draining your money, your time, and your patience. And every time it happens, you start from scratch again.

Imagine having an expert Talent Partner do the heavy lifting for one flat fee - and hand you a proven hiring system so you never have to guess or overpay again.

What gets reviewed After the audit, you'll know

01
Agency fees with no accountability

You pay $12K-$16K per hire and get a candidate - not a system. The next hire costs just as much. There's no process left behind, no documentation, no improvement over time.

 
02
35+ hours of your time per DIY hire

Writing ads, sifting resumes, screening calls, coordinating interviews, chasing references. DIY recruitment is the most expensive thing a business owner can do with their time.

 
03
Wrong hires that damage culture

Without a structured process, hiring becomes gut feel. Wrong-fit candidates slip through, underperform, and cost you months of management time, team morale, and eventual replacement costs.

 

The Solution

One Fixed Fee = One Great Hire + Reusable 5-Step System

Everything handled. Everything documented. A hiring system that stays with your business long after the hire is made.

Proven 5-Step Method

From attention-grabbing job ads to targeted candidate outreach, rigorous screening, structured interviews, and guided onboarding. Every stage handled. Every step battle-tested for SMEs.

Full Hiring Toolkit

Custom job ad copy, interview questionnaires and scorecards, email templates, offer letters, and onboarding checklists. Everything documented and repeatable. You’ll never start from scratch again.

Quality Hire Delivered

We attract and vet candidates with precision, presenting only top contenders who fit your role and culture. No more sifting through 200 resumes yourself. Your next great employee, ready to contribute.

50% Less Than Agency Fees

All of this at a fixed price for roles with base salaries in the $60K-$100K range. No surprise add-ons. No percentage of salary. Compare that to a typical $12-$16K agency fee for the same role.

1
Craft Your Brief
We dig deep on the role, culture, must-haves, and deal-breakers. Clarity on what the right person looks like before sourcing begins.
2
Target and Source
Compelling job ads plus active outreach to passive candidates. We hunt for the right people, not just the available ones.
3
Screen and Shortlist
Rigorous structured vetting. You receive only top-fit candidates. No resume sifting on your end.
4
Interview and Select
Guided structured interviews. You make the final call with confidence - we give you the framework and the shortlist.
5
Onboard and Embed
Onboarding checklist, probation support, and a complete system you keep. Every future hire starts here, not from scratch.

How It Stacks Up

Universal HR vs. Traditional Agency vs. DIY

 

Traditional Agency

❌ Expensive & hands-off

DIY Recruitment

❌ Time-drain & risky

Universal HR Flat Fee

✓ Fixed fee, proven system
Cost15-25% of salary ($12K-$16K per hire)Cheap upfront, expensive mistakes✓ Transparent fixed fee
Time & ControlHands-off, low control over processOwner spends 35+ hours per hire✓ Managed process, you stay in control
Candidate QualityVolume over quality, rushed placementsLimited reach, hit or miss✓ Targeted sourcing, vetted shortlist
ComplianceBasic compliance, limited accountabilityHigh risk, compliance gaps✓ Full Fair Work compliance built in
Cultural FitSpeed over fit, commission-drivenGut feel, no structured assessment✓ Structured alignment to your values
Retention & SupportNo post-placement support, high turnoverVery high turnover, costly mistakes✓ Right hire first time + reusable system

Why Universal HR

Expertise. Deliverables. Outcomes.

15+ years of corporate HR experience combined with ICF coaching methodology – built for SMEs who want results, not excuses.

Expertise You Can Trust

 

15+ Years Across Engineering, IT, Defence, Finance & Professional Services

Corporate HR experience with multinational companies plus deep SME expertise. Hiring systems built at scale and adapted for businesses like yours – no full HR team required.

ICF-Certified Coach

Not just filling roles – building leadership capability. Coaching principles integrated into every hire, onboarding plan, and performance conversation.

100% Transparent

No commissions, no hidden fees, no surprises. You know exactly what you’re paying and what you’re getting.

What You Get

Full Hiring Toolkit – Not Just a Hire

Customised job ad copy, interview questionnaires, email templates, offer letters, onboarding checklists. Everything documented and repeatable.

Quality Hire Delivered – No More Resume Sifting

We attract and vet candidates for you, presenting only top contenders who fit your role and culture. Your next great employee ready to contribute.

Built-In Compliance & Peace of Mind

Every step aligns with Fair Work guidelines and HR best practices – from fair advertising to unbiased interviews and proper contracts.

Your Employer Brand Protected

Every candidate treated with professionalism and respect. They’re representing your business – and we protect your reputation at every touchpoint.

The Outcomes

Slash Hiring Costs by 50-70%

Our flat-fee model typically saves SMEs $10K-$15K per hire compared to traditional agency fees. Those savings drop straight to your bottom line.

Speed & Time Savings – No More 35+ Hours Per Hire

Our streamlined process and reusable system mean faster hires and far less effort from you and your team. Focus on running the business, not chasing candidates.

Better Fit, Better Retention

We prioritise culture and role fit through structured interviews and thorough vetting. Say goodbye to revolving-door hires.

Complete Control & Confidence

You’ll never feel at the mercy of external recruiters again. Your own in-house hiring playbook, done by your rules, with full compliance and consistency.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from using a recruitment agency?
Agencies charge 15-25% of salary and disappear once the hire is made. You’re left with no system, no documentation, and you’re back at square one for the next hire. We charge a transparent flat fee and build you a complete, reusable hiring system. You walk away with templates, frameworks, and a quality hire plus the ability to recruit internally going forward. Think of it as hiring expertise that stays with your business, not just filling a seat.
 
We follow a rigorous vetting process – structured interviews, cultural fit assessments, thorough reference checks, and psychometric testing (if relevant) to minimise risk. But here’s the difference: because we build you a proper onboarding system and probation review framework, you’ll know within the first 30-60 days if someone isn’t the right fit. And you’ll have the tools to manage it confidently and compliantly. Traditional agencies offer 90-day replacement guarantees, but that just means starting the whole process again. We give you the capability to handle it yourself.
 
Our screening process is rigorous, but if the initial shortlist doesn’t align with your needs, we refine the brief and source additional candidates. We don’t move to interview stage until you’re confident in the candidates being presented – your satisfaction with candidate quality is non-negotiable.
 
Typically 3-6 weeks from kick-off to offer accepted, depending on role complexity, your decision speed, and market conditions. Passive candidate sourcing and structured interviews take time, but that’s why we find better fits than agencies rushing to fill roles. Urgent placements are possible and we discuss timeline on your consultation call. We move fast because we’re not juggling 20 other clients – you get focused, dedicated support.
 
Yes, and that’s a good thing. You’ll be involved in key decisions: approving the job ad, shortlisting top candidates, and conducting final interviews. But we handle the heavy lifting – writing ads, screening resumes, coordinating interviews, vetting candidates, managing all the admin, pre-employment checks, and negotiating offers and issuing employment contracts. You stay in control without drowning in the work.
 
This system works best for professional, technical, and operational roles with base salaries between $60K-$100K. Senior or highly specialist roles may require expanded scope. During your consultation, we assess whether the role is a fit for our flat-fee model or if a custom approach better serves your needs. Transparency first, always. Not sure if your role fits? Book a quick call and we’ll talk it through.
 
Perfect – that’s the whole point. You’ll already have the system, templates, and frameworks in place. You can either run it yourself using the toolkit we’ve built, or bring us back in at a discounted rate for hands-on support (available to all clients as an add-on). Either way, you’re never starting from scratch again.
 
No, we work with SMEs across Australia. Everything is delivered remotely (video calls, shared documents, email support). On-site visits are available in QLD if needed, but most clients find the remote model works perfectly.
 
  • Full hiring toolkit (job ad, interview guides, scorecards, offer templates, onboarding checklists)
  • End-to-end recruitment support (ad placement, resume screening, candidate coordination)
  • Pre-employment checks (psychometric testing, reference checks, police check/medical if relevant)
  • Offer negotiation and issuing of employment contract
  • One quality hire delivered
  • Compliance & Fair Work alignment built in
  • Ongoing support during probation period
No hidden fees. No commissions. No surprises.
 
Fill in the short form below or book a free 30-minute HR Action Call. We’ll talk through your hiring challenge, clarify if this is the right fit, and map out next steps if it makes sense to work together. No pressure. No sales pitch. Just a straight conversation.
 

Ready to Fix Your Hiring?

Stop Overpaying Agencies. Start Hiring Right.

Take back control with a proven system built for Australian SMEs. Answer a few quick questions so we can understand your hiring needs and ensure this service aligns with your business.

We review every submission personally. If this service is not the right fit for your role or situation, we will tell you clearly and suggest what is.

Ready to Get Started?

Stop Guessing.
Hire Right.

Book a free 30-minute call. We’ll assess your hiring challenge and determine if flat-fee recruitment is the right fit – or if something else makes more sense first.

Important Information

Universal HR’s flat-fee recruitment service includes one quality hire placement and a complete 5-step hiring system with reusable templates and tools. Pricing applies to roles with base salaries between $60,000 and $100,000. This service provides educational and informational support for hiring processes and does not guarantee any specific hiring result or business outcome. Results vary based on your implementation and factors beyond our control. Individual hire retention and performance depend on multiple variables including team culture, role fit, and ongoing management. No statements on this page should be construed as promises of future financial performance or guaranteed business success, in accordance with Australian Consumer Law and ACCC guidelines. By engaging this service, you acknowledge responsibility for your own hiring decisions and indemnify Universal HR against any claims or damages arising from use of information or services provided.