Permanent Direct Hire

Permanent Direct Hire in one line

Our core model for every trade we recruit. Contingency, so no fee unless you hire, and we headhunt people who are working now rather than posting and waiting.

Permanent contingency search is the default for every search we take.

How the search runs

Permanent direct hire is the default

Permanent direct hire is how we work unless you ask for something else. The employer hires a person onto its own payroll, with its own benefits and its own supervision. We find, qualify and present working tradespeople and leaders, and then step back. The relationship between employer and employee is theirs. This model suits skilled trades because skills take years to build, and the best people expect a lasting home, not a short assignment.

Because the employer carries the relationship, it also carries the responsibility to treat the person well. We encourage clear job descriptions, honest pay discussions and a real onboarding plan.

Contingency and what that means

Our searches are contingency based. That means the client pays a fee only when a hire is made, and no fee is owed for effort that does not result in a hire. The approved fee and guarantee terms are on our recruiting fees page and are not restated here. We do not ask for retainers, and we do not invoice for presentations or interviews. The incentive is simple, because we are paid when you are satisfied.

We do not charge candidates, and we do not ask clients for money up front. If a search does not result in a hire, nothing is owed for the work we did.

Headhunting working people

Most skilled tradespeople are employed and are not looking. A posting reaches those who are searching, which is a small and often weaker pool. We contact working people directly, by trade, by region and by the kind of work they have done. That is why our briefs describe candidates by experience and not by keywords. We describe source pools by type, never by employer, and we respect each candidate's confidentiality.

Direct contact also lets us explain why a role is worth considering, which a posting cannot do in a few lines.

How a search runs

We begin with an intake about the role, the work, the pay range the client is prepared to offer and the credentials to confirm for the job location. We then recruit, screen by conversation and write a short brief on each candidate, covering their experience, their reasons for moving and any weaknesses we noticed. The client interviews whom it chooses and makes its own decision.

Candidates are told what to expect at each step, and clients receive honest notes about concerns.

What screening covers

We ask about real tasks, real project sizes and recent work. We ask about credentials with dates. We ask why the person would leave their current employer, because motivation predicts acceptance. Your internal HR team manages pre-employment verification and screening protocols directly. We never inflate experience and we never present a training credential as a license.

We also compare each candidate's reasons for leaving with what the client can actually offer, since a mismatch there predicts an early exit.

Offers and acceptance

A strong candidate usually compares several things at once, such as pay, schedule, travel, equipment, culture and the path ahead. We coach clients to be specific and honest in the offer, and we tell candidates plainly what to expect. Clear offers reduce counteroffers and early departures. We stay in touch through the start date so surprises are discovered early.

Where a start date is set, we check in beforehand and after the first weeks to see whether expectations are being met.

When another structure fits better

Some needs are not permanent. A defined project, a shutdown, a seasonal ramp or a trial period before conversion may call for another approach. Those are available on request, and each is described on its own page. Terms are set for each engagement and nothing is assumed in advance. We do not employ, pay or insure workers on a client's behalf in any structure we offer.

Clients who begin with another structure often move to permanent hiring once they see how much easier retention becomes when the person has a lasting place and a clear future. That is a pattern we see repeatedly, and it is why we lead with it.

Start with a request

If you have an open role, send the title, the location and what the person will do. We will say plainly whether we can recruit it and what to expect. If you are unsure which structure fits, our how we work page explains each one. Permanent is where most conversations end up, and it is where we are strongest.

What happens next

1. You send the trade, scope and location. Two short steps.
2. Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
3. We search, qualify people live, and send a written brief on each person we present.

Details on our process and recruiting fees.

What happens in The Six-Step Search?

Every Skilled Trades Headhunters client search follows the same six named steps. Here is what happens at each one and what you get from it.

1. 1

   Intake and calibration

   We agree on the work, location, pay, schedule and credentials before contacting anyone.

   What you get: You get a clear role profile with the deal breakers named up front.

2. 2

   Targeted market research

   We map the trade backgrounds and local or traveling talent that fit. We use relevant employer types, referrals and public license lookups where available.

   What you get: You get a search aimed at the actual work, not a job title alone.

3. 3

   Personal outreach

   We contact working tradespeople individually about the opening and what would make a move worthwhile.

   What you get: You reach people who are not replying to your job advertisement.

4. 4

   Live qualification

   Each person is talked through the scope, equipment and schedule in a live conversation. Applicable licenses are checked with the issuing authority.

   What you get: You only hear about people who understand the job and want it.

5. 5

   Written shortlist insight

   We present a short list with a written brief on each person: what they do now, what they want and what to probe.

   What you get: You interview a few people instead of reading a stack.

6. 6

   Interview and offer support

   We help you prepare interviews, discuss the offer and address counteroffers. We stay in touch through the agreed start.

   What you get: You have support for the hiring decision. The signed agreement sets the replacement terms.

Send Us Your Open Role

What we do not do

• No hourly billing and no workers on our payroll.
• No retainer unless agreed in writing.
• No reposting your opening on job boards.
• Not a same-day labor hall.
• No drug, MVR or background checks; your company runs any the role requires.

Details on how our fee works.