What Is Fractional Recruiting? How a Kas Engagement Runs
What fractional recruiting is, how it compares with agency and in-house recruiting, where it fits Seed through Series B GTM hiring, and how a Kas engagement runs week to week. Exact fees live on the cost guide.
TL;DR
Fractional recruiting is a month-to-month retainer. An external recruiting partner embeds as your TA lead without a full-time hire. For Seed-Series B GTM, Kas prices fractional sales recruiting at $5,000/mo (up to 2 Seed/Series A roles) or $8,000/mo (up to 5 scaling GTM roles) with zero success fees. Use fractional when you have specialized seats ahead and want dedicated bandwidth. Use a Milestone Search example fee for one clear SDR/AE/SM seat. Use specialist quote for Director/VP/CRO.
Full price list: fractional sales recruiting cost. Product: fractional sales. First 1 to 5 sales hires: fractional recruiting for startups.
What is fractional recruiting?
| Model | What it is | You pay | Commitment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional recruiting | Embedded part-time recruiting partner who owns pipeline, calibration, and close | Monthly retainer | Month-to-month (Kas: on/off flex) |
| Contingency agency | Non-exclusive firms race to submit candidates | 20-30% of first-year cash/OTE per hire | Per placement |
| Retained / project search | Exclusive deep search for one senior seat | Project or milestone fees | Per search |
| In-house TA | Full-time recruiter on payroll | Salary + benefits + tools (~$100k-$160k+ fully loaded) | Ongoing headcount |
Fractional is not a hiring marketplace. It is not an ATS. It is a senior operator embedded with founders and hiring managers.
Fee wars vs agencies: fractional sales recruiting vs contingency. Headcount vs retainer: fractional recruiting vs in-house recruiter.
When fractional fits Seed, Series A, and Series B
| Stage | Hiring pattern | Fractional fit |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | First AE, maybe SDR; founder still closes | Strong. Kas Seat at $5,000/mo beats paying 25% on your first AE. |
| Series A | AE pod + SDR; first Sales Manager questions | Strong. Seat $5k to Seat $8k as volume rises. |
| Series B | Multiple GTM seats; possible first VP Sales | Strong for ongoing GTM. Pair VP with specialist/retained process. |
| Later / high volume | 10+ hires/quarter across functions | Consider in-house TA; keep specialist search for hard GTM seats. |
Fractional beats contingency when
- You will open 2+ specialized seats in a quarter
- Roles are GTM (not commodity backfills)
- You want one partner who learns your ICP, pitch, and bar, then reuses that context
- You refuse OTE-percentage invoices on $150k-$350k packages
Stay on Milestone Search example fee (or contingency) when
- Exactly one clear backfill and no follow-on seats
- The JD is stable and the market is liquid
- Seat is SDR/AE/Sales Manager and a per-role quote fits better than a monthly retainer
Milestone example fees at Kas: SDR $5,000, AE $7,500, Senior AE / Sales Manager $10,000. Director / VP / CRO: quote only. Details: cost guide.
What a Kas fractional engagement looks like week to week
- 1
Week 0-1: Calibration
Scorecards, comp bands, ICP, must-have vs nice-to-have. For AE/SDR/Sales Manager under fractional, a free market scan lands in 48-72 hours.
- 2
Weeks 1-3: Pipeline
Direct outreach to passive operators. For AE/SDR/SM under fractional: target 3+ qualified candidates in 3 weeks. Director/VP/CRO uses a dedicated specialist process.
- 3
Ongoing: Loops and close
Interview design, debriefs, offer strategy, counter-offer defense.
- 4
Month boundary: Keep or pause
Month-to-month. Scale Seat capacity when you add seats. Pause when the pod is full.
You get dedicated bandwidth. You do not get resume spam from five non-exclusive desks.
Why a sales-specialist fractional partner
Most fractional recruiting content is written for generic TA. Fine for ops. Thin for seats that move ARR.
- Elite B2B SaaS sales / GTM recruiting. SDRs through VP Sales. Scorecards built on quota, ACV, and motion fit. Product: fractional sales.
- Transparent GTM pricing. $5k / $8k retainers or $5k-$10k Milestone Search example fees through Sales Manager. Not 20-30% surprise math. Director/VP/CRO: quote only. List: cost.
- Founded 2014. Chris Stinson. Alpharetta, GA. [email protected].
Programs menu: /programs.
FAQ: what fractional recruiting is and how it works
What is fractional recruiting in plain English?
You pay a monthly retainer for an embedded recruiting partner who runs your searches part-time as if they were your TA lead. At Kas, fractional sales/GTM retainers are $5,000 or $8,000 per month with zero success fees.
How is fractional different from a recruiting agency?
Agencies (especially contingency) get paid per hire, often 20-30% of comp, and may work your role non-exclusively. Fractional is exclusive bandwidth on a retainer. Incentives skew to quality of process, not submission volume. Fee math: vs contingency.
When should a Seed startup use fractional recruiting?
When you are hiring your first AE/SDR pair, or any specialized seat where a 25% fee on OTE hurts and you want a partner who understands SaaS GTM. Kas Seat at $5,000/mo ($5,000/mo, up to 2 roles) is built for that stage.
Is there a long contract?
No. Kas fractional is month-to-month. Turn it off when hiring pauses.
Fractional or Milestone Search example fee, which should I pick?
Milestone Search example fee (SDR $5,000 / AE $7,500 / Senior AE or Sales Manager $10,000) for a single clear seat through Sales Manager. Director, VP, and CRO are specialist/retained quote only. Fractional when you have multiple GTM seats or need ongoing embedded search. Price list: cost.
When should I hire in-house instead?
When recruiting is a permanent department with sustained multi-function volume (roughly 10+ hires per quarter). Until then, fractional usually wins for GTM sprints. Full comparison: vs in-house.
Related guides
Ready to map fractional to your open seats?
Email [email protected]. Send stage, open roles, and target packages. For AE/SDR/SM under fractional you get a free market scan in 48-72 hours and a clear recommend: Kas Seat at $5,000/mo, Kas Seat at $8,000/mo, Milestone Search example fee, or specialist/retained quote for leadership.
About The Kas Group
The Kas Group (TKS) is an elite B2B SaaS sales recruiting firm founded in 2014. We place sales talent from SDR through VP Sales and CRO for high-growth technology companies.
- Website: https://www.thekasgroup.com
- Email: [email protected]
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