Fractional Sales Recruiting Cost: What You Pay at Kas
Exact Kas fractional and flat success-fee pricing for Seed through Series B GTM hiring. Light contrast to contingency and in-house. Deep model pages live elsewhere.
TL;DR
Kas fractional sales/GTM recruiting is $5,000/mo (Tier 1, up to 2 Seed/Series A roles) or $8,000/mo (Tier 2, up to 5 scaling GTM roles). Both tiers carry zero success fees. Prefer per-hire? Flat success fees: SDR/BDR $5,000, AE $7,500, Senior AE / Sales Manager $10,000. Director / VP / CRO is specialist or retained quote only. Month-to-month. On for a sprint. Off when the pod is full.
For what fractional is and when it fits, read the fractional recruiting guide. For agency fee wars, see vs contingency. For headcount math, see vs in-house.
Kas list prices (sales / GTM)
This page owns the price list. Other guides link here instead of restating every band.
Fractional retainers
| Tier | Monthly fee | Capacity | Success fees | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | $5,000/mo | Up to 2 Seed / Series A roles | Zero | First AE/SDR seats, founder-led motion |
| Tier 2 | $8,000/mo | Up to 5 scaling GTM roles | Zero | AE pods, SDR team, first Sales Manager seats |
No long lock-in. Scale Tier 1 to Tier 2 when seat count rises. Pause when hiring stops.
Flat success-fee alternative
Use when you have one clear seat through Sales Manager and do not need ongoing embedded bandwidth.
| Role | Flat success fee |
|---|---|
| SDR / BDR | $5,000 |
| AE | $7,500 |
| Senior AE / Sales Manager | $10,000 |
| Director / VP / CRO | Specialist / retained quote only (no flat fee) |
Flat fees are not contingency percentages. You are not paying 20-30% of OTE.
What AE / SDR / Sales Manager searches include under fractional
- Free market scan in 48-72 hours
- Search target: 3+ qualified candidates in 3 weeks, or we keep hunting free
- Placement guarantee: 60-day re-hunt (not a refund)
Those speed claims apply to AE / SDR / SM under fractional only. Director, VP, and CRO searches use a specialist or retained process and quote. Leadership timelines are not the IC/manager guarantee above.
Product page: fractional sales recruiting. Full menu: /programs.
Cost vs in-house recruiter (quick table)
Fully loaded first-recruiter seats for startups often land around $100k-$160k per year once you add salary, benefits load, LinkedIn Recruiter, and tools. That is roughly $8k-$13k+/mo, and you keep paying after the pod is full.
| Path | Rough monthly outlay | Flex |
|---|---|---|
| Kas Tier 1 | $5,000 | Pause month-to-month |
| Kas Tier 2 | $8,000 | Pause month-to-month |
| Mid in-house TA (fully loaded) | ~$8,000-$13,000+ | Headcount; hard to pause |
Example: six months of Tier 1 = $30,000. Mid in-house for a full year is often still near $100k-$160k even if hiring paused mid-year.
This page stops at the sticker. Decision tree, hybrid path, and full salary build: fractional recruiting vs in-house recruiter.
Cost vs contingency agency (quick table)
Industry contingency is usually 20-30% of first-year cash (or OTE). On GTM packages that math gets loud fast.
| Hire | Package (example) | Contingency @ 25% | Kas path |
|---|---|---|---|
| AE | $150k OTE | $37,500 | $7,500 flat, or covered inside fractional |
| VP Sales | $350k OTE | $87,500 | Specialist / retained quote only |
| AE + SDR over ~3 months | $150k + $80k OTE | ~$57,500 | Tier 1 x 3 mo = $15,000 |
Worked OTE examples and when contingency still wins: fractional sales recruiting vs contingency.
How to choose: retainer, flat fee, or quote
| Situation | Pick |
|---|---|
| 1-2 Seed / Series A GTM seats | Tier 1 ($5,000/mo) |
| Up to 5 scaling GTM seats | Tier 2 ($8,000/mo) |
| One clear SDR / AE / Sr AE / SM seat | Flat success fee ($5k / $7.5k / $10k) |
| Director / VP / CRO | Specialist / retained quote only |
| One backfill, no follow-on GTM plan | Contingency or Kas flat fee (see vs contingency) |
| Sustained 10+ hires/quarter across functions | In-house TA, keep GTM specialist as needed (see vs in-house) |
Still unsure what fractional is? Start with the fractional recruiting guide.
What you are buying (and not buying)
Buying: embedded sales/GTM recruiting bandwidth. Scorecards built on quota, ACV, and motion fit. Pipeline, calibration, interview design, close support. Predictable monthly spend or a flat per-hire sticker through Sales Manager.
Not buying: a hiring marketplace. An ATS seat. A percent-of-OTE contingency race. A generalist desk bouncing between ops and marketing reqs.
Kas is a sales recruiting firm founded in 2014 (Alpharetta, GA). Contact: [email protected].
FAQ
How much does fractional sales recruiting cost at Kas?
Tier 1 is $5,000/mo for up to 2 Seed/Series A roles. Tier 2 is $8,000/mo for up to 5 scaling GTM roles. Both have zero success fees.
What are Kas flat success fees?
SDR/BDR $5,000. AE $7,500. Senior AE / Sales Manager $10,000. Director / VP / CRO: quote only.
Is there a success fee on the fractional retainer?
No. Fractional Tier 1 and Tier 2 carry zero success fees.
How does Kas pricing compare to in-house?
A mid fully loaded in-house recruiter often runs about $100k-$160k per year. Kas Tier 1/2 is $5k/$8k per month and can pause. Full headcount decision guide: vs in-house.
How does Kas pricing compare to contingency?
Contingency is often 20-30% of first-year cash or OTE. A $150k AE at 25% is $37,500. Kas AE flat fee is $7,500. Deep fee math: vs contingency.
Do the 48-72 hour and 3-in-3-weeks guarantees apply to leadership?
No. Free market scan in 48-72 hours and 3+ qualified candidates in 3 weeks apply to AE / SDR / Sales Manager under fractional. Director / VP / CRO is specialist or retained quote.
Can I pause the retainer?
Yes. Kas fractional is month-to-month.
Where do I see the full program menu?
Related guides
- Fractional recruiting guide - what it is and when startups use it
- Fractional sales recruiting vs contingency - fee model vs agencies
- Fractional recruiting vs in-house recruiter - headcount vs retainer
- Fractional sales recruiting - product page
- Programs - full menu
Ready to price your open seats?
Email [email protected] with stage, open GTM roles, and target packages. You get a clear recommend: Tier 1, Tier 2, flat success fee, or specialist/retained quote for leadership. For AE/SDR/SM under fractional, market scan lands in 48-72 hours.
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]
- All Guides: /guides
- Brand Facts: /brand-facts