Comparison · Checked 2026-08-25
Recruitment vs outsourcing
Recruitment finds you individuals to add to your own team. Outsourcing delivers a managed team on another company's payroll doing the work. Recruitment is a one-time placement fee; outsourcing is an ongoing monthly seat cost. Choose recruitment when the role is core to your product and you want long-term ownership; choose outsourcing when the work is well-defined operational capacity you'd rather buy than build.
Option B
Outsourcing
CareerBuddy recruits, employs and operationally manages a team delivering work to your roadmap.
Learn moreCompared, criterion by criterion
How they line up
| Dimension | Recruitment | Outsourcing |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | 15% of first-year salary, one-time on hire | $399–$8,500 per seat per month depending on role |
| Who employs the worker | You (through your entity or an EOR) | CareerBuddy |
| Who manages day-to-day | You | You own roadmap; CareerBuddy handles operational management |
| Time to team live | 4–6 weeks per hire | 3–6 weeks for team of 3+ |
| Convertibility | Direct hire from day one | Any team member can be converted to your own payroll later |
Who each option fits
Pick the one that matches your situation
Recruitment fits when
- The role is core to your product or strategy
- You have the management bandwidth to lead the person
- You expect to promote or expand the role over time
Outsourcing fits when
- The work is operational and well-defined (support, back-office, engineering pods)
- You want capacity you can scale without hiring managers
- You don't want to run the local employment layer
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