A practical guide for businesses that want cost effective recruitment without the stress
Why “cheap” recruitment is not about cutting corners
Recruitment can feel like a black box of costs. According to UK data, the average cost to hire an employee is around £6,125 when you include internal time, adverts and external costs.
For mid-level hires the cost can be closer to £6,998 which is roughly 20 to 30 percent of first-year salary.
And when a hire goes badly, the losses mount. One study found that 39 percent of new employees in SMEs left within six months, contributing to wasted costs of over £100,000 per year in some businesses.
So cost-effective recruitment is not simply lowering your spend. It is getting the right hire at the right time, without dragging out the process or hurting productivity.
Six practical strategies to hire cost-effectively
Here are tried and tested tactics you can start using right now for your low cost recruitment. Think of them as your recruitment hygiene checklist.
1. Be crystal clear on the role and required skills
Spending money on ads or agencies before you have pinned down what the role truly requires is a guaranteed way to waste budget. Research shows that many organisations increase internal development because they struggle to fill roles through external hiring.
Tip: Create a short role brief that includes must-haves, nice-to-haves and success criteria at six and twelve months. Review it with the team who will work most closely with the new hire.
2. Shorten the time to hire
Every extra day a vacancy stays open costs you money in lost productivity, overtime, disruption and potentially losing top candidates. The UK average time to fill is around 42 days.
Tip: Map your hiring process from advert to screening to shortlisting to interview to offer. Identify bottlenecks. For example, block interview times in advance, set clear application cut-off dates and update the job ad to reduce irrelevant applications.
3. Tap your existing pool and network
Not every hire needs to begin with a fresh job advert. Using internal networks, alumni and past applicants can reduce spend and speed up hiring while strengthening your employer brand.
Tip: Ask current team members if they know someone perfect for the role. Offer a small reward. It is inexpensive and often leads to higher quality candidates.
4. Invest in your employer brand
Quality hires often come because people know you, like you and want to work with you. A strong presence on social media, an updated careers page and employee testimonials cost very little but pay off significantly.
Tip: Publish a short day in the life of a team member, highlight your values and make sure you respond quickly to applications.
5. Use cost-efficient channels and technology
Avoid relying on job boards alone. Tools such as simple screening forms, structured scoring and ATS systems reduce wasted time.
Improved recruiting metrics can contribute directly to profitability.
Tip: If you are not using an ATS, set up a spreadsheet to track:
• number of applications
• interview to offer ratio
• cost per hire
• time to fill
This shows clearly which channels deliver the best value.
6. Review and refine. Do not set and forget.
Too many organisations move on immediately after hiring. Reviewing what worked and what did not helps refine and improve each new campaign.
Tip: After each hire, hold a short review meeting. Look at what worked, what did not and what could be streamlined next time.
So where does Ad Talent come in?
At Ad Talent we specialise in helping businesses hire efficiently, not just cheaply. We understand that every vacancy has its own context including timeframe, role level, team culture and budget.
We use a flat fee recruitment model. This means you retain more budget for training, onboarding and culture building. We focus on process optimisation, high quality candidates and measurable outcomes.
Flat fee recruitment (a fixed fee rather than a percentage of salary) aligns well with cost-effective recruitment because it:
- gives visibility over spend upfront
- encourages process efficiency and channel use
- supports the reuse of networks and talent pools
For example, one article states that using a flat fee recruitment model helped a business reduce annual recruitment costs by a third while maintaining hire quality.
Another resource explains how flat fee recruitment works, how the fee structure differs from traditional agency fees, and why many SMEs choose it.
Think of us as your partner in smarter hiring, not just another supplier.
Final thoughts
Cost effective recruitment isn’t about cheap hires, it’s about smart hires. It’s about clarity, speed, internal networks, employer brand, channel efficiency, and continuous improvement. The statistics show recruitment costs are high and time-to-fill is lengthy. But with the right practices (and the right recruitment partner) you can reduce cost and improve quality.
If you would like to talk through how this approach can support your next hire, we would love to help.
Ad Talent – The Simple Hiring Solution