Using a recruitment agency can save you time and improve your hiring results. Key benefits include:

Faster hiring: We handle advertising, screening, and initial interviews for you, which frees up your time and speeds up the hiring process.

Access to top talent: We can tap into a larger pool of qualified candidates, including passive candidates who might not apply on their own. So you get access to the best people for the job.

Reduced risk: With our expertise in candidate vetting, we help you avoid costly bad hires by thoroughly checking skills and references before you make a decision.

Overall, partnering with Gambit means a more efficient hiring process and a higher chance of finding a great long-term fit for your team. In general about 15-20% of candidates are actively applying to job ads, another 20% are in their dream role, or have recently started a role and can’t be tempted to move, that leaves the majority of the market, who are happy to move for the right opportunity. Because we are a specialized tech recruitment agency we know the candidates that are passively looking, and what their motivations are so you can make the perfect hire. We focus on the recruiting, so you can focus on running your business.

There are several factors that go into determining the cost of recruitment services. You typically have two main options when you’re looking to grow your team. Do you require someone to start immediately on a project? Then, having Gambit deploy a contractor resource through a Statement of Work (SoW) might be the best option. However, you may be in search for the best permanent talent in the market, we can also help with that. Determining whether you require a contract or a permanent talent is the first step.

When deploying a contract resource, several factors come into play: what seniority level is required, what skill sets are needed, what is the project duration, and how quickly do you need them to start. We will work with you and within your budget to ensure we have the best contractor deployed quickly. Contracts are typically deployed on an all-inclusive hourly or daily rate.

For permanent resource the fee is usually a percentage of the candidate’s first-year annual salary. We typically have two forms of engaging with you, either through retained or contingency arrangements. In New Zealand, the permanent fee typically ranges from 14% to 20% depending on a number of factors. What is the seniority of the role? How short skilled is the skillset that you're looking for? Are your expectations in line with market conditions? Are you looking to engage on a contingency or retained basis? At Gambit we will discuss the rate early on, and you’ll only pay once we successfully place a candidate you hire.

Gambit has a rigorous screening process to ensure any candidate we put before you is well-qualified. This starts with our initial conversation with you, where we will gather all the relevant information we need about how your company works, the particular role, and any other requirements, this includes an understanding of the technical requirements and the soft skills required for your team. We will then apply this to interviews to assess experience and communication skills, reference checks, and technical skill assessments if required. By evaluating each candidate’s background and abilities, and their cultural fit for your team, Gambit helps ensure you only meet candidates who meet your requirements and standards.

The timeline can vary based on the role and market conditions. For some urgent or in demand tech roles, a suitable candidate can be found within days. More specialized or senior positions can take a few weeks to fill. Gambit works as efficiently as possible by leveraging our candidate networks and screening processes. Factors like the complexity of the job, availability of qualified candidates, and your interview availability will affect the overall time to hire. For a typical job this can take from 2-4 weeks. Throughout the process, we will keep you updated on progress and candidate feedback.

We use a mixture of methods to find great candidates for your roles:.

Database & direct outreach: We search our internal database of candidates and reach out directly to qualified professionals who match your requirements, including those who may not be actively looking. 

Industry networks: We leverage professional networks and LinkedIn to engage with the tech community, often headhunting passive candidates with the specific skills you need.

Advertising broadly: We can tailor a job post and use multiple job boards and platforms to attract the ideal active job seeker

All we do day-in and day-out is talk to top candidates within the tech sector. We therefore have an understanding of the market, including each candidates motivations and career ambitions, so when the right role comes around we can immediately fill it with top, motivated talent.

Most recruitment agencies offer a replacement guarantee for peace of mind. This means if a candidate placed by the agency leaves or isn’t meeting expectations within an agreed period, the agency will find you a suitable replacement at no additional cost. If for whatever reason they are not able to replace the candidate, then typically a credit note is given. The credit note amount will diminish depending on whether the candidate was in the role for 30, 60 or 90 days. The specific guarantee period and terms will vary by agency.

At Gambit we have the best guarantee period within the New Zealand recruitment market. We back our ability to use our network of talented candidates to find the perfect fit for your team with our 110% Gambit Guarantee*. This means that where a candidate leaves at any time within the first 90 days, and we cannot replace them, you will receive 110% of your fee back as credit for a future hire. 

This guarantee underscores our confidence in our ability to find a candidate for your company and reduces the risk for your business in the hiring process.

* subject to Terms of Business

There’s no one size fits all answer. The decision often comes down to your capacity, the importance of the role, and how quickly you need to hire.

Many of our clients start by trying to recruit themselves, then turn to us when they want to ensure a quality outcome without derailing their own schedule.

Some of our clients will run a process in parallel to their own internal recruitment process. We will shortlist 3-5 top candidates, providing you with a benchmark to compare internal-found candidates. For this process we work on a contingent bases, so the fee is only applicable if you choose to hire one of our candidates.

Here are some points to consider when making your own decision:

Hiring on your own: Handling recruitment in-house means you won’t pay agency fees and you keep full control of the process. DIY hiring can be very time-consuming. You’ll need to write ads, sift through CVs, contact candidates, schedule interviews, contact references, the list goes on.

Your reach will be limited and without specialized recruitment tools or networks, you will miss out on top talent who aren’t actively applying. And if a hire doesn’t work out, you bear the cost of starting over.

Using a recruitment agency: Working with a recruiter introduces a fee, but it also brings expertise and efficiency to your hiring. Gambit will do the heavy lifting including advertising, screening, and interviewing, to present you with a shortlist of vetted candidates, saving you and your team a lot of time.

You’ll gain access to wider talent pools, including passive candidates and industry contacts that you might not reach on your own. Experienced recruiters can read between the lines of a CV, perform thorough background checks, and help identify any red flags, reducing the risk of a bad hire. The cost of a bad hire (or no hire at all) can be far greater than an agency fee.

For critical or hard-to-fill roles, partnering with a trusted, specialised recruitment agency often results in better candidates and a faster, smoother hiring process overall.

We’re happy to discuss an approach that makes the most sense for your situation. our goal is to help you make the right move for your team.