{"id":1913,"date":"2026-09-30T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T16:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fosfor.nl\/?p=1913"},"modified":"2026-08-31T11:25:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T09:25:32","slug":"recruitment-and-selection-versus-secondment-which-is-more-cost-effective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fosfor.nl\/en\/werving-en-selectie-vs-detachering-wat-is-voordeliger\/","title":{"rendered":"Recruitment and selection versus secondment: which is more cost-effective?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recruitment and selection provides you with an employee on their own contract; secondment provides temporary staff at an ongoing hourly rate; and recruitment marketing builds up a steady stream of candidates through targeted campaigns. If you\u2019re looking for someone for the long term, a secondment hourly rate is almost always the most expensive; recruitment marketing is usually the most cost-effective option for recurring vacancies.<\/p>\n

The confusion lies in the comparison. Temporary staffing feels cheap because you only pay once someone starts working, but over twelve months the costs add up considerably. Recruitment and selection is a one-off investment, and recruitment marketing actually reduces your cost per hire the more often you recruit. Below, you can compare the three models side by side.<\/p>\n

What is the difference between recruitment and selection, secondment and recruitment marketing?<\/h2>\n

Recruitment and selection means that an agency searches for and shortlists candidates, after which you hire the employee yourself. You usually pay a one-off fee upon successful placement. The candidate joins your payroll and gains experience within your own organisation.<\/p>\n

Staff secondment works differently: the employee remains employed by the secondment agency and is loaned to you at an hourly rate that includes a mark-up. This is useful for peak periods or temporary projects, but you do not retain ownership of the candidate. If the assignment ends, that expertise leaves with it.<\/p>\n

Recruitment marketing uses paid campaigns on Meta, Google, LinkedIn and TikTok to ensure your job vacancy reaches the right target audience, including those who are passively looking for work. This enables you to attract candidates yourself, whom you can then take on as permanent staff. If you\u2019d like to know how this works, read more about our data-driven approach<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How much does recruitment and selection cost compared with secondment?<\/h2>\n

Recruitment and selection incur a one-off fee per placement, whilst secondment adds a mark-up to the salary for every month worked. In the case of a long-term role, with secondment you pay that margin on an ongoing basis, meaning that the total costs over a year are often higher than a one-off recruitment fee plus a market-rate salary.<\/p>\n\t\t

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