Why Placement Matters
Accurate placement status affects candidate livelihood, client workforce records, agency revenue, commission, compliance, forecasting, and data. Declaring placement too early can create fee disputes and pressure candidates; stopping support at the fee event can leave start risks unmanaged.
Terms Recruiters Commonly Compare
Hire
A hire is the employer’s appointment. Placement is an agency or intermediary term for successfully filling the role or assignment and may have a separate commercial trigger.
Submission
A submission presents a consented candidate for consideration. Placement occurs only after the defined hiring or assignment outcome.
Recruitment Example
An agency introduces a candidate for direct employment. After written acceptance and a confirmed start, the system records the contractual fee event, while the recruiter continues through notice, checks, counteroffer risk, first day, invoice, rebate window, and candidate follow-up.
Implementation Playbook
- Define placement, fee, start, cancellation, rebate, replacement, transfer, and duplicate-introduction events in client terms.
- Record opportunity-specific representation consent and the exact terms accepted by candidate and client.
- Separate direct hire, temporary supply, contract, internship, and internal movement in systems and reporting.
- Coordinate notice, checks, contract, payroll, equipment, onboarding, and candidate contact through the start.
- Reconcile placements, invoices, credits, commissions, and fall-offs through controlled evidence.
Common Mistakes
- Marking a candidate placed when the client only expresses intent.
- Using placement as if every worker is employed by the client.
- Claiming fee ownership without consented and relevant introduction.
- Ending candidate communication immediately after acceptance.
Metrics to Track
Questions Recruiters Ask
When is a candidate officially placed?
Use the definition in the relevant client and candidate arrangements—often tied to acceptance, contract, start, or employment—rather than one universal point.
What is a placement fee?
It is the client charge under agreed agency terms, commonly based on salary, a fixed amount, retained instalments, margin, or another service model.
What is a placement fall-off?
It is an accepted or expected placement that does not start or ends within a defined period. Record the actual reason and contractual effect without blaming the candidate automatically.
Sources and Review
ATZ CRM Recruitment Editorial Review · Reviewed 2026-08-05
Put Placement Into Practice with ATZ CRM
Use ATZ CRM to convert glossary concepts into daily recruiter workflows with sourcing pipelines, automation, scorecards, and reporting built for staffing and recruitment teams.