Dover vs Robert Half for Startup Hiring (September 2025)
Dover
September 2, 2025
•
4 mins
Robert Half operates as one of the largest old-school recruiting agencies in the world. They provide staffing and recruitment services across finance, accounting, technology, administrative roles, legal, and marketing sectors.
Their business model follows the standard agency approach: they use recruiters to match companies with candidates across different industries.
The company positions itself as a full-service staffing solution, handling everything from temporary contract work to permanent placements. Their recruiters specialize in different sectors, but the approach remains broadly generalist rather than focusing on specific company stages or growth phases.
Robert Half's traditional agency model works well for companies with predictable hiring needs for standard roles, but startups face unique challenges that require specialized approaches.
Robert Half typically charges placement fees ranging from 20-25% of the candidate's first-year salary. For a $120,000 software engineering role, that translates to $24,000-30,000 in fees. According to SHRM research, these traditional agency fees are among the highest costs in talent acquisition.
Dover combines a free applicant tracking system with a marketplace of fractional recruiters who specialize in startups. We built our platform after seeing how traditional recruiting agencies failed to serve the unique needs of early-stage companies.
Our fractional recruiting model connects startups with experienced recruiters who work on an hourly basis. These aren't junior recruiters learning on your dime. They're seasoned professionals who've helped hundreds of startups scale their teams.
The Dover platform integrates everything into one system. Your fractional recruiter sources candidates, manages outreach, and coordinates interviews all within the same ATS your team uses daily. No juggling multiple platforms or losing track of candidates between systems.
What makes Dover different is our startup focus. Our recruiters understand equity conversations, the importance of cultural fit in small teams, and how to sell candidates on the startup opportunity. They know that a Series A company has a completely different set of needs than a Fortune 500 enterprise.
We also don't lock you into long-term contracts. Need help with a critical engineering hire? Engage a recruiter for a few weeks. Scaling rapidly and need ongoing support? Work with someone monthly. The flexibility matches how startups actually grow.
The financial difference between traditional agencies and fractional recruiting is dramatic, especially for startups making multiple hires annually.
Robert Half's contingency model charges 20-25% of first-year salary. For knowledge workers earning $100,000-150,000, that means $20,000-30,000 per successful hire. A startup making 10 hires annually could spend $200,000-300,000 just on placement fees.
Annual Hires | Robert Half Cost | Dover Fractional Cost | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
5 hires | $100,000-150,000 | $36,000-60,000 | 40-60% |
10 hires | $200,000-300,000 | $60,000-100,000 | 50-70% |
15 hires | $300,000-450,000 | $90,000-150,000 | 60-70% |
Dover's fractional model typically costs $3,000-5,000 monthly for part-time recruiting support. Even with consistent monthly engagement, most startups save 40-60% compared to traditional agency fees.
The predictability matters too. With agencies, you never know the final cost until after the hire. A $150,000 senior engineer could cost $30,000-37,500 in fees. With fractional recruiting, you know exactly what you're spending each month.
According to recruiting budget research, startups using fractional models report more predictable hiring costs and better budget control compared to traditional agency relationships.
Fractional recruiter timing depends on your growth stage, but the cost savings make sense for most startups making more than 3-4 hires annually.
Service Model and Startup Focus
Robert Half's generalist approach creates fundamental mismatches with startup hiring needs. They serve companies across all sectors and sizes, from Fortune 500 enterprises to small businesses. This broad focus means they can't offer specialized expertise in any single area, particularly tech talent acquisition.
Their recruiters work across multiple industries and company stages. The person helping you to try and hire a senior engineer might also be placing accountants at big corporations. They don't understand the nuances of startup equity packages, the importance of early employee cultural fit, or how to sell candidates on early stage startup opportunities.
Dover exclusively serves startups from seed through Series B. Our recruiters live and breathe the startup world. They understand that your first 10 employees will shape company culture for years. They know how to have equity conversations and explain why joining a 20-person startup beats a big tech job.
The speed difference is huge too. Traditional agencies often take weeks to understand your needs and start sourcing. Dover recruiters can begin working within 48 hours because they already understand startup hiring patterns.
Our startup recruiters also understand the urgency. When you need a technical co-founder or your first sales hire, waiting 8-12 weeks isn't an option. Startup recruiting requires different timelines and approaches than enterprise hiring.
According to Workable's research, startups face unique hiring challenges that generalist agencies struggle to handle well.
Technology and Integration Differences
Robert Half operates largely outside client systems, using their own proprietary tools and databases. You'll receive candidate profiles via email, coordinate interviews through separate platforms, and manage the hiring process across multiple disconnected systems.
Their hiring timelines reflect this fragmented approach. By Robert Half's own estimates, hiring a developer takes 5-11 weeks depending on seniority level. Senior engineers and up take up to 11 weeks, which is 57% longer than in 2021.
That timeline kills startup momentum. When you're racing to ship a product or close a funding round, waiting nearly three months for a key hire isn't realistic.
Dover's integrated approach eliminates these inefficiencies. Everything happens within our free ATS, from initial candidate sourcing to final offer management. Your fractional recruiter works directly in your hiring pipeline, so you have complete visibility into their progress.
The integration provides real-time transparency. You can see exactly which candidates your recruiter has contacted, response rates, and where each prospect stands in your pipeline. No more wondering what's happening behind the scenes.
Our platform also includes AI-powered candidate scoring, one-click job board posting to 70+ sites, and integrated sourcing tools. Your fractional recruiter has access to the same powerful tools your internal team uses, creating smooth collaboration.
Customizing your ATS to match your specific workflow takes minutes, not weeks of implementation like traditional agency partnerships.
Why Dover is the Best Recruiting Agency for Startups
Traditional agencies like Robert Half face structural challenges when serving startups. High placement fees strain limited budgets. Long contract commitments don't match unpredictable growth patterns. Generalist approaches miss startup-specific needs.
Most importantly, traditional agencies lack accountability. Once they place a candidate and collect their fee, the relationship often ends. If the hire doesn't work out, you're back to square one with no recourse.
Dover solves these problems systematically. We vet all recruiters in our network, checking references and reviewing past performance. We monitor ongoing results and remove recruiters who don't deliver quality candidates.
Our accountability model tackles founders' biggest concern about external recruiting. Since fractional recruiters work hourly, they're incentivized to be efficient and effective. Poor performance means fewer hours and less income.
The transparency also creates accountability. You see exactly what your recruiter is doing, how candidates are responding, and where bottlenecks occur. This visibility lets you course-correct quickly rather than waiting weeks for updates.
Dover's startup focus means our recruiters understand what success looks like. They know that placing someone who leaves after six months isn't a win. They're invested in finding candidates who'll grow with your company.
Frequently Asked Questions
Final thoughts on fractional recruiting for startups
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