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Podcasts, blogs, training and calculators by recruiters, for recruiters. On fees, clients and running a business. Free, even if you never make the move.
Why work with Shortlist? What you get back for what you give up
Let’s not be naive about it: at Shortlist, you give up part of your margin. Everyone knows that, and we don’t hide it either.
Run the numbers.
What you earn, what you keep and what you build, in a few clicks.
What would you keep on your own?
What’s left of your billing through your own BV, next to your pay as an employee.
Work it outCalculator · Greystone PartnersWhat’s a partner role worth?
Your fee, your net income and your stake’s value, with a team of up to eight consultants.
Work it outCalculator · Wealth buildingHow much wealth will you build?
What you build by investing what you keep each month, and when you can live off it.
Work it outListen, read and learn.
FIRE for recruiters: when are you financially independent?
You’re financially independent at around 25 times your yearly spending. How FIRE works, how to find your number and how to reach it faster as an independent recruiter.
ReadTraining · The craftThe impossible vacancy: how to steer the client, and how to say no
Pay that’s too low, too many requirements or a process that doesn’t add up. How to make a client more flexible, and how to say no when it really won’t work.
ReadTraining · The craftGhosting and chasing: when a candidate or client goes quiet
A candidate who disappears after saying yes, a client who never gives feedback. How to prevent it, how to chase without nagging and when to call it a day.
ReadTraining · The craftClose the counteroffer in your first conversation
Your candidate signs, and then their boss makes a counteroffer. Here’s how to tackle it in your first conversation, for every reason they want to move, and stay close until their first working day.
ReadTraining · The craftYour candidate’s notice: how long it lasts and how to shorten it
Your candidate signs, then their notice turns out to be thirteen weeks. How long it lasts, how to work it out, what goes in their letter and how to shorten it together.
ReadTraining · The craftClosing the offer: steering client and candidate
Your candidate suddenly wants more, or your client offers less. Here’s how to put the whole package side by side, close your candidate before the offer and book the signing straight away.
ReadTraining · The craftYour candidate is lying about their salary: how to spot it in time
Your candidate claims to earn more than they do, and your client only finds out at the offer. How to spot it, how to check it upfront and what to do if it comes out anyway.
ReadTraining · The craftThe client wants your candidate’s name first
You send a strong profile, and your client immediately wants to know who it is. Why you present anonymously, how to make a profile truly anonymous and when to give the name.
ReadTraining · The craftThree months without a placement: how to find the leak
You’re calling and you have candidates, yet there’s been nothing on the board for three months. Here’s how to measure your chain from call time to deal, work back from your target and find the leak.
ReadTraining · GuideRecruitment training: how a top biller works
A top biller is attitude first, and only then skill. The five things we see in every top performer, and all the skills from choosing your market to your fee, with training for each step.
ReadTraining · The craftSelling retained search, even to clients who already use three agencies
From no cure no pay to an assignment with a retainer. When to ask for it, how to explain it and what to say to the tricky objections.
ReadTraining · The craftThe client hires your candidate behind your back: how to handle a backdoor placement
Your candidate starts at a client who turned them down. What you can prove, what you invoice and how to approach that conversation.
ReadTraining · The craft“We already knew this candidate”: who’s entitled to the fee?
Another agency, a direct application or an old database. When the client really did know your candidate already, how to prevent it and what to say if it happens anyway.
ReadTraining · The craftFace-to-face, phone or Teams: why face-to-face wins
Calling is quick and Teams is handy, but you make the big moves face-to-face. When to choose which channel and how to land the meeting.
ReadTraining · The craftHow to defend your fee without discounting
Why a discount costs you more than it brings in, and what you put on the table instead when a client starts to negotiate.
ReadBlog · GuideBecoming an independent recruiter in Belgium: the complete guide
From the first doubt to your first fee: your route, your numbers, your exit, your BV and your insurance in one place, with a link to every piece that goes deeper.
ReadBlog · Making the switchNon-compete clause and notice: what can you do after you leave?
Your notice period, when a non-compete clause is valid, what a non-solicitation clause means and what you never take with you. General information for recruiters making the move.
ReadBlog · Running a businessDo you need a licence for recruitment and selection? The answer region by region
Not in Flanders, but in Brussels and Wallonia you do register. What you have to comply with everywhere, and when you need a licence after all.
ReadBlog · Running a businessSocial contributions and pension when self-employed: what you pay and build up
What you pay in social contributions when you’re self-employed, what you get back for it and how to top up your pension yourself with a VAPZ and an IPT. With the 2026 amounts.
ReadBlog · Running a businessSetting up a BV as a recruiter: how to go about it
From financial plan to VAT number, what it costs and what to think about after incorporation. Step by step, in plain English.
ReadBlog · Running a businessDirector’s pay or dividend: how to get money out of your BV
Salary, dividend, liquidation reserve or an expense allowance: what each route costs you and how to combine them smartly. In plain English, with the 2026 rates.
ReadBlog · The numbersWhy work with Shortlist? What you get back for what you give up
You give up part of your margin. What you get back for it, and why in most cases you end up better off.
ReadBlog · The numbersHow much does an independent recruiter earn? From billing to your account
Where every euro you bill goes, from your BV to your dividend, explained with one example.
ReadBlog · Running a businessWhat insurance do you need when you’re self-employed? What’s a must, what pays off and what doesn’t
The insurance story many self-employed people only learn when it’s too late. What’s compulsory, what you really need and what you don’t.
ReadBlog · Making the switchWhen is the right time to go independent? Five signs for recruiters
Not everyone should go independent. Five signs that show you’re ready, and when you’re better off waiting a little longer.
ReadBlog · Making the switchFreelance, your own agency or a platform: which route suits you?
Three ways to become an independent recruiter, set honestly side by side. What you gain, what you shoulder and who each route works for.
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