Why work with Shortlist? What you get back for what you give up

What does it cost to work as an independent recruiter via Shortlist? In the end, Shortlist keeps a margin of around 25 to 30%. That’s what we do it for, and it’s a healthy business model, actually quite normal: without that margin, we can’t give you the floor, the tools, the invoicing and the support. If your billing is solid, you keep up to around 70% of everything you bill. You can work out exactly how much yourself in the calculator.

Looking purely at the numbers, you’ll quickly think: I’d rather keep that share myself. I get that. Still, Vince and I are convinced that in most cases you win that margin back and even end up better off. Not because working alone as an independent recruiter is bad, but because its real costs aren’t on any invoice: you pay them in time, in deals you leave on the table and in the energy you have to find on your own.

How to win that margin back

Time is money

As an independent, you’re not just a recruiter. You’re also your own bookkeeper, your own debt collector and your own IT department. Raising invoices via Peppol, following up on payments, reading through contracts, setting up and renewing tools: it all eats into your time. Do the maths: one day a week on admin is a fifth of your time that doesn’t go into calling. And in our line of work, an hour on the phone is money.

At Shortlist, you don’t have to think about any of that. We send the invoices and chase them until the client has paid, your terms are ready, and your database, Bullhorn and LinkedIn Recruiter are set up on day one.

Backdoor placements

Every recruiter has been there: you put a candidate forward, the client says it’s a no, and a few months later they’re working there after all. The client went around you and hired your candidate themselves. That’s a backdoor placement, and that can quickly cost you €20,000.

I’d go so far as to guarantee it: if you bill €240,000 a year, there’s bound to be one backdoor placement in there. But as an independent you often don’t even notice, and even when you do know, you have little time or appetite for chasing a client.

At Shortlist, we have a fully automated system that detects backdoor placements. If we find one, we look at the approach together: usually an invoice is enough, and you sort out the settlement with your client. If it has to go to court, we take that step.

That one backdoor placement alone is 8 to 10% extra billing. That wins back a good chunk of the margin you give up with us.

Sales drive

Calling from home is not the same as calling on a floor that’s buzzing. When your desk neighbour has just landed a placement, you pick up the phone faster too. We’ve seen it for ten years on Greystone’s floors.

At Shortlist, you work on a sales floor in Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels or Amsterdam, whenever you want, among other seniors who bill too. There’s a leaderboard on the wall, there’s competition and there’s energy. No manager and no targets, but a floor that keeps you sharp.

Mentoring

Even top performers get stuck sometimes: a client who questions your fee, a candidate wavering over a counteroffer or a market that grinds to a halt. As an independent, you solve that on your own. At Shortlist, you have Vince and me to spar with, with 25 years of recruitment and selection between us, and a floor full of seniors who’ve been through the same thing. In the peer sessions we share what works, and in the knowledge base you’ll find scripts, templates and market knowledge from the whole floor.

Innovation

Let’s be honest: as an independent recruiter, you pick a CRM like HubSpot or Bullhorn, and that’s where it stops. For real innovation, you simply don’t have the time: AI, automated workflows, working smarter with your data. You’re too busy billing for that.

At Shortlist we work as a group, and it’s something we focus on constantly. The system that detects backdoor placements is one example. What we build, you use too: you benefit from every step we take.

That way, your innovation never stands still. If you work alone, that’s a real risk, because things move fast in our business: if you stand still, you fall behind.

Safer and more comfortable

You don’t just win that margin back in billing: at Shortlist, you also work a lot more safely.

Support

You’re never on your own. If you have a dispute with a client, we stand by you until it’s resolved, at cost. If a client puts a contract in front of you, we look it over with you before you sign. And we organise your start together: on average, you’re already billing after four weeks, with your market defined, your database filled and your tools ready.

Financial backup when you need it

Alone, you have fixed costs. You pay for LinkedIn Recruiter by the year, your CRM contract renews automatically, you buy your numbers with credits and you pay for your desk every month, whether you bill or not.

At Shortlist, you have no fixed cost. You give up a share of what you bill, so if you bill nothing for a month, you pay nothing either. If things aren’t going your way for three or four months, or you’ve just made the switch and are still waiting for your first fees, have a chat with us about a loan. We look together at what you need, and you pay it back afterwards, so a dip or your switch doesn’t leave a hole. And if you don’t want to wait for the client to pay, you get your share in your account through factoring as soon as your candidate has started.

Everything in one place

In your member portal you see your fees, payments, invoices and requests on one screen. If you’re looking for insurance, a car or an accountant, you’ll find our regular partners there, each with a dedicated contact person. You don’t have to look for anything yourself.

When going solo really is better

To be fair: Shortlist isn’t for everyone. If you already have a full database and loyal clients who won’t drop you, and you like doing your own admin, you can manage perfectly well on your own. And if you want to build a team and a real office, Greystone Partners is the better route. For everyone else: you bill, we handle the rest.

Frequently asked questions

How much do you give up at Shortlist?

That depends on your billing, because it’s calculated per bracket. You keep 50% of your first €100,000, 60% of everything between €100,000 and €200,000, and 75% of everything above that. The more you bill, the smaller the share you give up. You can work out your own figure in a minute in the calculator.

What if I don’t bill anything for a few months?

Then you don’t pay anything either, because you only give up a share of what you bill. If things are really tough, a loan is open for discussion, which you pay back afterwards.

Do I already need a BV (private limited company)?

Not for your first call, but you do when you start: you work through your own BV. If you don’t have one yet, we’ll put you in touch with Baker Tilly, who will set it up with you in your first weeks.

You’ll find all the steps in order in our guide Becoming an independent recruiter in Belgium.

Curious what you’d keep? Work it out in the calculator, or have a chat with me via Join us.

Sources

• E-⁠invoicing via Peppol, mandatory since 1 January 2026: VLAIO (in Dutch).