Understand independent recruiting
Learn how the business works, where you fit into the hiring process, and how successful placements can generate revenue.
RECRUITER'S PLAYBOOK
FOR ASPIRING & INDEPENDENT RECRUITERS
Want to become an independent recruiter—but don’t have clients or know where to start?
Learn how to use split-fee recruiting to access job opportunities, source qualified candidates, make submissions, and build your recruiting business—without having to start with your own client list.
The Independent Recruiter Playbook gives you a step-by-step roadmap for turning your recruiting skills—or your willingness to learn—into a real independent recruiting business.
No clients? No job orders? No roadmap? That’s exactly the problem this Playbook was created to solve.
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Just curious about recruiting?
Start with Get Paid to Connect People, a free 7-page introduction with a self-assessment and your first recruiting challenge.
GET THE FREE BEGINNER GUIDE →THE SPLIT-FEE OPPORTUNITY
What if you didn’t have to start with your own clients?
One of the biggest things that stops aspiring independent recruiters is the same question: “Where am I going to get companies to recruit for?”
That’s where split-fee recruiting can open another path. Networks and recruiting partnerships can connect independent recruiters with available job orders. One party brings the client opportunity; you focus on learning to source, screen, and submit qualified candidates.
When a successful placement is made and the fee is collected, the recruiting fee is divided according to the agreement. Network eligibility, fees, and participation requirements vary.
- 01
Access opportunities
Find job orders available through split-fee recruiting networks and partnerships.
- 02
Find great candidates
Use sourcing strategies to identify people who match the employer’s requirements.
- 03
Screen & submit
Evaluate candidates and submit the strongest matches.
- 04
Work toward the placement
Support the recruiting process as the candidate moves through interviews and hiring.
- 05
Earn your share
When a successful placement occurs, the fee is collected, and applicable requirements are met, receive your agreed share.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. The Playbook walks you through the process so you can stop wondering where to begin and start building a recruiting workflow.
UNDERSTAND THE PLACEMENT MODEL
Can independent recruiting become a six-figure business?
It has the potential to. In many recruiting arrangements, revenue comes from successful placements. Here’s how placement-fee economics can work.
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE · NOT AN EARNINGS GUARANTEE
- Candidate’s annual salary
- $100,000
- Assumed recruiting fee
- × 20%
- Total placement fee
- $20,000
- Your assumed agreed split
- × 50%
1 placement$10,000
5 placements$50,000
10 placements$100,000
At those same assumed fees and splits, 10 successful, paid placements within a year would equal $100,000 in annual gross recruiting revenue, before business expenses and taxes. This is an illustration, not a forecast or a statement of typical results.
This is not a promise that you’ll make six figures—or earn any income. Actual results depend on opportunities, fee arrangements, candidate quality, successful placements, collected fees, consistency, and the work you put into the business. There is no guaranteed placement timeline.
The Playbook gives you a process for learning to identify opportunities, find qualified candidates, and make stronger submissions.
WHAT’S INSIDE THE PLAYBOOK
From “Where do I even start?” to “I know my next step.”
The Independent Recruiter Playbook is designed to help you understand the business, learn the process, and know what to do next.
Use split-fee recruiting
Understand networks, recruiting partnerships, where opportunities can come from, and how placement fees may be divided.
Choose the right jobs to work
Evaluate opportunities and focus your time where you have a realistic chance of making a placement.
Source qualified candidates
Learn practical strategies for finding people who match a position’s must-have requirements.
Screen before you submit
Evaluate potential candidates so you’re submitting quality, rather than simply sending resumes.
Create strong candidate submissions
Present candidates in a way that clearly communicates why they match the opportunity.
Build your recruiting workflow
Create a repeatable process for managing job orders, candidates, submissions, interviews, follow-ups, and placements.
Think like a business owner
Approach independent recruiting as a real business, with positioning, relationships, fee protection, and consistent action.
Your practical starter bundle
The 78-page Playbook, 11 ready-to-use business tools, and complimentary community access. Put the guidance into practice with:
- Niche Selection Scorecard
- Brand Positioning Worksheet
- Client Outreach Script Pack
- Client Discovery & Intake Form
- Search Kickoff Checklist
- Candidate Screening Scorecard
- Candidate Submission Template
- Fee-Protection Checklist
- Split-Fee Opportunity Evaluator
- Weekly KPI Tracker
- 30-Day Startup Action Tracker
Connect, ask questions, and find accountability in The Independent Recruiter Community.
“BUT I’VE NEVER BEEN A RECRUITER BEFORE.”
You don’t have to know everything before you start.
Maybe you’ve never worked as a recruiter. Maybe you’ve worked in HR, customer service, sales, administration, or staffing and wonder whether your skills could transfer. Or maybe you’ve recruited for someone else and are ready to explore recruiting independently.
The Playbook helps you understand the process step by step. You may already have useful skills:
- Communicating and asking good questions
- Listening carefully
- Researching and finding information
- Following a process and staying organized
- Building relationships
- Following up consistently
This isn’t a get-rich-quick system.
You’ll hear “no.” Not every candidate will respond, not every submission will lead to an interview, and not every interview will result in a placement. Recruiting takes learning, practice, consistency, and work.
You need to learn how to find the right candidates for the right opportunities. That’s what the Playbook helps you begin doing.
WHY I CREATED THE PLAYBOOK
There are people who would be great recruiters who don’t know this opportunity exists.
Many people believe you need to work for a large staffing agency, already have your own clients, or build an entire recruiting firm before you can begin recruiting independently. But there are other ways to enter the business—including split-fee recruiting.
I created the Independent Recruiter Playbook to take away some of that confusion and give aspiring independent recruiters a place to start.
Through building Unity Staffing Services, I’ve experienced firsthand that recruiting is more than finding resumes. It’s understanding what an employer needs, identifying qualified people, communicating effectively, following up, building relationships, and staying consistent through the placement process.
“I want you to see what’s possible—and understand the real process you can learn and put into action.”
If you’re looking for more independence, want to build something of your own, or are curious about how independent recruiters earn placement fees, this Playbook was created to help you understand the business.
— Tarra TisdaleFounder & CEO, Unity Staffing Services, LLC.Founder, Independent Recruiter AcademyCreator of the Independent Recruiter Playbook
LEARN THE PROCESS. BUILD YOUR NEXT STEP.
Ready to start your independent recruiting journey?
You’ve seen how the business works and how split-fee recruiting can help with the “I don’t have clients” barrier. Now it’s time to learn the process.
Get the Independent Recruiter Playbook
The 78-page digital PlaybookSplit-fee recruiting, sourcing, screening & submission guidanceRecruiting workflow & business guidance11 practical worksheets, scripts, checklists & trackersComplimentary Independent Recruiter Community access$27
GET THE PLAYBOOK FOR $27 →One-time purchase · No monthly subscription for the Playbook · Purchase through Skool
Join or sign in to our free Skool community, then unlock Playbook — Buyer Resources for $27. Download the Brand Edition PDF inside the course.
Not quite ready to buy?
Start with the free Independent Recruiting Webinar and learn how the business works before deciding whether the Playbook is right for you.
REGISTER FOR THE FREE WEBINAR →Educational material only. Results are not guaranteed. Digital sales are final except where required by law. By purchasing, you agree to our Policies.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Still have questions?
Do I need recruiting experience?
No. The Playbook helps aspiring independent recruiters understand the process from the beginning. Recruiting, HR, sales, customer service, or other people-focused experience can help, but you still need to learn and practice the skills required to make successful placements.
Do I need my own recruiting clients?
Not necessarily. One strategy covered is split-fee recruiting, where recruiters collaborate on job opportunities and divide placement fees according to their agreement. Access and participation requirements vary by network or partner.
What is split-fee recruiting?
One party may bring the client or job order while another recruiter helps find the candidate. If a successful placement occurs and the fee is collected, the parties divide the fee according to their agreement.
Do I need an LLC to get started?
Business requirements vary depending on how and where you operate and which platforms or partners you work with. The Playbook explains the business model; it isn’t legal or tax advice. Check the requirements that apply to your situation before operating.
Can I do this part-time?
Potentially. Some people begin learning and building their workflow alongside other responsibilities. Recruiting still requires consistent sourcing, communication, follow-up, and responsiveness.
How quickly can I make my first placement?
There is no guaranteed timeline. Placements depend on available opportunities, sourcing efforts, candidate quality, employer decisions, interview timelines, and your consistency.
Can I really build a six-figure recruiting business?
Independent recruiting has revenue potential, but six-figure results are not guaranteed. The numbers on this page are hypothetical illustrations, not typical results or promises. Actual revenue depends on successful placements and collected fees; expenses and taxes reduce what you keep.
What will I receive?
The 78-page digital Independent Recruiter Playbook, 11 practical worksheets, scripts, checklists, and trackers, plus complimentary access to The Independent Recruiter Community.
What happens after I purchase?
Join or sign in to our free Skool community. In Classroom, unlock Playbook — Buyer Resources for $27 one time. After payment, open the download lesson to get your Brand Edition PDF. Existing Payhip buyers can contact us with their receipt for access without purchasing again.
Is this a get-rich-quick program?
No. This is about learning a real recruiting business model. You’ll still need to source candidates, communicate, follow up, learn from rejection, build relationships, and consistently put the process into action.
What is the refund policy?
Because this is a digital product delivered immediately, all sales are final except where required by law. Please review the Policies before purchasing.
What if I’m not ready to purchase yet?
Attend the free webinar first, learn more about independent and split-fee recruiting, and decide whether this is something you’d like to pursue. Register for the free webinar →
TAKE YOUR FIRST STEP
Your independent recruiting journey can start here.
You don’t need to know everything today. You don’t need to have every client figured out. You don’t need to build the entire business before taking your first step.
You need a roadmap—and the willingness to put it into action.
Independent Recruiter Playbook · $27
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