Employer FAQs & Commercial Terms

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Employer FAQs and Commercial Terms


Straight answers for employers on how a Recruitment Mantra engagement actually works: recruitment fees, the sourcing advance, what a hiring mandate needs, replacement support, and what goes into the agreement before work begins.

These are the terms we currently propose to employer clients. The signed engagement agreement is what governs any specific mandate — where this page says "please confirm" or "should be agreed," that detail belongs in writing before work starts.


Commercial terms


Our proposed fee ranges from 8.33% to 12% of the selected candidate's annual CTC, payable as a one-time recruitment fee. The exact percentage will be agreed upon and recorded in the agreement before recruitment begins.

The proposed rate depends on the position's seniority, skill requirements, sourcing complexity and hiring volume. Your organisation will receive the applicable commercial terms before confirming the mandate.

Yes. The proposed fee applies individually to each candidate recruited under the agreement. For multiple vacancies or bulk recruitment, the applicable fee structure should be confirmed before work begins.

The proposed advance ranges from ₹20,000 to ₹75,000. It supports the promotional and candidate-sourcing activities agreed for your hiring requirements. The exact amount will be specified in the agreement.

For first-time engagements, the adjustable advance supports:

  • Hiring advertisements: Funds agreed job-portal, social and other vacancy promotions.
  • Paid sourcing access: Databases and advertising involve upfront costs; direct purchasing can cost more.
  • Work before joining: Supports sourcing, screening, recruiter time and interview coordination.
  • Dedicated capacity: Helps allocate recruitment resources to approved mandates.
  • Hiring readiness: Encourages confirmed budgets, approvals and interview availability.
  • Paused vacancies: Costs may already be incurred when a role is held or cancelled.
  • Multiple agencies: Establishes commitment and helps manage duplication; not automatic exclusivity.
  • Delayed direct hires: Offsets initial costs; candidate-ownership terms govern later appointments.

Transparent adjustment: Non-refundable, fully adjustable against agreed service invoices; not a hiring guarantee.

The advance is fully adjustable against service invoices, according to the agreed terms. It is not an additional charge to the extent that it is adjusted. The agreement should explain how adjustments apply across candidates and mandates.

Under the proposed terms, the advance is non-refundable. Please clarify the validity and treatment of any unused adjustment balance, including whether it can be applied to future mandates, before signing.

The balance is payable within 15 days of the candidate's joining date, after adjusting the applicable advance against the service invoice.

The agreement should define the calculation basis, including the treatment of variable pay, incentives, bonuses and employer contributions. Please confirm these components before approving the commercial terms.

The quotation and agreement should specify whether applicable taxes are included or charged separately. Please review the complete billing details before signing.

Hiring mandates


Please share the job description, location, salary budget, number of vacancies, essential skills, experience requirements, working arrangements, interview process and preferred joining date. Please also identify the person authorised to provide feedback and approve candidates.

The commencement date should be confirmed after the agreement, hiring brief and applicable advance requirements are completed. Any urgent delivery commitments should be recorded in writing.

For suitable mandates, we aim to share initial pre-screened profiles within 24-48 hours, subject to role complexity, candidate availability and a complete job brief. This is a profile-sharing target, not a guaranteed vacancy-closure timeline.

Screening is aligned with the agreed requirements, including relevant experience, skills, salary expectations, location preferences and availability. Technical assessments and formal background verification should be separately defined in the service scope.

Please provide specific feedback against the agreed job description and selection criteria. We can use that feedback to refine subsequent searches. Material changes to the role, budget or eligibility requirements should be documented.

We support candidate communication, interview scheduling and joining follow-ups. However, attendance and joining depend on candidate decisions and cannot be guaranteed solely through recruitment coordination.

Employers should provide accurate requirements, interview availability, timely feedback and clear offer decisions. Prompt communication helps maintain candidate interest and reduces avoidable delays.

Your organisation retains responsibility for final interviews, selection, compensation approval and employment offers. Recruitment Mantra supports the process within the agreed service scope.

Please confirm whether the mandate is exclusive or non-exclusive before work begins. Payment of a sourcing advance does not automatically establish exclusivity. Any restriction on engaging other agencies must be expressly agreed in writing.

Please disclose prior contact promptly, with supporting records where available. The agreement should define duplicate-profile handling, candidate ownership, notification deadlines and the applicable introduction period.

Please inform Recruitment Mantra of the appointment. Any fee payable will depend on the agreement's candidate-introduction period and ownership provisions. A delayed appointment should not be assumed to fall outside the agreement.

Please notify Recruitment Mantra promptly. Under the proposed terms, the advance remains non-refundable. Changes to scope, timelines or the use of an unused adjustment balance should be confirmed in writing.

Replacement support


The proposed terms provide one-time free replacement within 90 days of the candidate's joining date, subject to the conditions specified in the agreement.

Not automatically. The agreement should identify eligible circumstances, exclusions, notification requirements and any payment conditions. Please review these provisions before signing.

The proposed commitment is limited to one free replacement. A further replacement is not automatically included and would require a separate agreement.

Replacement sourcing depends on the role, candidate availability and employer feedback. The agreement should clarify the process and expected timelines. The 90-day period should not be interpreted as a guarantee that replacement sourcing will be completed within that period.

The proposed terms describe a one-time replacement provision, not a recruitment-fee refund commitment. Any alternative arrangement must be expressly agreed in writing.

Agreement & confidentiality


Confidentiality, permitted information sharing, candidate consent and data-handling responsibilities should be addressed in the agreement, particularly for sensitive vacancies and background checks.

Any special commitment concerning delivery timelines, fees, refunds, exclusivity or replacements should be included in the agreement or confirmed through an agreed written amendment.

Please review the exact fee percentage, CTC calculation, advance amount, adjustment mechanism, taxes, payment deadline, service scope, sourcing timelines, replacement conditions, mandate validity, cancellation provisions and candidate-ownership terms.

Still have questions?

These are the terms we currently propose; your signed agreement is what governs a specific mandate. If anything above needs clarifying before you brief us or sign, talk to us directly.

Call 1800 572 4510 (Monday to Saturday, 10.30am to 6.30pm) or email support@recruitmentmantra.com.