Licensed like an agency. Priced like software.

Hong Kong agencies typically charge a percentage of first-year salary — a single placement can run $15,000–$30,000. Talent Summoner is a licensed Hong Kong employment agency (EA Licence No. 79497) that replaces that fee with pay-as-you-go role pricing, while you keep full control of the shortlist.

See the comparison

Side by side

How Talent Summoner compares with a traditional agency

What matters	Talent Summoner	Recruitment agencies
Cost per hire	From USD $29 per role. Free to start.	Typically 15–25% of first-year salary; a single placement can cost $15,000–$30,000.
Speed to shortlist	First ranked candidates the same day you brief the role.	Days to weeks of briefing calls and CV batches.
Transparency	Every candidate comes with scoring and reasoning you can audit.	CVs arrive pre-filtered; you rarely see why others were excluded.
Who controls the search	You set the criteria and steer each round with feedback.	The recruiter interprets your brief and works their own process.
Candidate pool	Proactive search across the open market of public profiles.	Often limited to the agency's existing database and network.
Commitment	Pay per role. No exclusivity, no retainer.	Terms, exclusivity clauses, and guarantee-period negotiations.

Agency fee ranges reflect common contingency terms in Hong Kong; specific agencies vary.

Why teams switch

Why teams choose Talent Summoner

A licensed HK employment agency

Talent Summoner operates under Hong Kong EA Licence No. 79497 — the same Labour Department licensing regime as traditional agencies.

Fees that don't scale with salary

Agency fees grow with the candidate's package; per-role pricing doesn't. A senior hire costs the same flat rate as a junior one.

You stay in the loop

Instead of waiting for CV batches, you watch the search happen, give feedback, and reshape the next round in minutes.

FAQ

Common questions

Is Talent Summoner a licensed employment agency in Hong Kong?

Yes. Talent Summoner holds Hong Kong EA Licence No. 79497 under the Labour Department's employment agency licensing regime.

What does an agency placement usually cost in Hong Kong?

Contingency agencies commonly charge 15–25% of the candidate's first-year salary, so a single mid-level placement often costs $15,000–$30,000.

When is a traditional agency the better choice?

For confidential executive searches or fully outsourced, high-touch processes, a specialist agency still earns its fee. For most direct hires, AI sourcing covers the search at a fraction of the cost.

Do you replace the interview process?

No — you interview and close candidates as usual. Talent Summoner replaces the sourcing and screening work that happens before the interview.

Other comparisons

Keep the agency-grade shortlist. Skip the placement fee.

Brief your role in plain English and see ranked candidates today — pay per role, not per salary.