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IT staffing services for tech and SaaS companies.
TekRecruiter is an IT staffing and recruiting agency focused solely on technology and engineering roles at tech and SaaS companies. We’re technical people who go deep with every candidate, so you hire the people who build, ship and sell elite software products, on whichever model fits the role. Beyond skills and experience, we look for HEARTThe HEART standardHHigh agencyEExecutionAAccountabilityRResourcefulnessTTransparencyWhat we look for, beyond skills →.
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What are IT staffing services?
IT staffing services are how companies bring in technology talent through a staffing firm instead of recruiting on their own. The firm finds, screens and presents candidates. Depending on the model, the person either joins your payroll as a permanent employee or is employed by the firm while working under your management. The model decides who employs the person, how long you commit and how you pay.
- Contingent fee
- You pay a one-time fee only when the hire starts. The most common model for direct hire.
- Bill rate
- The hourly rate you pay per contractor. It covers their pay, employer costs, insurance and the firm’s fee.
- Conversion
- Moving a contractor onto your payroll as a full-time employee.
Five ways to hire, one standard.
Every model gets the same technical vetting and the same HEART standard.
01 · Direct Hire
Direct hire recruiting for the hires that have to last.
We vet, introduce and close your permanent hire. You pay a one-time fee, only once they start.
- A shortlist in about a week
- 128 direct hire placements in 2026
- 90-day placement guarantee
02 · Contract-to-Hire
Contract-to-hire staffing that ends in a hire.
Your engineer starts shipping now on contract while the permanent role clears approval. We vet every consultant like a direct hire.
- Starts in as little as 3 days
- W-2, with health coverage and PTO
- 98% of our consultants convert
03 · Staff Augmentation
IT staff augmentation for the surge you’re in.
Expert consultants join your team under your leadership, with no minimum term and no notice period.
- Starts in as little as 3 days
- US software engineers at $105–$115 an hour
- Convert any consultant when you both want it
04 · Nearshore
Nearshore engineers who work like your US team.
Senior, English-fluent engineers in Latin America on US hours, with TekRecruiter as the employer of record.
- About 50% less than a US hire
- Senior engineers at about $39–$57 an hour, all in
- 130+ nearshore engineers placed
05 · Executive Search
Technology leaders who execute the vision.
Confidential searches for CTOs, VPs of Engineering and other technology leaders, contingent or retained.
- 9 leadership searches filled in 2026
- We approach leaders directly
- Three searches a year at no cost for existing clients
Everyone we present meets the HEART standard.
Skills get a candidate considered. HEART is what makes them the hire: people who take ownership, turn ideas into shipped results and move the product forward.
- High agencyPeople who see what needs to be done and act without waiting to be told.
- ExecutionPeople who turn ideas into results.
- AccountabilityPeople who own the outcome, not just their piece of the work.
- ResourcefulnessPeople who figure things out when the answer isn’t obvious.
- TransparencyPeople who communicate clearly, honestly, and early.
How the models compare.
The four models at a glance. Each service page goes deeper.
| Direct hire | Contract-to-hire | Staff augmentation | Nearshore | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employer | You | TekRecruiter, then you | TekRecruiter | TekRecruiter (EOR) |
| Commitment | Permanent | Contract, then permanent | Flexible | Any model |
| Starts | Shortlist in ~1 week | As little as 3 days | As little as 3 days | As little as 3 days |
| You pay | One-time fee at start | Hourly, until conversion | Hourly | All-in hourly, ~50% less |
| Assurance | 90-day guarantee | 98% convert | Approve every consultant | US-hours overlap |
| Best for | Approved permanent roles | Pending approval, or proof first | Work with an end date | Lower-cost engineering capacity |
Which model fits your role?
Most roles point to one model once a few things are clear. Tell us about yours on a call.
- Permanent and approved: direct hire, backed by a 90-day guarantee.
- Long term, but not approved yet, or you want proof first: contract-to-hire. 98% of our consultants convert.
- Work with an end date: staff augmentation, starting in as little as 3 days.
- More engineering capacity at lower cost: nearshore engineers in Latin America, on US hours.
- A VP, Head of or C-level role: executive search, retained or contingent.
From first call to start date.
We learn what you’re really hiring for
The product, the team, the environment and what success looks like. We agree on the trade-offs upfront, so we screen for the same person you would.
We vet, then introduce
Our team holds the conversations, confirms the track record, and tests interest and compensation early. You meet a short list of people who can do the job and want this one.
We close, and back the hire
We keep candidates engaged and close the offer or set up the contract, so there are no surprises at the finish line. After the start, we check in with you for feedback.
What clients say.
The hiring team needed someone who could build a Java automation framework from scratch, and we had worked the search for six straight months with at least 12 or 13 vendors. TekRecruiter sent one candidate, and he got the job.
We needed to hire a senior IAM engineer with deep SOC 2 knowledge, and the role had been open for more than three months. Within a week of speaking with Ron, his team sent over three very solid profiles, and we finally found the right fit in just two weeks.
Across multiple companies, I’ve hired more than six senior software engineers through TekRecruiter, and every one of them has been an impressive builder.
I got a firsthand look when I needed a software engineer with strong TypeScript skills to join my team. I was happy with the candidates, and I was able to make a hiring decision.
A former colleague referred me to TekRecruiter, and I was very impressed by the caliber of the senior DevOps engineers they presented. I identified two senior DevOps engineers who were exceptional fits for my team.
He said he would share three to four candidates within a week, and that’s exactly what he did. We hired a senior software engineer we’re confident in, and we’ve been thrilled with how well things have worked out.
The few times I’ve hired over the last five years, I’ve always been vendor neutral, and TekRecruiter has been the staffing partner that filled every one of those open engineering roles.
Their ability to quickly supply highly skilled software and DevOps engineers who blend in well with our existing teams continues to amaze me. They are highly technical at the account management level and transparently propose different solutions, whether staff augmentation or nearshore outsourcing.
Roles we staff on every model.
Engineering, product, go-to-market and leadership roles at tech and SaaS companies, from a single hire to a full team.
IT staffing questions, answered.
What are the main IT staffing models?
Direct hire places a permanent employee on your payroll from day one. Contract-to-hire starts the person as a TekRecruiter employee on contract, with the agreed option to convert them to your payroll. Staff augmentation adds contractors to your team for a project or a period, with no expectation of conversion. Nearshore places engineers in Latin America on any of those models, and executive search fills senior leadership roles. In every model, the person works under your management.
What do IT staffing services cost?
It depends on the model. Direct hire is usually a contingent fee, commonly 15% to 25% of the hire’s first-year base salary, paid once when the hire starts. Contract, contract-to-hire and staff augmentation are billed by the hour. In our 2026 contract placements, US software engineers billed $105–$115 an hour, and senior nearshore engineers cost about $39–$57 an hour all in.
Contract-to-hire or direct hire?
Choose direct hire when the role is permanent and the profile is clear, and you want the person on your payroll from day one. Choose contract-to-hire when fit is hard to judge in interviews, or when the permanent headcount isn’t approved yet and the work can’t wait. It lets you see real work before you commit a salary, and 98% of our contract-to-hire consultants convert.
Which hiring model is cheapest?
It depends on how long you need the person. For a permanent role, contract-to-hire helps you pay the market rate and not more, because you see the work before you commit a salary. For engineering capacity, nearshore engineers cost about half as much as US hires. For short projects, staff augmentation avoids a permanent commitment altogether.
Is IT staffing the same as managed services?
No. With IT staffing, you add people and direct the work yourself, while the staffing firm employs and pays them. With managed services, a vendor takes over a function or project and owns delivery to a service level. Our staff augmentation page compares the two, with project outsourcing.
Is nearshore a separate hiring model?
Nearshore is where the person works rather than how you hire them. Engineers in Latin America can join on staff augmentation, contract-to-hire or direct hire, and work US hours under your management.
Can we switch models during a search?
Yes. Any contract or staff augmentation consultant can convert to your payroll, and a search can move between direct hire and contract-to-hire if the candidate or your headcount situation changes.
How fast can each model start?
Contract, contract-to-hire and nearshore consultants can start in as little as three days. Direct hires start after the offer and the candidate’s notice period. For direct hire, most clients meet a shortlist within about a week of the intake call.
What about leadership roles?
VP, Head of and C-level roles go through executive search, which can be retained or contingent depending on the role. Our leadership searches average about six months from first outreach to start date.
Last updated .
Explore each service.
Not sure which fits? We'll tell you.
Tell us the role. You'll talk with our founder, Ron Smith.
