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Recruitment agency Berlin: Why 95% of recruitment agencies waste your time

The real problem is not the candidate market, but choosing the wrong agency. 95% of all recruitment agencies in Berlin waste time because they accept every assignment without realistically assessing the chances of success. We turn the process around: First a data-driven market and KPI analysis, then the acceptance. This is how we ensure that projects can actually be filled – transparently, predictably and measurably.

Note for job seekersAs a recruiting agency, we support companies in finding candidates. If you are looking for a job, you will find the right support for your next career move at our career consultancy in Berlin.

Table of contents

Next steps:

  1. Free recruiting Needs assessment: We analyze your current situation
  2. Market check: Is there a 95% probability that your position can be filled?
  3. KPI-based offer: Transparent cost estimate based on comparative projects

What is a real recruitment agency – and why do most of them fail to find candidates?

Recruiting teams invest months in the search for the right recruitment agency. The result? Long vacancies, exorbitant commissions and, in the end, no placement. 95% of recruiting projects do not fail because of the talent pool – but because of the wrong choice of agency.

At Kooku Recruiting Partners, we do things differently: we only accept projects that we can fill. How does that work? With data-driven project analysis, a specially developed employer branding score and KPI-based success prediction.

Find a recruiter: The Kooku difference in numbers

The problem with traditional recruitment agencies:

  • 15-30% commission on annual salary
  • 3-6 months until the first shortlist
  • No KPI transparency
  • 60% of projects remain unfilled

The Kooku approach:

  • 95% success rate through project selection
  • 2 weeks until the first candidate
  • 60% cost savings through hourly billing
  • KPI dashboard with weekly reporting

How we predict whether your position can be filled

Before we accept a project, it goes through our Employer Branding Score:

1. market analysis (data check)

  • How many suitable candidates are there on LinkedIn/Xing?
  • What competition is there for these profiles?
  • How attractive is the position compared to the market?

2. employer brand assessment

  • Kununu ratings and online reputation
  • Quality of the job page and job advertisement
  • Up-to-dateness of the product/service

3. KPI benchmark

Our dashboard shows us: For similar positions, we need X candidate contacts for Y hires. Our prediction accuracy is ±10%.

The result: we know whether a position can be filled before the project starts – and sometimes we say no.

Finding employees: Berlin, Hamburg, Munich in comparison

Berlin: Tech & Start-up Capital

Challenge: High competition, rapid growth phases

Kooku solution: Specialized tech teams, 25 recruiting consultants available remotely

Current case: FinTech start-up, 3 senior developers filled remotely in 14 weeks

Hamburg: Maritime & Logistics Hub

Challenge: Traditional industries meet digitalization

Kooku solution: Supply Chain & Operations Recruiting Unit

Current case: Logistics company, Supply Chain Manager in 6 weeks

Munich: Engineering & Corporate

Challenge: Automotive transformation, high salary expectations

Kooku solution: Engineering & Executive Search (Kooku X)

Current case: Automotive supplier, development engineer in 4 weeks

Selecting a recruiting company: 7 criteria for success

1. KPI transparency instead of gut feeling Ask yourself: How many candidates do you contact for a recruitment? What is your response rate? A serious recruiter has these figures.

2. project selection instead of “we’ll take anything” Warning signal: Agencies that accept immediately, without market analysis. Good sign: Recruiters who ask critical questions and sometimes say no.

3. specialization instead of an all-round approach Are you looking for a tech recruiter? Ask for specific cases. An all-rounder cannot optimally recruit blockchain developers and tax consultants at the same time.

4. hourly based instead of commission invoice: Senior Developer, 80k salary

  • Classic headhunter: 15-25% = 12.000-20.000€
  • Kooku Recruiting on Demand: ~100 hours à 110€ = 11.000€ Savings: Up to 45% + full cost control

5. tools & automation including LinkedIn Recruiter, Xing Talent Manager, KPI dashboard – included with us. Ask your agency: Which tools do you use and are they included in the price?

6. weekly reporting instead of radio silence Every Friday you know: how many candidates contacted, how many responses, what next steps.

7. team backup instead of a one-man show At Kooku, each consultant has access to 25 colleagues – for industry knowledge, tool expertise and quality assurance.

The hidden costs of the wrong recruitment agency

Direct cost factor:

  • Agency commission: €15,000 (average)
  • Internal time HR team: 40 hours at €50 = €2,000
  • Total with successful placement: €17,000

Opportunity costs in the event of miscasting:

  • 3 months of extended vacancy = €30,000 in lost added value
  • Onboarding costs: €8,000
  • Total in case of miscasting: €55,000+

Kooku alternative:

  • 80-120 hours at 110€ = 8.800-13.200€
  • 95% success rate through project selection
  • Savings: €4,000-8,000 + significantly lower default risk

Recruitment 2025: Data beats gut feeling

The recruiting industry is digitizing. Successful companies rely on measurable performance rather than promises.

What you should look out for:

Ask your recruiting agency:

  • What is your actual success rate over the last 12 months?
  • Can you show me 3 comparable cases from my industry?
  • Which KPIs do you track and how often do you report?
  • How do you analyze the staffing options before the project starts?

Red Flags:

  • Blanket commitments without market analysis
  • No concrete performance figures
  • Non-transparent cost models
  • Lack of industry specialization

Why remote-first is the future of recruitment

Remote work is in our DNA – our 25-strong team has been working completely remotely for 10 years. That means for you:

  • Larger talent pools: We recruit nationwide and internationally, not just locally – from a candidate pool of over 50,000 candidates
  • More expertise: Every consultant has access to specialized colleagues
  • Lower costs: No expensive offices = fair prices for you
  • Faster processes: Digital workflows, automated reports

The Kooku Health Check: How we check your recruiting performance

Before we start a project, we analyze your current recruiting situation:

Quick Assessment (free of charge):

  1. Employer brand check: How attractive are you to candidates?
  2. Market mapping: Are there enough suitable profiles?
  3. Process analysis: Where do you lose candidates in the funnel?

Result: Clear assessment of whether and how we can help you + 2-3 quick wins that can be implemented immediately.

Recruiting company vs. personnel consultancy vs. headhunter: The difference

Classic personnel placement:

  • Performance-based commission (15-30%)
  • Focus on CV matching
  • Little process transparency

Kooku Recruiting Partners:

  • Hourly billing (110€/h) or package price (3850€/month)
  • KPI-controlled processes
  • Weekly performance reporting
  • 95% project success through preliminary analysis

Our promise: Recruiting that doesn’t end with promises – but begins with results.

The 3 most common mistakes in recruiter selection

Error 1: Commission = Performance

Myth: “High commission motivates better results”

Reality: Commission models lead to quantity instead of quality. Good candidates are often introduced to several companies and there is no loyalty on the part of the headhunter towards the client. Headhunters earn the same regardless of whether the candidate leaves after 3 months.

Mistake 2: “We accept every order”

Warning signal: Agencies without specialization or project selection

Kooku standard: We say no to 40% of requests – if we don’t see a 95% probability of success.

Mistake 3: Recruiting without reporting

Problem: Months of radio silence, no measurable interim results

Kooku solution: Every Friday you receive concrete KPIs: contacted profiles, response rate, pipeline status.

Kooku Recruiting Services:

Flexible, transparent, results-oriented

Interim Recruiting

680-1.200€ / day
Temporary reinforcement for your HR team - remote or on-site
Click here

Recruitment Process Outsourcing

3850€ / month
Flexible deployment for targeted sourcing or interview phases for positions under 80k or to fill entire teams.
Click here

Expert Search

25% commission
Approaching managers and specialists in our sales network, starting at an annual salary of 80k.
Click here

Social recruiting

1,850€ setup + 495€/month
Targeted performance marketing campaigns, e.g. via Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook to generate applicants and strengthen your employer brand.
Click here

Ready for measurable recruiting performance?

You are not looking for a recruitment agency in the traditional sense – you need a performance recruiting partner who combines consulting with operational implementation.

About Kooku Recruiting Partners: We have been supporting medium-sized tech, SaaS and industrial companies in systematically building teams for 10 years. 25 specialized recruiting consultants, 95% project success, 60% cost savings compared to traditional headhunters. Performance-driven. Human-centered.

About the author

Picture of Mathias Mengel

Mathias Mengel

My mission is to build outstanding relationships with our partners to ensure their needs and requirements are successfully fulfilled. Do you want to grow a healthy business? Our vision: Kooku wants to create a working world that is worth living in for everyone. To achieve this, we like to go the extra mile. We are the first point of contact for our partners when it comes to attracting and retaining suitable candidates and developing a positive and sustainable corporate culture. In all areas of our work, we focus on our core values: transparency - empathy - ownership - working at eye level - joy of working together.
All contributions

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about recruitment

What is an employer branding score and why is it important?

The Employer Branding Score evaluates:

  1. Online reputation: Kununu, Glassdoor, Google reviews
  2. Career site: quality, up-to-dateness, mobile optimization
  3. Product/Service: Innovation, market position
  4. Benefits: Salary, remote option, further training

Why is it important for recruiting?

  • 85% of candidates research online before applying
  • Good scores = 2-3x higher response rate for active sourcing
  • Poor scores = 40-60% higher cost-per-hire

Kooku Employer Branding Check: Free initial analysis with project inquiry - we show you how attractive you look on the applicant market and which quick wins can be implemented immediately.

What does a recruitment agency in Berlin cost?

Traditional headhunters: 15-30% commission of gross annual salary (at 80,000€ = 12,000-24,000€)
KookuRecruiting on Demand: 110€/hour, average 80-120 hours per position (8,800-13,200€)
KookuPackage: 3,850€/month over 3 months with flexible job change option

Savings: Up to 60% compared to commission-based models + complete cost control through hourly billing.

How do I find the right recruiting firm for my company?

7 Test criteria:

  1. KPI transparency: Can the agency provide concrete success rates?
  2. Project selection: Does the agency sometimes say no if the position cannot be filled?
  3. Specialization: Does the company have comparable cases in your industry?
  4. Cost model: hours-based (flexible) or commission-based (risky)?
  5. Reporting: Weekly KPI updates or radio silence?
  6. Tools: Are LinkedIn Recruiter, Xing etc. included in the price?
  7. Guarantees: What assurances are there in the event of miscasting?

Recruitment agency vs. headhunter vs. RPO - What's the difference?

Recruitment (classic):

  • Commission: 20-30% of annual salary
  • Focus: CV matching from database
  • For: All positions, rather medium level

Headhunter / Executive Search:

  • Commission: 25-35% + often advance payment
  • Focus: direct approach, non-active seekers
  • For: C-Level, Director positions

Kooku (Performance Recruiting):

  • Hourly based: 110€/h or package models
  • Focus: KPI-controlled processes, project selection
  • For: All positions, especially tech, sales, marketing

How long does it take to fill a position?

Industry average: 3-6 months
With Kooku:

  • First candidates: Within 2 weeks
  • Average time-to-hire: 6-8 weeks (28% faster)
  • 95% success rate through preliminary analysis of staffing options

Factors that influence the duration:

  • Employer brand strength (Kununu rating)
  • Availability of suitable candidates (LinkedIn/Xing check)
  • Reaction speed in the interview process
  • Attractiveness of the offer vs. market standard

What is cost-per-hire and how do I calculate it?

Formula: (external costs + internal costs) / number of hires

External costs:

  • Job advertisements (700-1,300€ per job board)
  • Recruiting agency (varies depending on model)
  • Social media ads (900€ advertising budget/month)
  • ATS software (50-200€/month)

Internal costs:

  • HR team time expenditure (40+ hours at 50-80€)
  • Hiring Manager Interviews (10-20 hours)
  • Onboarding (first 3 months)

Kooku cost-per-hire: average €11,000 (transparent, predictable, 60% below industry average)

When is hourly billing vs. commission worthwhile?

Hourly-based is worthwhile for: ✅ Multiple open positions at the same time
✅ Recurring recruiting needs
✅ Fluctuating salary ranges (no cost increase with higher salary)
✅ Budget transparency as a priority
✅ Medium to higher volumes (3+ positions/year)

Commission is worthwhile for: ✅ Single, very specialized C-level position
✅ When internal capacity is completely lacking
✅ For discrete, confidential searches

Calculation example:

  • Position: Senior Sales Manager, 90.000€ annual salary
  • Headhunter: 25% commission = 22.500€
  • Kooku: 100 hours at €110 = €11,000
  • Savings: €11,500 (51%)

How do I recognize a dubious recruitment agency?

Red Flags:

🚩 Immediate commitment without market analysis
🚩 No concrete KPIs or success rates
🚩 Non-transparent cost models or hidden fees
🚩 No specialization ("We do everything")
🚩 No weekly reporting
🚩 No comparable reference cases
🚩 Pressure to sign a contract immediately

Green Flags:

✅ Detailed preliminary analysis (employer branding score)
✅ Concrete effort estimate based on KPIs
✅ Industry specialization with verifiable cases
✅ Transparent, comprehensible pricing model
✅ Regular status updates with measurable figures

Can I fill the position faster with social media recruiting?

Yes, if the target group is active there!

Best Practices:

  • LinkedIn: For B2B, Tech, Management (Budget: 900€/month)
  • Facebook/Instagram: For B2C, Blue-Collar, Retail (Budget: 600€/month)
  • Xing: For DACH region, traditional industries

Kooku Social Media Recruiting:

  • Setup: €1,850 (one-off)
  • Ongoing: 495€/month + approx. 900€ advertising budget
  • Result: 20-50 applications/month (depending on target group)
  • Staffing: Typically within 4-8 weeks

When does social recruiting NOT make sense? ❌ C-level/executive positions (better: direct approach)
❌ Very niche specialization (pool too small)
❌ If employer brand is very weak (improve first!)

Why do most companies fail to find employees despite recruitment agencies?

The 5 main reasons for unsuccessful recruiting projects:

1. wrong choice of agency (45% of cases)

  • Generalist instead of specialist: An agency without an industry focus does not know your target candidate group
  • No project selection: Agencies that "accept everything" spread resources too thinly
  • Lack of KPI transparency: without measurable performance data, recruiting is flying blind

2. unrealistic requirement profiles (30% of cases)

  • "Egg-laying wool-milk sow" syndrome: 10+ years of experience, but salary for junior level
  • Too narrow criteria: 100% match is rare - 80% is often better than 6 months vacancy
  • Market reality ignored: There are only 50 Senior AI Engineers in Berlin, but 500 open positions

3. weak employer brand (15% of cases)

  • Kununu rating below 3.0: candidates cancel 70% of the time
  • Outdated career site: Not mobile-optimized = 60% abandonment rate
  • No remote option: 80% exclusion criterion in the tech sector

4. slow processes (7% of cases)

  • 4+ weeks until the first interview: Top candidates already have 3 other offers after 2 weeks
  • No clear decisions: "We need to discuss internally again" = candidate is gone

5. commission model without performance monitoring (3% of cases)

  • Agency earns the same amount with bad as with good candidates
  • No replacement guarantee: Candidate leaves after 2 months, commission is gone

The Kooku solution:

  • Before project start: market check + employer branding score → We also say no sometimes
  • During recruiting: Weekly KPIs → You always know where you stand
  • After hiring: 6-month replacement guarantee → Our risk, not yours

Statistics: Companies that address these 5 points have a 3.2x higher success rate in filling vacancies (source: Kooku Recruiting Performance Study 2024, n=287 projects).

Is a recruitment agency worthwhile for SMEs with fewer than 50 employees or is it too expensive?

Short answer: YES, it's worth it - but only with the right cost model.

The bill for SMEs:

Scenario: SME looking for Marketing Manager (€60,000 annual salary)

Option 1: Search yourself (apparently "free of charge")

  • HR Manager (3h/week × 8 weeks × 45€/h) = 1.080€
  • Managing director time for interviews (5h × 80€/h) = 400€
  • Job advertisements (3× job exchanges) = €2,400
  • Total: €3,880
  • Time-to-hire: 12-16 weeks (often longer)
  • Success rate: 40-60% (many SME positions remain unfilled)

Option 2: Classic headhunter (commission)

  • 25% of annual salary = €15,000
  • Time-to-hire: 8-12 weeks
  • Success rate: 70-80%
  • Problem: Too expensive for SME budgets

Option 3: Kooku Recruiting on Demand (hourly based)

  • 80 hours à 110€ = 8.800€
  • All tools included (LinkedIn Recruiter: €900/month saved!)
  • Time-to-hire: 6-8 weeks
  • Success rate: 95% (through project selection)

ROI calculation for SMEs:

Cost of Vacancy (opportunity costs):

  • Marketing Manager generates approx. 15,000€ added value/month
  • 4 months vacancy (average for own search) = 60,000€ opportunity costs
  • With Kooku: 1.5 months vacancy = 22,500€ opportunity costs
  • Savings: €37,500 + 62% faster staffing

When is recruitment NOT worthwhile for SMEs? ❌ For positions below €35,000 annual salary (except in volumes of 5+ positions) ❌ If internal HR capacity is available AND employer brand is strong (Kununu 4.0+) ❌ For very simple requirement profiles with many available candidates

When is recruitment DEFINITELY worthwhile for SMEs? ✅ Specialized positions (IT, engineering, sales) ✅ If position is open for more than 2 months ✅ No in-house HR department available ✅ Time-to-market critical (e.g. product launch) ✅ Several positions to be filled simultaneously

SME tip from Kooku: Start with one position as a test. With our hourly-based model, you have full cost control and can scale up at any time. Many of our SME clients start with 1 position and then use us for 3-5 positions/year - because it just works.

Conclusion: Recruitment is not too expensive for SMEs, but not using it is too expensive (measured in terms of lost added value due to long vacancies).

What KPIs should I receive from my recruitment agency on a weekly basis and what are good vs. bad values?

The 8 most important recruiting KPIs with benchmark values:

1. number of candidates contacted (Activity Metric)

  • 🔴 Bad: < 20 candidates/week
  • 🟡 Average: 20-40 candidates/week
  • 🟢 Good (Kooku): 50-80 candidates/week
  • What it means: Too few contacts = too little pipeline → project fails

2. response rate (response rate)

  • 🔴 Bad: < 15% answer
  • 🟡 Average: 15-25% answer
  • 🟢 Good (Kooku): 30-40% answer
  • What it means: Low response = poor response or unrealistic position

3. qualification rate (suitable candidates)

  • 🔴 Bad: < 20% of respondents are qualified
  • 🟡 Average: 20-35% are qualified
  • 🟢 Good (Kooku): 40-50% are qualified
  • What it means: Low quota = wrong target group addressed

4. interview conversion rate (shortlist → interview)

  • 🔴 Bad: < 30% of the shortlist candidates say yes
  • 🟡 Average: 30-50% say yes
  • 🟢 Good (Kooku): 60-75% say yes
  • What it means: Low rate = candidates lose interest or employer too slow

5. offer acceptance rate (offer → acceptance)

  • 🔴 Bad: < 40% of offers are accepted
  • 🟡 Average: 40-60% acceptance rate
  • 🟢 Good (Kooku): 70-85% acceptance rate
  • What it means: Many rejections = salary/benefits not competitive

6. time-to-shortlist (first qualified candidates)

  • 🔴 Bad: > 4 weeks
  • 🟡 Average: 2-4 weeks
  • 🟢 Good (Kooku): 1-2 weeks
  • What it means: Slow shortlist = inefficient process

7. cost-per-applicant (cost per qualified candidate)

  • 🔴 Bad: > 800€/candidate
  • 🟡 Average: 400-800€/candidate
  • 🟢 Good (Kooku): 200-400€/candidate
  • What it means: High costs = inefficient sourcing channels

8. pipeline velocity (throughput speed)

  • 🔴 Bad: Candidates are stuck in the process for 4+ weeks
  • 🟡 Average: 2-4 weeks from interview to offer
  • 🟢 Good (Kooku): 1-2 weeks
  • What it means: Slow process = candidates drop out (have other offers)

Red flags - when you should change your agency: 🚩 No weekly updates (only "We're working on it") 🚩 No concrete figures, only vague statements 🚩 Response rate below 15% over 3+ weeks 🚩 No shortlist after 4+ weeks 🚩 Agency cannot explain KPIs

Best practice: At Kooku, you automatically receive a KPI dashboard + brief assessment from the responsible recruiter every Friday. Transparency is the key to successful recruiting - if you don't provide figures, you usually don't have good figures.

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