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Freelance recruitment
Freelance recruitment means helping employers find and assess candidates for roles. Start with a clear offer in a sector you understand, and agree with each client what you will deliver and how you will be paid.
Open the interactive guide (checklist, video, read-aloud) →In plain words
- You help employers find people for jobs.
- Choose one type of job to focus on.
- Agree the work and price before you start.
- Ask candidates before sharing their details.
- Keep clear notes and follow up.
- Check the rules where you work.
Who it suits
Suits people who enjoy speaking with candidates and employers, can assess skills carefully, and are comfortable following up and keeping organised records.
Employers may pay for help finding suitable candidates, checking job-related experience and arranging interviews. A clear service can save a client time, but finding a hire is not guaranteed.
Step by step
- Choose a role area you understand. Pick a sector or role family, such as creative, technology, finance or construction. Choose an area where you can understand the skills employers need and explain your experience honestly. About 1-2 hours.
- Decide exactly what help you offer. Choose services such as sourcing candidates, screening, interview coordination or support with one vacancy. Write down what is not included, so the client knows where your work ends. About 1-2 hours.
- Write a short introduction to your service. Explain your relevant experience, the roles you can help with and how you work. Use examples of your process, but do not disclose confidential client or candidate information. About 30-60 minutes.
- Find employers with a relevant hiring need. Contact employers with a specific message about their vacancy or hiring needs. Ask about the role, timeline, location and essential skills before suggesting how you could help. About 30-60 minutes per employer.
- Agree the terms in writing before starting. Confirm the work, fee, payment arrangements, ownership of candidate introductions and how either side can end the arrangement. Keep a copy of the agreed terms and check any local agency rules before offering the service. About 1-2 hours per client.
- Make a search plan for the vacancy. Turn the agreed requirements into a list of essential and useful skills. Choose suitable job boards, professional networks and referrals, and record where each candidate was found. About 30-60 minutes per vacancy.
- Speak with candidates and record relevant details. Ask about experience, interest and availability in a consistent way. Keep notes focused on the role and handle candidate details carefully; do not collect information you do not need. About 30-60 minutes per candidate.
- Send a short shortlist to the client. Explain how each candidate matches the requirements you agreed. Check that each candidate is happy to be put forward before sharing their details with the client. About 30-60 minutes per shortlist.
- Follow up and learn from the process. Update the client and candidates, record agreed next steps and follow up at the times you promised. Ask the client for feedback after the process and use it to improve your service. About 15-30 minutes per follow-up.
Your first 15 minutes
Choose one role area, write a short service offer for it, and ask a few relevant employers what recruitment support they need.
The money
Decide whether you charge by the hour, a fixed amount for a defined task, or a placement fee agreed with the employer. Set out exactly what is included, when payment is due and what happens if the vacancy changes; do not treat online profile rates or listing bids as typical earnings.
Example only: £200 fee for one week of work − £20 costs = £180 before tax. In euros: €200 fee − €20 costs = €180 before tax. These are sample figures, not a suggested rate or promise of work.
The rules
You can offer freelance recruitment services in the UK and Ireland. Agency and tax rules vary by location and type of work. In Ireland, recruitment agencies must be licensed. Check with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to see whether your planned service needs a licence.
UK and Northern Ireland
- Tax, Self Assessment and VAT. The first £1,000 a year of trading income is covered by the trading allowance. This is your gross income before expenses. If your income is above £1,000, tell HMRC. If you need to register for Self Assessment, do so by 5 October after the tax year ends. You must register for VAT if your taxable turnover goes over £90,000. GOV.UK Tax Help for Hustles GOV.UK Business.gov.uk
- Northern Ireland Agency Rules. Northern Ireland agency rules apply if you try to find someone temporary work or permanent employment with a new employer. The rules vary by type of work. For temporary work, you must give the worker written terms before looking for work. These must cover things such as contract type, pay, holiday entitlement and notice. You must agree the work and payment terms with the worker. You must give the worker full written details of a new job within three days. Make sure your adverts are accurate. Check that workers have the required skills and qualifications, and that doing the work would not break the law. Do not change agreed terms without the worker’s written permission. You must pay for work done even if the hiring company has not paid you. You must not charge workers for finding or trying to find work, except if you are an entertainment or modelling agency. You must not withhold wages just because a signed timesheet was not produced. You must not stop a worker from registering with other agencies. The Employment Agency Inspectorate enforces these rules. It can prosecute or apply to prohibit agencies and businesses that do not comply. nidirect nidirect
- Data Protection Fee. If you handle candidate data, use the ICO self-assessment tool to check whether you need to pay a data protection fee. There's no single rule for every sole trader. ICO
- Terms and Insurance. Consider putting your service, fee, payment timing, candidate-introduction terms and cancellation arrangements in writing. Consider suitable insurance. Ask an insurance adviser what cover fits your work.
- Advertising and Age. Make sure your job adverts are accurate. No general legal minimum age is confirmed for this freelance service. Check contract and platform eligibility before you start. If you publish paid or affiliate promotional posts, label them clearly, for example “Ad”. nidirect ASA
- Consumer-Facing Services. If you sell recruitment-related services directly to consumers, check the rules for your contract with Citizens Advice or Trading Standards. Don't assume that business-to-business terms automatically cover sales to consumers.
Ireland
- Recruitment Agency Licence. Private recruitment agencies in Ireland must be licensed. It's not clear which activities or types are covered. Check with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment before you offer the service. Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Code of Practice
- Basic Registration Fees. Private recruitment agencies cannot charge jobseekers for the basic service of registering on their databases. Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
- Income Tax. If you are a PAYE worker, register for self-assessment using Form 11 if your taxable non-PAYE income is over €5,000 or your gross non-PAYE income is over €30,000. Below those amounts, declare the income on Form 12 through myAccount. If you are self-employed, you pay income tax, PRSI (Class S) and USC under self-assessment. Preliminary tax is due by 31 October. Check your position with Revenue or a tax adviser. Revenue Citizens Information
- VAT and Business Name. The VAT threshold for services is €42,500. If you trade under a name other than your own, register the business name with the CRO. Online registration costs €20. Revenue CRO
- Candidate Data and Terms. Use written terms to explain your service, fee and how you handle candidate introductions. Check with the Data Protection Commission about the rules for collecting or sharing candidate information.
- Advertising and Insurance. Consider suitable insurance. Ask an insurance adviser what cover fits your work. If you publish commercial promotional content, label it clearly, for example “#Ad”. CCPC
- Age and Consumer Services. No general legal minimum age is confirmed for this freelance service. Check contract and platform eligibility. If you sell services directly to consumers, check the contract rules with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
Checked against official sources: 22 October 2026. Not yet reviewed by a qualified tax or legal adviser. General guidance, not legal advice. Check the official link beside each point before you start.
Common mistakes
- Offering too many types of recruitment work before you know your process.
- Starting a search before agreeing the fee, scope and payment terms.
- Sharing a candidate's details without checking they agree.
- Promising a hire or treating online rates and bids as guaranteed earnings.
- Keeping candidate notes in scattered places or failing to follow up.
AI-made demonstration: this module has a 20-second street-chat video in the interactive guide. The presenter and the people in it are computer-generated, not real people.