Why Chief of Staff Recruiting Doesn’t Have to Cost 30% of Salary
If you’ve already started exploring how to hire a Chief of Staff, you’ve probably encountered a frustrating reality:
Most executive search firms charge 25–35% of first-year compensation.
For a $180,000 Chief of Staff, that’s a $45,000–$63,000 fee.
Yes, the work a search firm does is incredibly valuable. Placing the best Chief of Staff is high-stakes work, and the ROI is significant when it’s done right. But value and pricing aren’t always synonymous.
Elevate charges a flat, transparent $15,000 fee (with discounted pricing for nonprofits).
Many of our clients wonder how this is possible. The question of “what’s the catch?” often comes up.
Short answer: there isn’t one.
Longer answer: the traditional executive search model is outdated for Chief of Staff hiring, especially when you’re dealing with a specialist firm like Elevate, focused solely on Chiefs of Staff.
Why Traditional Search Firms Charge So Much
Most placement firms price the way they do because their process is expensive and inefficient:
Cold outbound sourcing from scratch
Limited access to passive candidates
Long, manual screening cycles
Recruiters who have to first “learn” what a Chief of Staff even does
Percentage-based pricing has never been about better results, it’s about covering overhead and incentives that reward longer searches and higher salaries.
That model might make sense for some roles.
It breaks down entirely for Chiefs of Staff.
Why Elevate Can Charge a Flat Fee (Without Cutting Corners)
Elevate was built specifically for Chief of Staff placement and that focus changes everything.
Existing, high-trust networks
We operate inside one of the most active Chief of Staff ecosystems in the market. That gives us immediate access to proven operators, including many who aren’t actively job-searching but are open to the right opportunity.
Visibility + credibility in the Chief of Staff market
Candidates respond because they know us, trust our judgment, and understand that the roles we bring forward are well-scoped, serious, and high-quality. This dramatically reduces sourcing friction and outreach time.
Deep role fluency = faster, better screening
We don’t need to “learn” what a Chief of Staff is. We know how to assess judgment, leverage, executive partnership, and stage-fit quickly, allowing us to reach a strong shortlist without weeks of guesswork.
AI-enabled tools that increase accuracy (not shortcuts)
We use AI to support screening efficiency and role alignment. This shortens timelines while improving signal quality. However we never use AI to replace human judgment. Contrary to many recruiter'‘s beliefs, over reliance on AI in the search process usually ends up making the process longer, not shorter.
No percentage-based incentives
Because our fee isn’t tied to compensation, we’re aligned around one thing only: placing the right Chief of Staff for your stage, leadership style, and priorities, not inflating salary or dragging out the process.
Lower Cost Doesn’t Mean Lower Quality
In fact, it’s the opposite.
Our pricing is lower because our inputs are stronger, our process is tighter, and our network already exists. You’re not paying for cold outreach, learning curves, or bloated search timelines. You’re paying for access, judgment, and speed.
When Flat-Fee Chief of Staff Recruiting Makes Sense
Elevate Chief of Staff Placement is a strong fit if you:
Want a Chief of Staff who is truly stage-appropriate
Value speed without sacrificing quality
Prefer transparent pricing over percentage-based fees
Don’t want to educate a recruiter on what you need your Chief of Staff to actually do
If you’re hiring one of the highest leverage roles in your organization, the search process should reflect that level of precision, not outdated pricing models or firms that benefit more from complexity than clarity.
A flat-fee, transparent model like ours works when the network is real, the expertise is deep, and the process is built for precision.
That’s exactly how Elevate was designed.
Considering hiring a Chief of Staff? Schedule a conversation with Elevate Chief of Staff Placement to discuss scope, sourcing, screening, and other strategies to ensure this hire provides long term success and not just short term relief.
