Before a hiring manager calls you, they search the money question: “how much does a staffing agency charge,” “temp agency markup,” “temp-to-hire fee,” “staffing agency fees for direct hire.” Then they land on a dozen agency websites that say “contact us for a custom quote” and nothing else.
That silence feels like hiding. A manager who has to defend the cost to their boss reads it as “expensive and vague.” The agency that explains how fees work in plain words earns trust before the first call, and usually gets the call.
You do not have to publish your rate card
You have to explain how it works. That is what the search is really asking. A manager who understands the model can picture the cost, and that is enough to pick up the phone.
What the fees page needs to answer
Write it the way you would explain it across a desk. Plain words, in this order:
- How does temp staffing pricing work? The worker's hourly pay plus a markup that covers payroll taxes, workers' comp, insurance and the agency's work. Say that plainly. Most managers have never had it explained.
- What is in the markup? List it. When a manager sees that the markup covers things they would otherwise pay, the number makes sense.
- How does temp-to-hire work? The hourly markup for a trial period, then a conversion fee, often reduced or waived after a set number of hours. Say how yours works in general terms.
- How does direct hire work? A one-time fee, usually a percentage of the first-year salary, with a guarantee period. Say what yours looks like in general terms and what the guarantee covers.
- What changes the number? Skill level, shift, volume, how fast they need it, background and drug screening. Be honest about what moves it up or down.
- What is not included? Overtime rules, holiday pay, equipment. Nobody likes surprises on the first invoice.
Compare it to the cost of an empty seat
A short, fair section on what an open shift costs a company (missed shipments, overtime for everyone else, a manager spending the week interviewing) helps the reader see the fee next to the problem it solves. Keep it general. Do not invent numbers. The manager knows their own.
Put a real person on it
A short paragraph from the owner, with a photo: “I have explained this to a lot of first-time clients. Here is how I walk through it.” That one paragraph does more than any table, because this is the moment the manager is deciding whether you are straight with people.
Link it everywhere
Every employer page, including each specialty page, should link to the fees page near the top. A manager who lands anywhere on your site should be able to get to the money answer in one tap. It is also one of the six pages every staffing site needs.
A short example of the tone
Here is what the opening of a good fees page sounds like. “Most companies ask us about cost before anything else, so here is how it works. For temporary staffing, you pay an hourly bill rate. That rate is the worker's pay plus a markup that covers payroll taxes, workers' comp, insurance and our recruiting. You never handle the worker's payroll. For temp-to-hire and direct hire, the model is different, and it is explained below.” Plain, calm, no sales pitch. That is the whole page in one paragraph.
Update it when your model changes
If your conversion rules or guarantee period change, change the page the same week. A fees page that does not match what your recruiter says on the phone is worse than no page. Put a line at the bottom with the date it was last reviewed.
What ChatGPT does with this
Managers are asking AI tools “what does a staffing agency charge in Tampa.” Those tools pull from pages that explain the model plainly. If yours is the only local agency page that does, you are the one that gets named.
Want this done for you?
The fees page is the one I see missing on almost every staffing site I audit, and it is on my own staffing site in Tampa Bay for a reason. If you want me to check yours, the audit is free.