Hiring cost
Shipping is hard when the only engineers you can afford live in one expensive city.
Success-fee recruiting for developers means a company pays a hiring fee when it makes a hire, rather than paying an agency margin every month. It is one way to look beyond a local search without taking on an ongoing staffing bill. On the Arca.ph marketplace, profiles are free to view and the fee is 15% of first-year pay, once, only when you hire someone Arca.ph introduced.
Before you open a role, it helps to see who is available, what they expect to earn and which hours they can share with you. You do not have to decide where to hire before you can learn what the options look like.
What is success-fee recruiting for developers?
A success fee pays for the hire, not for each month of the developer's work. The company that makes the introduction charges according to its hiring terms. After a direct hire, you arrange the contract and pay the developer yourself.
The phrase alone does not tell you the price. Before choosing a service, ask:
- What percentage is charged, and what pay is it based on?
- What counts as an introduction, and when does the fee become due?
- Are profiles free to view? Are optional assessments separate?
- What happens if the person is not a fit?
On Arca.ph, an introduction happens when the developer agrees to meet. On the marketplace, the fee applies if you hire someone Arca.ph introduced within one year of that introduction. If you were already talking with that developer, there is no fee.
How is a success fee different from a monthly agency markup?
With a monthly markup, you pay a provider's rate for as long as the engagement runs. That rate can cover the developer's pay, administration and the provider's margin. A provider may take on work you would otherwise handle yourself, so compare the service as well as the bill.
With a direct hire through Arca.ph, you pay the developer directly. Arca.ph adds no monthly markup. There is a hiring fee once, not a recurring margin on the same person's work.
For example, at $3,000 a month, first-year pay is $36,000. The marketplace's 15% fee is $5,400, once. Pricing shows the terms and example profiles.
Start with the work and the budget, not a city
A wider search is useful only if you can compare people against the job. Write down the work the developer needs to own, the expected pay range and the hours you need to share.
On Arca.ph, free profiles show expected pay, US-hours overlap, self-reported English, the AI tools developers report using and whether they are open to time tracking. You can also review work history and videos when shared. Time tracking is a preference you discuss with the developer; Arca.ph does not provide a tracker.
Regional hiring pages help with the budget and clock. A region does not tell you an individual's schedule or ability. Check the profile.
A profile starts the conversation. Proof comes next.
A resume describes past work. It does not show how someone will work through your next problem. Test results already on file can help; after an introduction, you can request more evidence.
The core two-camera proctored tests are:
- English screening
- Thinking skills
- Coding with no AI
A real person watches the screen and a second, phone camera. Optional proof also includes a 2-hour build project with AI allowed, the Fire Drill (live pair programming on a real-world problem), and recorded reference checks. Tests are paid and optional. Viewing profiles stays free.
You do not have to make the hire today
Browse first. Compare the work, expected pay and overlap. Use what you learn to write a clearer role, even if you are not ready to interview.
On the marketplace, your own AI assistant can search and sort the same profiles through MCP. You choose who to meet and hire. Every hire includes a 3-month free replacement. If you later want Arca.ph to run the search, done-for-you is a separate option at 35% of first-year pay, once on hire.
FAQ
Does a success fee replace the developer's pay?
No. You pay the developer directly. The hiring fee is separate from their compensation.
Do I pay to browse Arca.ph profiles?
No. Profiles are free to view. Optional proctored tests are paid separately.
Does the hiring fee repeat every year?
No. On the Arca.ph marketplace, 15% of first-year pay is charged once on hire. There is no monthly markup.
What if the hire is not a fit?
Tell Arca.ph within the first 3 months. Every hire includes a 3-month free replacement.
Take a look before you open the role. Sign in. Profiles are free to view.