Recruitment Debt Recovery
& Backdoor
Hire Detection
Stop letting clients bypass your fees. We are the only commercial recovery firm with a dedicated recruitment division.
Our recovery infrastructure is trusted by the world’s leading staffing agencies.
500+
Recruitment agencies supported worldwide
ÂŁ1.1bn+
Turnover capability, managing ledgers from independent search firms to global staffing MNCs
100%
Commission-only. No upfront charges. No win, no fee.
20 Years
Of specialised recruitment debt
and dispute resolution
We Enforce Your Terms
of Business
We leverage deep, specialised knowledge of APSCo, REC, and Lawspeed terms to shut down client excuses and collect the fees for your placements.
Recruitment-Exclusive Agents
Sterling is the only commercial recovery firm with agents dedicated exclusively to recruitment debt. We understand the nuances of the staffing sector and the exact legal pressure points needed to compel payment.
Specialist Legal Infrastructure
If amicable collection is exhausted, our debt recovery management team will provide you with feedback on the case, including an assessment of whether we believe the case is worthwhile to pursue through litigation. If litigation is considered a viable option, we will also look to pair you with one of our litigation partners, who can support you.
Cost-Neutral Execution
We apply statutory late payment interest, compensation fees, and recovery costs to the debtor’s balance. In most successful cases, the client can effectively pay the cost of our service.
Full Contractual Fee Recovery
If a client breaches your payment terms, we don’t just chase the discounted rate. We legally pursue the full, undiscounted contractual fee outlined in your Terms of Business.
Unlocking Highly Disputed Recruitment Revenue
We dismantle client delay tactics and successfully recover fees across the industry’s most complex recruitment disputes.
Temp-to-Perm Conversions
Clients often attempt to hire temporary contractors permanently without paying transfer fees. We enforce your contractual rights to secure your full margin.
Role-Switching
Evasion
When a client engages your candidate but places them in a “different role” to avoid the introduction fee, we step in to prove the causal link and recover your introduction fee.
Unjustified Rebate Denials
We aggressively challenge clients who attempt to claim rebates or refunds while simultaneously refusing to pay the original invoice or breaching your payment terms.
Third-Party &
Umbrella Evasion
We enforce payment when candidates are hired through alternative agencies, umbrella companies, or complex third-party contracts designed to bypass your introduction.
Catch Every Backdoor Hire. Monetise Every Introduction.
Don't let your hard work turn into lost fees. Our proprietary HireChecker service identifies evidence of engagement and turns candidate theft into recovered fees.
Automated & Manual Verification
Precision Cross-Industry Tracking
Actionable Evidence
From Disputed Candidates to Cleared Funds
Case Evaluation
& Evidence Gathering
You submit your unpaid invoice(s) and introduction evidence. We analyse your Terms of Business to formulate our approach to recovery with no upfront cost.Â
Strategic
Enforcement
Our specialised recruitment agents engage the client, shutting down industry-specific excuses and leveraging statutory fees to compel immediate payment without court intervention.
Remittance or Legal Escalation
Recovered funds are transferred to you promptly. If the client remains completely uncooperative, we work with independent legal partners who specialise strictly in the recruitment sector. We only advise legal action when a positive cash outcome is highly probable, ensuring maximum ROI.
Your Questions, Answered.
A backdoor hire occurs when a client rejects your candidate but hires them directly (or through another channel) within your contract’s protected period. We prove this using our HireChecker tool, leveraging digital footprints, industry databases, and introduction audit trails to legally enforce your fee.
If a client is actively stealing your candidates or refusing to pay for your services, they are not a viable client. However, for genuine misunderstandings, our agents act as professional mediators, resolving the dispute strictly on the basis of the facts of your Terms of Business while remaining diplomatic.
Yes. There are no upfront charges for you.
