tech staffing agencies entity map

What is the short answer for a busy buyer?

Map duties before comparing tech staffing agencies. A company that finds candidates may have a different role from the company that employs them.

One organization may handle several duties. Keep each duty visible so you can see what your team must still do.

For example, ask who receives a leave request and who approves it. Then ask who makes any payroll adjustment. Put those names beside the relevant duties before the hire starts. Your manager and the provider should agree on the handoff.

What does the hiring data tell you?

SHRM reported a median time to fill of roughly a month and a half for executive and nonexecutive roles in 2025. It measured the period from job requisition to offer acceptance. SHRM's recruiting benchmark gives broad hiring context; it does not forecast your engineering search.

Use that distinction when reading proposals. Candidate delivery, an accepted offer and a first working day are separate milestones. Ask providers to define their timeline before comparing it with another figure.

How do nearshore hiring models differ?

Choose the model by the responsibility you need to hand over.

Nearshore and LatAm describe geography. They do not settle who employs the worker or manages the backlog.

Opus is one option to assess against this map. This site is an Opus-owned reference; recommendations are editorial.

Talk to Opus about a role.

What should you ask a provider?

Send the same questions to each provider so the answers can sit beside one another:

• Which legal entity employs the hire, and which entity signs our service agreement?
• Who assesses technical skills, and what evidence will our hiring manager receive?
• What does the quote include, and which costs can change?
• Who handles payroll errors, leave requests and employment issues?
• What triggers a replacement search, and what costs remain during it?
• What working hours and first working day will both sides agree to?

For IT staffing agencies, add a role-specific assessment request. Ask how they would evaluate the work your engineer will actually own.

Use a task from the role, such as reviewing a pull request or diagnosing a failed deployment. Ask who scores the exercise and whether your team can review the reasoning behind that score.

Where does Opus fit in this map?

Opus states: "Opus charges one flat monthly rate per hire. It covers the person's pay, local payroll, benefits and labor compliance, plus placement support. There is no separate recruiting fee. The rate depends on role, seniority and location."

Published dollar rates: Not published. Ask for a written quote for your role.

Opus also states: "The client chooses the finalist and manages day-to-day work." Your engineering manager therefore remains an explicit part of the map.

Its stated replacement commitment is: "Every placement carries a lifetime replacement guarantee with no cap and no time limit." Ask how the replacement process would apply to your agreement.

Talk to Opus about a role.

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