Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment
Search X Recruitment B.V. is a Dutch, founder-owned recruitment agency (founded 2013, ~25 staff, Haarlem) placing IT, AI, Renewable Energy, and Engineering professionals for Benelux enterprises via permanent, retained, subscription, temp-to-perm, and freelance models.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersHaarlem, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment does
Search X Recruitment B.V. is a privately held Dutch recruitment agency founded in 2013 (originally as Search It Recruitment) and headquartered in Haarlem, with additional offices in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The firm specializes in placing professionals across four technical verticals: IT, Artificial Intelligence, Renewable Energy, and Engineering, serving clients that range from start-ups to multinationals across the Benelux region. Service offerings span permanent placement, executive search, RPO, coaching, and secondment/freelance assignments, with freelance and interim work delivered through a partner entity, Work X Consulting B.V.
The company's business model centers on transaction-based fees calculated as a percentage of placed candidates' gross annual salaries, with multiple engagement structures: a 25% contingency model ("We Cure You Pay"), a 22.5% retained search with one-third upfront payment, a 3%-per-month talent subscription ("X=") capped at 36% of annual salary, a Detavast temp-to-perm arrangement, and 35%-margin freelance/interim billing through Work X Consulting B.V. all governed by Dutch DBA guidelines. Pricing varies by contract type (14 days for English, 7 days for Dutch contracts), and the firm maintains a curated database of over 200,000 professionals across its four verticals.
Search X operates a sales-led go-to-market anchored on dedicated vertical consultants, a structured 10-step collaboration roadmap, and direct enterprise relationships with clients including Capgemini, Accenture, ING, KLM, Wolters Kluwer, TotalEnergies, Vattenfall, Alliander, ENGIE, Adyen, TenneT, and Baker McKenzie. The company employs roughly 25 people, is founder-owned (Ernst Jan Berger, Joost van der Laan, Michel Bruins Slot), received the FD Gazelle Award in 2023, and has no disclosed external funding. Technology footprint is limited to standard ATS (Loxo) and analytics tooling, with no proprietary platform or patents.
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment
- Legal name
- Search X Recruitment B.V.
- Website
- https://searchxrecruitment.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Search X Recruitment B.V. is a Dutch, founder-owned recruitment agency (founded 2013, ~25 staff, Haarlem) placing IT, AI, Renewable Energy, and Engineering professionals for Benelux enterprises via permanent, retained, subscription, temp-to-perm, and freelance models.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recruitment and Staffing Services
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Executive Search Services (561312)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA), Industrial & Engineering Leadership Search (BPACAAAD), Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG)
Keywords
Where Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Haarlem
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Permanent Placement - We Cure You Pay: Success-based placement fee where clients pay only upon successful placement. Fee is calculated as 25% of the gross annual salary on a full-time basis. No exclusivity required.
- Retained Search: Exclusive partnership model with upfront payment of 1/3 of expected total fee. Total fee amounts to 22.5% of gross annual salary, invoiced in three equal installments. Guarantees priority service and at least 2 suitable candidates within 5 working days.
- X= Subscription: Monthly subscription model at 3% of gross annual salary for up to 12 months. Subscription auto-ends if candidate leaves. Replacement guarantee included if hire departs within agreed timeframe.
- Temp-to-Perm: Provides professionals who work at client organization for set period. If collaboration is successful, client can offer permanent contract. Search X acts as official employer handling administrative responsibilities. Rates based on hourly wage with conversion factor.
- Freelance/Interim & Secondment: Temp and freelance assignment services executed through partner company Work X Consulting B.V. Margin-based pricing with 35% of hourly rate for freelance/interim projects. Governed by DBA guidelines.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | We Cure You Pay - Flexible success-based placement starting at 25% |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Retained Search - Priority service at 22.5% with upfront payment |
| Subscription | Monthly | X= Subscription - Monthly talent subscription at 3% per month |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Temp-to-Perm - Hourly-based conversion model |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Freelance/Interim - Margin-based at 35% of hourly rate |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Search X Recruitment is a Netherlands-based digital recruitment agency that mediates IT, AI, Renewable Energy, and Engineering professionals for permanent vacancies, secondment, freelance, and interim assignments. The agency offers multiple engagement models including contingency placement (25% of gross annual salary), retained search (22.5% with exclusivity), subscription (3% monthly), temp-to-perm, and freelance placements, leveraging a candidate database of over 200,000 professionals.
Product overview
Search X Recruitment operates as a digital recruitment agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of staffing solutions. The core offering centers on recruiting IT, AI, Renewable Energy, and Engineering professionals for permanent positions, secondment, freelance, and interim assignments. The company provides multiple engagement models including We Cure You Pay (25% contingency), Retained (22.5% exclusivity), X= subscription (3% monthly), and Temp-to-Perm arrangements. Supporting services include Executive Search, RPO, and Coaching. Work X Consulting serves as a specialized sub-brand for freelance and interim project management. The company operates across all company stages from startups to multinationals, and across sectors including IT, Engineering, Renewable Energy, Data & AI, E-Commerce, Fintech, Logistics, and Software.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Work X Consulting: Specialized label for freelance and interim project assignments, operated as a partner entity.
Products and services
- Secondment Services Professionals provided to work at client organizations under secondment arrangements, with Search X acting as the formal employer during the secondment period.
- Search X Recruitment Core Services Core recruitment services for permanent positions across IT, AI, Renewable Energy, and Engineering sectors, mediating professionals for clients ranging from startups to multinational organizations.
- We Cure You Pay (No Cure No Pay) Flexible success-based recruitment placement model where clients pay only upon successful placement, with a fee of 25% of the gross annual salary. No exclusivity required.
- Retained Search Exclusive partnership recruitment model with upfront payment of 1/3 of the total fee. Total fee is 22.5% of gross annual salary, invoiced in three equal installments. Guarantees at least 2 suitable candidates within 5 working days.
- X= Talent Subscription Talent subscription model where clients pay 3% of gross annual salary per month for up to 12 months. Includes automatic termination if candidate leaves and replacement guarantee within agreed timeframe.
- Temp-to-Perm Provides professionals to work at client organizations for a set period before offering a permanent contract. Search X acts as official employer handling administrative and legal responsibilities. Free takeover after 2080 hours worked (Detavast model).
- Work X Consulting (Freelance/Interim & Secondment) Specialized label operated through partner company Work X Consulting B.V. for temp and freelance assignments, managing secondment arrangements under Dutch DBA guidelines. Margin-based pricing at 35% of hourly rate.
- Executive Search Specialized recruitment service targeting executive and leadership positions across IT, AI, Renewable Energy, and Engineering sectors.
- RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) Outsourced recruitment process services for organizations seeking to delegate their hiring functions to Search X as their embedded recruitment partner.
- Coaching Services Tailor-made coaching programs delivered by different specialized coaches to help employees develop and companies grow.
Quantifiable outcome
- Access to 200,000+ professionals in specialized databases
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Work X Consulting B.V.coreStrategic partnership for freelance and interim assignment services. All temp and freelance assignments are formalized through Work X Consulting B.V. with separate agreements governed by Dutch DBA guidelines. This partnership extends Search X's service capabilities to include secondment and contractor management while maintaining regulatory compliance.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Hays: Global recruitment firm with deep Benelux presence across IT, engineering, and energy verticals. Competes with Search X for the same enterprise clients (e.g., Capgemini, ING) but operates at vastly larger scale.
- Michael Page: World's largest specialist recruitment firm with strong Netherlands operations in IT, engineering, and energy. Direct competitor on mid-to-senior permanent placement mandates.
- Robert Half: Global staffing and recruitment firm covering IT, engineering, and finance roles. Established Netherlands presence makes it a direct competitor on enterprise IT recruitment contracts.
Direct peers
- YER: Dutch recruitment firm specializing in technical and engineering professionals, with strong renewable energy practice. Closest direct Dutch competitor with similar vertical mix and enterprise client focus.
- Bramwith Consulting: Specialist executive search and interim recruitment firm focused on procurement, supply chain, and technology across the Benelux. Comparable in niche specialization and enterprise mid-market positioning.
- Coulter Partners: Executive search firm with strong life sciences and technology practices; competes with Search X's executive search service line for senior tech and engineering leadership mandates.
- Templeton & Partners: Specialist IT recruitment firm with Benelux presence covering contract and permanent placements. Directly comparable in service mix, vertical focus, and target client size.
Emerging players
- Huxley: Global recruitment firm focused on technology, digital, and engineering roles. Overlaps with Search X's IT and AI verticals at the mid-market level across European enterprise clients.
- VONQ: Dutch recruitment technology and marketing firm focused on job distribution and employer branding. Indirect competitor that enables in-house recruiting teams, potentially disintermediating traditional agencies like Search X.
Regional players
- Atlas NextWave: Renewable energy specialist recruiter active across European markets. Competes with Search X's renewable engineering practice but operates in geographies Search X is just beginning to enter (DACH).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment social profiles
Digital presenceSearch X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment
What does Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment do?
Search X Recruitment is a Netherlands-based digital recruitment agency that mediates IT, AI, Renewable Energy, and Engineering professionals for permanent vacancies, secondment, freelance, and interim assignments. The agency offers multiple engagement models including contingency placement (25% of gross annual salary), retained search (22.5% with exclusivity), subscription (3% monthly), temp-to-perm, and freelance placements, leveraging a candidate database of over 200,000 professionals.
Is Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment a public or private company?
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment founded?
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment based?
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment is headquartered in Haarlem, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Permanent Placement - We Cure You Pay is the primary driver. The others are retained Search, X= Subscription, temp-to-Perm and freelance/Interim & Secondment.
Who are Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Hays, Michael Page and Robert Half. Direct peers are YER, Bramwith Consulting, Coulter Partners and Templeton & Partners. Emerging players are Huxley and VONQ. Atlas NextWave is listed as a regional player.
Does Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment have an API?
No public API is recorded for Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment.
What industry is Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment in?
Search X Recruitment | IT, Sales & Marketing Recruitment's product category is Recruitment and Staffing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAFAA, General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry), with a secondary code of BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search. Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.