What an IT Recruitment SLA Should Include: The 7 Metrics to Demand Before You Sign
Most IT recruitment contracts are written around effort: “we will source, screen and present candidates.” Almost none are written around outcomes. That is why a requisition can sit open for four months while the agency is, technically, doing everything the contract asked for.
A service level agreement fixes that by attaching a number, a deadline and a consequence to each stage of the process. This guide walks through the seven metrics an IT recruitment SLA should contain, what a defensible standard looks like for each, and how to read the fine print.
Why effort-based contracts fail technical hiring
Technical roles are different from most hiring in two ways. The cost of an open seat is high, because a missing backend engineer or cloud architect delays a product roadmap rather than a single task. And the cost of a wrong hire is higher still, because bad technical work compounds. An agreement that does not price those two risks is not protecting you.
Effort-based contracts also create the wrong incentive. When the agency is paid on placement with no timeline, the rational move is to forward as many profiles as possible and let your team do the screening. An SLA reverses that: the agency is accountable for speed and quality, so it has to screen properly.
The seven metrics
1. Initial CV delivery
What it measures: the time from a signed requisition to the first screened profiles in your inbox.
Defensible standard: 48 hours, or two business days.
Watch for: agencies that commit to “initial candidates” without defining “screened”. Ask whether the profiles arrive with assessment data.
2. Time-to-fill for junior and mid-level roles
What it measures: the complete cycle from requisition to accepted offer.
Defensible standard: 14 days for mid-level engineering roles.
Watch for: definitions that stop the clock at “shortlist delivered” instead of “offer accepted”.
3. Time-to-fill for senior and lead roles
What it measures: the same cycle for architects, leads and specialist roles.
Defensible standard: under 30 days.
Watch for: blanket exclusions for “hard-to-fill roles”. Senior roles are exactly where you need the commitment.
4. Placement guarantee
What it measures: how long after the start date the agency remains responsible for the hire.
Defensible standard: 90 days, with a free replacement if the hire leaves or fails to meet expectations.
Watch for: guarantees that offer a credit toward a future search instead of a replacement, or that are voided by any change to the job description.
5. Priority (P1) response time
What it measures: how quickly the agency acts on an urgent request, such as a resignation in a critical team.
Defensible standard: 0 to 2 working days to a live search with a named account lead.
Watch for: “best effort” language. Urgent means a number.
6. Standard (P2) response time
What it measures: the cadence of managed updates on ordinary requisitions.
Defensible standard: 2 to 3 working days between substantive updates, plus a weekly pipeline report.
Watch for: agencies with no reporting rhythm at all. Silence is where requisitions go to die.
7. Offer package turnaround
What it measures: the time from candidate selection to a written offer coordinated with the candidate.
Defensible standard: 48 to 72 hours.
Watch for: contracts that treat the offer as the client’s problem. Losing a candidate at the offer stage wipes out every other SLA in the agreement.
SiloHub’s contractual commitments, side by side
| Operational metric | SLA standard | Contractual commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Initial CV delivery | < 48 hours | Screened candidate profiles delivered within 2 business days |
| Time-to-fill (junior / mid) | 14 days | Complete recruitment cycle finished in 2 weeks |
| Time-to-fill (senior / lead) | < 30 days | Senior roles filled in under one month |
| Placement guarantee | 90 days | 100% free candidate replacement warranty |
| P1 critical response | 0–2 working days | Immediate action on urgent hiring requests |
| P2 standard response | 2–3 working days | Managed updates for standard requisitions |
| Offer package | 48–72 hours | Written offer terms coordinated with the candidate |
Three clauses that quietly undo an SLA
- The clock-stop clause. Any delay attributed to the client pauses the SLA. Reasonable in principle, but if “client delay” includes a 24-hour wait for interview feedback, the timeline is fiction. Agree what counts and cap it.
- The exclusivity trade. Some agencies will only offer an SLA on exclusive requisitions. That can be fair, provided the SLA has teeth. Exclusivity without a replacement warranty is a bad trade.
- The redefinition clause. If changing a single line of the job description resets every commitment, the SLA will never survive a real search. Allow reasonable refinement within the agreed rubric.
How to use this in your next negotiation
Send the agency the seven metrics above and ask them to fill in the number they will commit to for each. An agency built on technical screening will answer in a day. An agency built on forwarding résumés will answer with adjectives. That difference tells you more than any sales deck.
SiloHub publishes its full SLA commitment table because the numbers are how our business is measured. If you want them written into your next requisition, request a custom proposal and we will return one within two working days.