The Quick Comparison
| Pavago | Robert Half | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 | 1948 |
| Model | Membership-based offshore recruitment | Contingency/retainer enterprise staffing |
| Best for | SMBs (5–50 employees) building remote teams | Enterprises needing on-site or hybrid placements |
| Pricing | $500/yr + $329/mo per hire | 20–35% of first-year salary |
| Talent source | Offshore (Pakistan, LATAM) | Primarily US-based + some international |
| Speed to hire | 1–2 weeks | 3–8 weeks |
| Replacement policy | Free, unlimited | Varies by contract, often 50%+ fee |
| Post-placement support | Ongoing (payroll, HR, compliance) | Typically ends after placement |
| Roles covered | Sales, marketing, admin, finance, tech | Finance, accounting, admin, tech, legal, creative |
| On-site placements | No (remote only) | Yes |
| Temporary staffing | No | Yes |
Who Robert Half Is (And What They Do Well)
Robert Half is one of the largest and most established staffing firms in the world. Founded in 1948, publicly traded, valued at $7.2 billion, with 300+ offices globally. They specialize in placing finance, accounting, IT, legal, administrative, and creative professionals, primarily in the United States.
What they do well:
- Deep U.S. talent networks. Decades of relationships with domestic professionals across specialized industries.
- On-site and hybrid placements. If you need someone in your office, Robert Half can do that. Pavago can’t, we’re remote-only.
- Temporary and contract staffing. Need a contract accountant for 3 months? Robert Half excels at this. Pavago focuses on full-time dedicated hires.
- Enterprise infrastructure. Compliance, legal, and HR at Fortune 500 scale.
Who Pavago Is (And What We Do Differently)
Pavago is a membership-based offshore recruitment platform built specifically for SMBs. Instead of charging a percentage of salary per hire, we charge $500/year for membership + $329/month per active hire. That’s it. No placement fees. No percentage cuts. Free replacements if a hire doesn’t work out.
What we do differently:
- Built for SMBs, not enterprises. Our entire model is designed for companies with 5–50 employees who can’t justify $15K+ placement fees.
- Offshore talent at 60–70% less. We source from Pakistan, LATAM, and Southeast Asian countries. Same quality of talent, dramatically different cost structure.
- Predictable, flat pricing. No surprises. No percentage calculations. The cost is the same whether you’re hiring a $15K/year VA or a $40K/year marketing lead.
- Ongoing support after placement. We handle compliance, payroll, and HR. We don’t disappear after the invoice.
The Pricing Difference (Real Math)
This is where the comparison gets concrete. The #1 reason SMB clients come to us from traditional agencies: they were paying enterprise fees for non-enterprise roles.
Scenario: Hiring 3 roles over 12 months
| Pavago | Robert Half | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee model | $500/yr + $329/mo each | 25% of salary per hire |
| 3 hires at $50K avg salary | $12,344/yr total | $37,500 total |
| 3 hires at $18K offshore avg | $12,344/yr total | $13,500 total |
| 4th hire cost | $329/mo (no new placement fee) | $4,500–$12,500 again |
| Replacement cost | Free | Partial-to-full fee again |
| Ongoing HR/payroll | Included | Not included |
When to Choose Robert Half
- You need on-site or hybrid employees in U.S. offices
- You’re hiring for $100K+ executive or senior-specialist roles
- You need temporary or contract staffing (not full-time)
- Your company has 200+ employees and needs an enterprise compliance infrastructure
- You’re hiring for legal, executive, or niche regulated industries where U.S.-based talent is required
When to Choose Pavago
- You’re an SMB (5–50 employees) building a remote team
- You’re hiring offshore for roles in sales, marketing, admin, finance, or tech
- Traditional placement fees (15–35% of salary) don’t make sense for your budget or role level
- You want ongoing support (payroll, HR, compliance) after the hire is made
- You need predictable costs that don’t scale with salary
- You’ve been burned by the issues we see most: offshore hiring problems like unvetted candidates, slow replacements, or post-placement ghosting
What This Comparison Doesn’t Cover
We’re being honest: Robert Half and Pavago aren’t direct competitors in most scenarios. They operate in different segments of the market. Robert Half dominates U.S. enterprise staffing. Pavago serves SMBs building offshore teams. The overlap is small; it only matters if you’re an SMB that’s been using an enterprise agency and wondering why the economics don’t work.
If you’re evaluating multiple offshore recruitment options specifically, our other comparisons may be more relevant: Pavago vs 1840 & Company, Pavago vs BairesDev, or Pavago vs Somewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Robert Half good for small businesses?
Robert Half can work for small businesses, but the economics often don’t align. Their fee structure (20–35% of first-year salary) was built for enterprise hiring, where $15K+ placement fees are a normal cost of business. For SMBs hiring roles at $20–$60K, those fees can represent a significant portion of the hire’s total cost. If budget predictability matters, a membership model like Pavago’s is typically a better fit.
How does Robert Half’s pricing work?
Robert Half charges contingency or retainer-based fees, typically 20–35% of the placed candidate’s first-year salary. For an $80K role, that’s $16,000–$28,000. Some placements include replacement guarantees, but replacement policies vary by contract and often involve partial fees for a re-search.
Does Pavago work for enterprise companies?
Pavago is designed for SMBs and mid-size companies (5–100 employees). We don’t offer on-site placements, executive search, or temporary staffing. If you need enterprise-scale compliance infrastructure, visa support, or office-based hires, Robert Half or a similar enterprise firm is the better fit. If you need remote offshore talent with predictable pricing, we’re built for that.
Can I use both Pavago and Robert Half?
Yes. Some companies use Robert Half for senior U.S.-based hires and Pavago for offshore operations, marketing, and support roles. The two models complement each other when you have both enterprise and SMB hiring needs.
The Bottom Line
Robert Half is a proven, trusted enterprise staffing firm. If you’re a large company needing U.S.-based talent, temporary workers, or executive search, they’re a strong choice.
Pavago is built for a different customer: SMBs that need high-quality offshore talent at predictable cost, with ongoing support after the hire is made. If you’re paying enterprise fees for non-enterprise roles, the switch makes sense.
Different tools for different jobs.
Want to see how Pavago works for your specific hiring needs? Book a free consultation at pavago.co , we’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit or whether a different model serves you better.
Want to see how Pavago works for your specific hiring needs?
we’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit or whether a different model serves you better.
