[eropple]

What you think is fair is not particularly relevant: you're not going to get anybody who's actually good to give you the time of day.

20% and you can shoot as many bullets at the target as you want is a better deal than 1-5% and you can shoot one bullet at a bunch of targets.

[Aloha]

You're ignoring my point that the task of finding someone a job, and finding someone for a job, are fundamentally different tasks.

I'm also expecting to pay /something/ for the task, even if nothing suitable is found, hence why the expected fee is lower.

As it is, I've yet to find a company that offers this service for any price - yes, there are plenty of headhunting shops that offer the service to employers - but no one offering the opposite - 20-30 years ago, (I'm told by my friends who work in HR) this was indeed a service you could purchase, but no one offers it anymore.

[eropple]

I'm not ignoring your point, I'm discarding it. The skillset involved is so nearly-completely overlapping that nobody who's any good would take your less money for not-less work. You are asking whoever you want to pay to provide an economically inferior service for less money while they are capable of providing an economically better service for more money.

If you think you're right, I encourage you to put your money where your mouth is and start this firm. But it'll hurt.