HR recruitment agency for HR directors

A third of the people we work with are HR directors or HR managers: 34% to be exact. They hand us the company’s most exposed hires, in sales, marketing and leadership. Archetype is a Belgian recruitment agency founded in 1993 that specialises in these profiles and works alongside your HR team rather than replacing it. Assignments run on a retainer, with fees agreed before the start in a written proposal, take 12 weeks on average and carry a 6-month replacement guarantee. If you are looking for an HR profile, such as an HR business partner or a payroll officer, we will tell you plainly that it is not our specialism.

An HR director and a recruitment consultant reviewing a candidate file in an office — HR keeps the decision; the agency prepares the files and assesses candidates.

What an HR director can hand over to us

Sales and management roles are where a bad hire costs you fastest: revenue, clients, team morale. They are also the roles we have worked on for 33 years.

Sales: Sales Director, Account Manager, Business Developer, Sales Engineer.
Management: CEO, Country Manager, Managing Director, Segment Director, Sales Manager.
Marketing: Marketing Manager, Marketing Officer, Communication Officer, BI Analyst.

All our recruitment services are described on our recruitment page.

What if you need an HR profile?

We would rather say it here than after three weeks of searching: HR profiles are not our specialism. For clients we already work with, we sometimes take on internal or support roles because we know their organisation. For a one-off HR hire, an agency specialised in HR roles will do a better job. Nor is Archetype an HR consultancy in the broad sense: we do not handle payroll, employment law or employment declarations.

Who does what between your HR team and Archetype

A clear split avoids duplicated work and slow sign-offs. Here is what we deliver at each stage, and what stays in your hands.

Division of roles during a recruitment assignment
Stage	What Archetype delivers	What you decide
First call	Questions on the role, context and salary range; written proposal within 48 to 72 hours	Whether to launch the assignment
Preparation (12 days on average)	Summary of the need, open questions, employer branding proposal, role scorecard, sourcing strategy	Approve the scorecard and strategy
Search and screening	Approaching candidates, in-depth interviews, KOAN personality test	Stay available for key trade-offs
Presentation	Candidate files with scorecard, interview transcripts and validated job description	Choose who to meet, then the finalist
Hire and onboarding	Follow-up over the first three months; 6-month replacement guarantee	Welcome and integrate the new hire

We support clients and candidates before, during and after the hire. Not out of courtesy: by design. The first three months of a sales or management hire shape what happens for the next three years. If onboarding fails, the placement is lost, regardless of how good the sourcing was. That’s why our support doesn’t stop at contract signing. It’s also why our clients come back: they aren’t signing for a recruitment, they’re signing for a long-term partnership.
The Archetype method, since 1993

Assessment and training: two more levers for HR

HR directors face more than hiring questions. We also assess skills in three situations: getting an objective view of a team, preparing an internal promotion, or securing a hire by assessing the finalists. Each assessment combines an in-depth interview, role-plays or a case study, a competency analysis and the KOAN test, which we have used for thirty years. Formats last one, two or three hours and cost between €1,500 and €3,000. See assessment for recruitment.

For managers already in post, our management training covers feedback, coaching, performance reviews and leading change.

Fees, timelines and guarantees

Our fees are agreed before the start and set out in the written proposal you sign. We work on a retainer only, never on a success fee: you commit to the assignment and we see it through. More than 75 to 80% of our assignments are carried through to completion. Allow 12 weeks on average between signing the assignment and the candidate signing. We follow onboarding over the first three months, and a 6-month replacement guarantee applies. Archetype is a member of Federgon and won Talent Business Innovation of the Year 2025.

Before launching an assignment, our article on the top 5 recruitment mistakes even experienced HR directors still make works as a checklist. If your need spans recruitment, assessment and training, see our consulting and recruitment agency page.

About Archetype

Archetype is a Belgian family business founded in 1993 by Marc Diamant and now co-managed with Davy Diamant and Steve Diamant. A member of Federgon, it won Talent Business Innovation of the Year 2025 for its ethical and structured use of AI.

Frequently asked questions about working with an HR recruitment agency

What is an HR recruitment agency?

The term covers two things: an agency that recruits on behalf of a company’s HR function, or an agency specialised in HR roles. Archetype is the first kind: we work with HR to recruit sales, marketing and leadership roles.

Do you recruit HR managers or HR business partners?

It is not our specialism. We sometimes do it for clients we already work with. For a one-off HR hire, an agency specialised in HR roles will do a better job.

What is the difference between a recruitment agency and an HR consultancy?

An HR consultancy helps organise the HR function: pay policy, payroll, employment law, processes. A recruitment agency finds and assesses candidates. Archetype recruits, assesses and trains, but does not advise on payroll or employment law.

How much does a recruitment with Archetype cost?

The fee is agreed before the start in a written proposal sent within 48 to 72 hours of the first call. It depends on the seniority of the role, the languages required and the complexity of the assignment. It includes the 6-month replacement guarantee.

How do you work with the in-house HR team?

HR approves the scorecard and sourcing strategy, chooses which candidates to meet and makes the final decision. We run the search, assess the candidates and follow the first three months.