For recruitment agencies Retained + contingent search

Win the brief before your competitor
has opened their proposal template.

In recruitment, the first readable proposal wins the seat at the table. Frameboard turns a briefing call into a client-ready retained search proposal in under 10 minutes - with candidate reels, fee schedule, and replacement terms baked in.

Watch 90-second demo
12hrs
the average time between a client briefing and the first proposal landing. In a 3-agency race, the first past 2 hours wins the retainer 61% of the time.
Frameboard survey of 52 UK search + recruitment agencies, 2025.

Briefs don't wait.
Your proposal template shouldn't make them.

Recruitment is won on speed and trust. If you can put a credible, branded, on-message proposal in front of a hiring manager inside two hours, you've already moved ahead of 80% of the market. Here's what that looks like.

Before - retained search proposals today

  • Consultant opens last month's Word doc, replaces the client name
  • Copies over case placements - outdated, no candidate quotes, no role context
  • Fee schedule gets re-typed with typos and inconsistent tiers
  • Sends a 12-page PDF. Client skims the first page. Signs nothing.
  • Loses to the agency that sent something tighter, cleaner, and clickable

After - Frameboard retained search proposal

  • Paste the briefing notes. Proposal drafts itself with the role's shape and sector
  • Relevant placements auto-attach - candidate video reels, placement quotes, timeframes
  • Fee schedule (retainer / shortlist / placement) renders in a clean three-column grid
  • Replacement guarantee, exclusivity terms, reporting cadence - templated and editable in two clicks
  • Client opens a branded page on their phone, signs the engagement, pays the retainer
  • The same link becomes the shared search hub - candidate shortlist + status updates live there

What recruitment agencies ship on Frameboard

Aggregated from our first cohort of retained + contingent recruitment agencies (3-40 consultants).

Time to first proposal
<2hrs
Briefing call to client inbox. Was a full working day.
Retainer conversion
+44%
Higher share of briefs converted into signed retained engagements.
Consultant time saved
11h/wk
Per consultant, per week. Reclaimed from admin + proposal rework.

How a search proposal moves through Frameboard

From brief to signed + invoiced in one flow.

1

Drop in the briefing notes

AI identifies the role, seniority, sector, location, salary band, and must-have skills. Draft proposal lands in under a minute.

2

Catalogue auto-picks recent placements

Relevant past searches with candidate video testimonials, role context, and timeframes attach themselves to the proposal.

3

One branded link to the hiring manager

They read on their phone, see your credibility, sign the engagement and pay the retainer.

4

Hub spins up instantly

Shortlist, candidate pipeline, weekly status, invoices - all in one place. Client checks progress without pinging you.

Our consultants used to spend most of Monday morning writing proposals. Now they spend it calling candidates. Same volume of briefs, 40% more retainers signed.
Head of talent solutions, UK fintech search firm

Questions from recruitment leaders

Do you replace our ATS?

No. Frameboard sits in front of the ATS - it's the proposal + client hub. Your consultants still work the search in Bullhorn, Vincere, Loxo, Workable. We integrate with most of them via webhooks so status updates in your ATS can flow into the client hub automatically.

Can we handle contingent, retained, and RPO differently?

Yes. Each engagement type has its own proposal template, fee structure, and reporting cadence. AI picks the right template when you paste the briefing notes.

How is candidate data handled - GDPR, data processing?

Candidate information stays in your ATS. Frameboard only stores the anonymised placement context you choose to show as case studies. Full DPA on the enterprise plan. Data processed in UK and EU only.

Can the client hub be white-labelled?

Yes. Custom subdomain (client.yoursearchfirm.com), your typography, your logo, your accent colours. Clients never see the word Frameboard.

What about fee billing - do we still invoice from our accounting tool?

Your choice. Frameboard can invoice directly via Stripe (with your branding) and push the invoice to Xero/QuickBooks, or leave billing in your finance team's hands and just trigger the invoice event.

Is this really built for UK recruitment, or is it a US SaaS tool?

Built in the UK. Uses GBP and VAT natively. DPA templated to UK/EU law. Support in UK hours. Founder is in London.

The next brief you win, win it faster.

Free for 14 days. Your next retained search proposal lands in a client's inbox before lunch.