How Overdue Recruitment Fees Quietly Stall Growth 

At first, it doesn’t feel like a problem. One unpaid invoice. Then another. Placements are still being made. Consultants are still billing. But behind the scenes, cash flow tightens and growth slows.

In recruitment, momentum is everything. When fees go unpaid after their due date, that momentum starts to slip. Investment decisions are delayed, hiring plans are paused, pressure builds — often without anyone realising the cause. 

Where Recruitment Fees Start to Go Wrong 

Most overdue recruitment invoices don’t start as disputes. They turn into problems later. 

Common triggers include: 

• A candidate hired directly after introduction 

• A temp-to-perm move where fees are avoided 

• A client suddenly “querying” terms they previously accepted 

• Silence once the invoice becomes due 

Left unchecked, these situations rarely resolve themselves. They harden. 

The Real Cost of Letting Debt Sit 

Unrecovered fees don’t just affect the finance line — they affect people and performance. 

Agencies begin to feel it through: 

• Tight cash flow when it matters most 

• Awkward conversations about delayed commission 

• Growth plans that stall or become reactive 

• Disputes that escalate instead of resolve 

What starts as one unpaid fee can quietly ripple across the business. 

Debt Recovery Built for Recruitment 

Sterling Debt Recovery works with recruitment agencies to recover overdue placement fees — quickly, professionally, and without unnecessary disruption. 

Once invoices fall overdue, we step in to: 

• Take control of recovery communications 

• Deal with ignored or disputed invoices 

• Challenge backdoor hires and fee avoidance 

• Assert contractual entitlement clearly and firmly 

We understand recruitment fee structures, timelines, and tactics and we know how to recover what’s owed while protecting relationships. 

Stop Letting Unpaid Fees Hold You Back 

Every unpaid recruitment fee is revenue you’ve already earned — and growth you shouldn’t have to delay.

Sterling Debt Recovery helps agencies turn overdue invoices into recovered revenue, so you can focus on placements, performance, and scaling with confidence. 

Need a solution like this? You can easily get in touch using our contact form on our website or by calling us at +44 207 1005978.