Frequently asked questions
Good questions. Straight answers.
How the fractional model works, what’s included, and what to expect when you work with Moonshot.
Talk through your questionsWhat is a fractional recruiter, and how is it different from a traditional recruiting agency?
A fractional recruiter is a senior recruiting professional who works with your company on a part-time, on-demand basis, delivering strategic oversight and tactical execution without the cost of a full-time hire or traditional agency fees.
How Fractional Recruiting Works:
Turn it on when you're hiring: Month-to-month retainers or project-based engagements.
Turn it off when you're not: No long-term contracts or minimum commitments.
Full tech stack included: LinkedIn Recruiter, ATS/CRM, AI workflows, sourcing tools—at zero extra cost.
Strategic + tactical: Senior-level strategy (role scoping, interview design) + hands-on candidate sourcing.
Does using AI in recruiting lower the quality of candidates?
No, when used correctly, AI improves both quality and speed.
Here's how we use AI at Moonshot Consulting (and why it makes recruiting better, not worse):
What AI Does:
✅ Semantic search: Finds candidates with adjacent skills (e.g., "customer success experience" matches "account management")
✅ Automated outreach: Sends personalized InMails and emails at scale (20-30% response rates)
✅ Resume parsing: Eliminates manual data entry, speeds up screening
✅ Diversity optimization: Expands candidate pools beyond "traditional" backgrounds
What AI Doesn't Do:
❌ Make final hiring decisions
❌ Replace human judgment in interviews
❌ Write generic, robotic job descriptions
❌ Ignore cultural fit or soft skills
The Moonshot Approach:
AI handles volume (sourcing 100+ candidates per role)
Humans handle judgment (curating the top 20-50 for you to interview)
Result: You see more qualified candidates in less time
Real Example:
For a Series B SaaS client hiring a VP of Sales, our AI workflows sourced 87 candidates in 10 days. After human curation, we presented 12 finalists. The client hired one within 45 days—saving 30+ hours of manual sourcing.
What are the advantages of a fractional recruiter over a traditional agency?
The advantage is a shift from a transactional vendor to a strategic partner.
Aligned Incentives: Agencies profit from filling a role quickly (the success fee). We profit from being a long-term, trusted extension of your team, focused on the quality and fit of every hire.
Cost Predictability & Savings: Replace shocking 5-figure placement fees with a predictable investment, saving 50-80% per hire.
Holistic Partnership: We invest in understanding your company culture and long-term goals. We help with role scoping, interview process design, and employer branding—services rarely offered by agencies focused on immediate fills.
Full Transparency: You have direct access to your recruiter and visibility into the process. No "black box" sourcing or communication delays.
What ATS and CRM systems does Moonshot Consulting work with?
We are platform-agnostic and designed for flexibility. Our standalone recruiting tech stack operates independently, giving us maximum efficiency and security. However, we know visibility in your system is important.
Our standard process is to provide you with clean, organized candidate reports and data packets. For clients who prefer a more integrated workflow, we can seamlessly funnel candidate profiles, status updates, and notes into your ATS of choice.
We have direct experience and established workflows for:
Greenhouse
Lever
Ashby
Workable
Bullhorn
Using a different platform? No problem. We adapt our process to ensure you have clear visibility and the candidate data you need, without adding technical complexity to your plate.
How does Moonshot Consulting's fractional recruiting pricing work?
Our pricing is built for simplicity and alignment. We move away from confusing hourly rates or shocking agency fees to a model that matches your actual hiring needs.
We offer two primary structures:
Monthly Retainer: A predictable flat fee for a dedicated block of our senior recruiter's time and strategic oversight. Ideal for ongoing hiring needs or multiple roles.
Project Fee: A fixed price for a specific, scoped hiring project (e.g., "Fill this Director of Engineering role"). Perfect for defined, one-off needs.
In both models, you get: Our full tech stack, senior expertise, and strategic partnership at zero extra cost. During your free consultation, we'll diagnose your needs and recommend the pricing model that provides the greatest value and clarity for your hiring plan.
Does Moonshot Consulting only work with companies in Washington DC, or do you recruit nationally?
We recruit nationally. While our roots are in DC, our model is built for the modern, remote-enabled workforce. We have successfully placed candidates across the United States in roles from individual contributors to C-suite executives.
Our fractional model is especially effective for:
Tech startups with distributed teams.
Growing companies are seeking talent outside their immediate geography.
Organizations building remote-first or hybrid cultures.
Location is not a limit; finding the right talent is.
Still have a specific question? We’re here to give you a clear, direct answer.