Crestline Recruitment Partners

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about our services.

What do you charge to fill a permanent role?

Contingency placement is 14 percent of the candidate's first-year package with a minimum fee of AED 18,000, invoiced only when someone actually starts. Retained search is AED 24,000 per assignment plus 8 percent on placement. Contract and temporary staff are billed at an 18 percent markup on the monthly cost.

What is the difference between contingency and retained?

On contingency you pay nothing until a hire starts, and we run the role alongside other assignments. Retained means the AED 24,000 is split three ways — on signature, on shortlist delivery and on start date — and buys exclusivity, a fully mapped market and a named consultant. Roles above AED 35,000 a month, and any confidential replacement, we take on retained terms only.

How long until I see candidates?

Shortlists of three to five interviewed candidates land within ten working days of a signed brief, and often inside a week for finance and logistics roles where our bench is deep. Niche technical searches take three to four weeks. We send a progress note every Wednesday until the role closes.

Which sectors do you actually recruit in?

Finance and accounting, construction and MEP, logistics and supply chain, hospitality management, and commercial roles across energy services. We place from coordinator level up to country manager. We do not handle domestic staff, medical licensing roles or offshore crew, and we will tell you rather than take a brief we cannot serve.

Do you guarantee the hire?

If a permanent placement resigns or is terminated within ninety days of starting, we run the search again once at no fee. The guarantee needs the invoice settled on terms and the role to be substantially unchanged. It covers one replacement per placement, not a refund.

How do you screen candidates before I see them?

Every shortlisted person is interviewed by a consultant rather than filtered by keyword, reference-checked with two previous employers, and verified for visa status, notice period and salary expectation. You receive a written summary with each CV covering motivation and the earliest realistic start date. Nothing reaches you that has not been spoken to that week.

I am a candidate — how do I register?

Book a 30-minute registration interview through this chat and bring your CV, passport and visa page, and your two most recent reference contacts. Registration is always free for candidates; we are paid by employers only. Saturday morning slots are available between 9:00am and 1:00pm by appointment.

Can you tell me what a role should pay?

The salary benchmarking session is AED 3,500 and comes with a written report covering base, allowances and total package across comparable Abu Dhabi and Dubai employers. It runs 45 minutes and is useful before you advertise rather than after. The fee is non-refundable once we have pulled the data.

Where are you and can we meet?

Level 6, Al Danah Tower, two streets back from the Corniche in Abu Dhabi, open Sunday to Thursday 8:30am to 6:00pm. Briefings can equally be held at your office or over video. Validate at reception for two free hours of visitor parking.