Modeling Cost per Placed Candidate: Credits Inside Staffing Margins
Modeling cost per placed candidate: credits inside staffing margins – found-only Credit B, soft mesh, and INR packs that fit boutique placement math.
Staffing margins die in the fog between pasted URLs and placed candidates. A clearer model starts from found outcomes – then folds credits into contribution margin.
Invenitor is Connecting people; a lookup API, not a sales cloud. Soft mesh coverage varies – we do not publish hit-rate percentages.
Cost model parent: Seat Subscriptions vs Pay-Per-Lookup Credits – A Cost Model. Free-plan traps: The Hidden Cost of "Free Plan" Enrichment Tools. Pack sizing: 25 to 1,000 Credits. No-monthly: No Monthly Plan Contact Enrichment.
The unit that matters
| Unit | Why it misleads | Better unit |
|---|---|---|
| Per seat / month | Taxes quiet logins | Found contact outcome |
| Per pasted URL | Ignores soft mesh | Found outcomes per JD |
Under Credit B you spend when we return an email, a phone, or both. Timeouts and errors do not spend. Primer: What Are API Credits in Enrichment Products?. Definition: What Is Pay-Per-Lookup Pricing?.
Margin sketch (illustrative, not a hit-rate claim)
Suppose a boutique placement fee is ₹X. Recruiting cost includes sourcer time, screens, and enrichment. Enrichment cost ≈ (found contacts used on that JD) × (INR per credit).
India desk frame: India Boutique IT Staffing, Screening Calls Faster, Agency Desk Playbook. Partner benches: Partner Bench Sharing.
Where seats distort the model
If three partners each need a login, seat tax multiplies before anyone finds a phone. Shared prepaid packs keep enrichment proportional to found work – Pay-As-You-Go Contact APIs, /pricing. US buyers comparing INR: US Price Arbitrage.
Operating discipline inside the margin
- Sample the free signup credits on your shortlist before sizing a pack.
- Keep CRM seats if needed; move enrichment to credits – Contact Lookup API vs CRM vs Sequencer.
Commercial India: INR Credit Packs, UPI to API Key, Razorpay, UPI, Cards, Wallets. Trust: Trust Checklist.
Agents and margin
Copilots that look up via MCP still spend from the same Credit B pool – /mcp.md, Building a Recruiting Copilot, MCP for Recruiting Agents.
What should you do next?
Pick one recent placement. Count found contacts actually used. Multiply by your credit feel on /pricing. Compare to the seat line you paid last quarter. Read /docs for the find contract.
Sample week math (not a hit-rate claim)
Paste 50 person URLs; suppose 22 return email/phone. Under Credit B you spend 22 – not 50. Timeouts and errors do not spend. Primer: What Are API Credits. Definition: What Is Pay-Per-Lookup Pricing?. Trust: Trust Checklist. Hub: LinkedIn or GitHub Profile URL → Contact Lookup API. Packs: 25 to 1,000 Credits. Commercial: INR Credit Packs, Razorpay, UPI, Cards, Wallets. Desks: Partner Bench Sharing, Agency Desk Playbook. Agents: /mcp.md, Building a Recruiting Copilot. /docs · /pricing. Credit B: 1 credit only when we return an email, a phone, or both. Timeouts and errors do not spend.
Finance FAQ attachment
Attach Credit B verbatim to every enrichment PO. Seat contrast: Seat Subscriptions vs Pay-Per-Lookup Credits.
Questions
When does a credit spend?
1 credit only when we return an email, a phone, or both. Timeouts and errors do not spend.
How do I model cost per placed candidate?
Count found contacts used on that JD × INR per credit.
Why not divide seat cost by placements?
Seats tax logins whether or not finds succeed.
Does soft mesh break margin math?
No – it clarifies it.
What pack size should a boutique desk start with?
Sample the free signup credits, then choose between 25 and 1,000 based on found history – see the pack-size post.
Where do I buy?
/pricing for INR packs; /docs to run finds; Razorpay/UPI path in commercial posts.
How does partner bench sharing affect margins?
Share one credit pool and log found outcomes by desk so partners split cost fairly.
More in this cluster
From 5 Free Lookups to First Paid Pack: Onboarding Without Dark Patterns
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Global Teams Buying India-Priced APIs: Compliance Mindset (Not Legal Advice)
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