“But how do I know you won’t push the salary up just to earn more?”

The question came from a long-time client who worked with us for more than a year and a half and reached out to us again last week.

In the middle of the conversation, when we explained that our billing model is simple — one salary per position — he raised this doubt.

And we get it. The recruitment market is full of noise. Many companies charge a commission on the salary and, yes, it can seem like the higher the salary, the better for the recruiter.

But Catena doesn't work that way. And this client, in fact, is the best example of that.

He didn't come back because we pushed a high salary last time. He came back because the process worked. Because we delivered the right candidates, at the right time.

Our intention was never, and will never be, to profit from the positions we fill. We charge a fixed fee per position, equivalent to one salary, which is in line with the market average. But we deliver with differentiators that almost no one offers: candidates within 72 hours and a 6-month replacement guarantee.

A return business, not a margin business

The logic behind this is simple: our business is about return, not margin.

What we want most is for the company to fill the position. And for that, it's essential that the salary is aligned with the market.

• If it's below market, the position stalls. No one clicks, no one applies.
• If it's above market, it may attract more candidates — but with a huge risk of profile, expectation, or fit misalignment.

We don't profit when the salary goes up. We profit when the position is filled. When the client succeeds — and comes back.

Catena's success isn't in individual placements. It's in building lasting partnerships. We don't want to be the company that solves that one difficult position. We want to be the first choice every time any position comes up.