Internal TA vs Sentinella: do the real math.
Most companies underestimate the true cost of their in-house TA team — salaries, tools, manager time. Compare in numbers against Sentinella.
Your assumptions
Similar profiles (e.g. engineers, finance analysts)
Typical base salary for these roles, in CAD
We automatically apply a 25% benefits load (taxes, benefits, equipment)
LinkedIn Recruiter (~$14k) + ATS (~$7k) + sourcing/assessment tools
Time spent on recruiting (interviews, debriefs, calibration)
Fully-loaded hourly cost (salary + benefits ÷ working hours)
Market standard: 18% to 30% of annual salary. Adjust if you have a negotiated rate.
An estimate for your simulation. Contact us for an exact rate based on your roles and volume.
Annual cost comparison
Internal TA team
Loaded salary + tools + manager time
$134 600
TPAAS
Monthly retainer × 12
$72 000
Per-placement
Fee on every hire
$176 000
You save
per year by delegating to Sentinella (best-fit option)
Over 3 years, the gap widens to $187 800
Internal cost breakdown
- Loaded recruiter (salary × 1.25)
- $100 000
- Annual tools (LinkedIn, ATS, sourcing)
- $25 000
- InternalVsSentinella.breakdownManagerTime
- $9 600
- Annual total
- $134 600
When internal TA still wins
This calculator isn't designed to sell you — it's designed to show the real cost. Here are the cases where an in-house TA team remains the right choice:
- Volume exceeds 25 hires per year of similar profiles
- Roles requiring deep sector knowledge an external firm won't have
- Absolute confidentiality that prevents any external sharing
- An existing internal team with unused capacity
Assumptions used
- Recruiter benefits load: 25% of salary (benefits, taxes, equipment, training).
- Tool costs: LinkedIn Recruiter ≈ $14k/year + ATS ≈ $7k/year + sourcing/assessment ≈ $4k/year in Quebec.
- TPAAS retainer based on your estimate (adjust the slider). Contact us for an exact rate based on your typical roles and volume.
- Manager time uses fully-loaded hourly cost. An internal recruiter doesn't eliminate this time entirely.
Ready to compare for real?
15 minutes to calibrate Sentinella on your typical roles. No commitment.
Every candidate presented is measured, not guessed.
We calibrate to your role
Job analysis, not a job description — we define what success in this role actually requires, before we screen anyone.
Signals, measured the same way
Résumé, structured interview, work sample, references — every candidate read against the same criteria.
Two scores
Performance fit and retention fit — because a hire that leaves costs you twice.
A verified match
Every candidate scored against your role — measured, explained, and human-verified.