The verdict in three sentences
The website of an executive search firm specialising in CFOs and financial controllers must convert two audiences at once: business leaders who hand over a search and finance professionals looking for their next role. With fees of 20 to 25 % of first-year base salary, a single extra assignment a year pays for the redesign, budgeted with Kolonell at 800,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA (1,220 to 5,340 EUR) depending on the Starter, Growth or Premium tier. The site launches in 6 to 9 weeks, with job feeds to LinkedIn and Indeed and CV handling that complies with GDPR or local privacy law.
Two distinct journeys on one site
A CEO of a mid-sized company looking for a CFO wants to know within a minute whether the firm knows their sector, how many comparable placements it has made, the average time to present a shortlist and what guarantee it offers if the hire leaves during probation. A financial controller in post wants to see live roles, understand how confidential the process is and apply without creating yet another account.
The site must split the two entry points clearly from the home page, then adapt content and forms. Mixing both messages loses both audiences.
| Element | Client journey | Candidate journey |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | Finance leadership specialists, shortlist in 3 to 4 weeks | Confidential CFO, finance director and controller roles |
| Proof | Placements by sector, 12-month retention rate | Anonymised testimonials, typical salaries |
| Key content | Search method, replacement guarantee | 40 to 80 roles published a year, filterable |
| Form | Search brief (role, salary band, urgency) | 2-minute application with LinkedIn import |
| Sensitive data | Confidential search | CVs kept 2 years with consent |
| Tracked metric | Search briefs received | Qualified applications per role |
Budget, timeline and options in 2026
The 2026 orders of magnitude for a recruitment firm's website depend mostly on the jobs module: simple postings, or a real job board with feeds to job sites and application tracking.
| Option | Budget | Timeline | Jobs module and LinkedIn or Indeed feed | CV privacy handling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | 3,000 to 6,000 EUR or USD | 6 to 10 weeks | Jobs as simple pages | To be built |
| Specialist agency | 8,000 to 20,000 EUR or USD | 10 to 16 weeks | Yes | Yes |
| ATS software with careers page | 150 to 600 EUR or USD per month | 2 to 4 weeks | Yes, but limited design | Yes |
| Kolonell Starter | 800,000 to 1,200,000 FCFA (1,220 to 1,830 EUR) | 6 weeks | Published roles, form application | Consent and retention shown |
| Kolonell Growth | 1,200,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA (1,830 to 3,050 EUR) | 7 to 8 weeks | Filterable roles and XML feed to job sites | Automatic purge at 2 years |
| Kolonell Premium | 2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA (3,050 to 5,340 EUR) | 8 to 9 weeks | Full job board, candidate alerts, job SEO | Purge, export and access requests |
Growth covers most firms of 3 to 10 consultants. If you already use an ATS, the site can pull its roles by feed instead of duplicating data entry. The site's languages are set in the quote, which matters for cross-border searches or international groups.
Privacy: what regulators expect from a recruitment firm
A firm receiving CVs processes personal data that is sometimes sensitive (current salary, reason for leaving). In France the CNIL recommends keeping an unsuccessful candidate's data for no more than 2 years after last contact unless they explicitly agree, and UK and EU rules follow similar logic. The site must show clear information under each form, collect consent for storage in the database, let candidates exercise their rights by email and purge applications when they expire. An automatic purge prevents oversights and signals seriousness to senior candidates, who care a great deal about confidentiality.
Mini case study
Claire founded a 4-consultant executive search firm focused on finance roles. Placing a CFO at 110,000 EUR base salary earns her a 22 % fee.
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- Fee on one placement: 110,000 x 22 % = 24,200 EUR.
- Her current site brings 2 search briefs a quarter. She targets 5 a quarter with a dedicated client journey and sector pages (manufacturing, retail, healthcare).
- At a 30 % win rate, she moves from 0.6 to 1.5 assignments a quarter, about 3.6 more assignments a year.
- Cost of a Growth site: 3,050 EUR at most, plus 114 EUR a month of maintenance.
A single extra assignment covers the investment almost 8 times over.
FAQ
Do we need a built-in job board or an ATS?
An ATS costs 150 to 600 EUR or USD a month as a 2026 order of magnitude and handles tracking well, but its careers page stays generic. A custom site connected to the ATS by feed combines brand image and efficiency.
How do we publish roles on LinkedIn and Indeed automatically?
The site generates an XML feed of live roles, read by Indeed and job aggregators. LinkedIn accepts feed-based posting for recruiter accounts; otherwise posting stays manual at about 5 minutes per role.
How long should we keep candidates' CVs?
The French CNIL guideline is 2 years after last contact for an unsuccessful candidate, and other European regulators apply similar limits. Beyond that, fresh explicit consent is needed.
Can we publish confidential roles?
Yes, by anonymising the client (sector, size, region) and showing a salary band, for example 90,000 to 120,000 EUR. Roles with a salary band attract noticeably more qualified applications.
How long does launch take?
Allow 6 to 9 weeks, including 1 to 2 weeks to write sector pages and approve privacy notices. Migrating existing roles usually takes 1 day.
Let's scope your project. Tell us about your specialities, your volume of roles and your candidate tracking tool, and we will define the scope and a 6 to 9 week schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
