Redesign vs Rebuild for a Recruitment Agency Website in Montréal (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

If your current site shows job postings typed in by hand and loses candidates on mobile, a visual redesign will not fix it: you need a rebuild with synced job feeds and a candidate portal. A redesign (CAD 4,500 to 9,000) still makes sense when the technical base is sound, jobs already flow from your ATS, and only the look has aged. Beyond 25 active postings a month, or two recruiters retyping ads, a rebuild (CAD 15,000 to 32,000) usually pays for itself in under 18 months.

Redesign or rebuild: what each option really changes

A placement agency in Montréal runs on two flows: client companies that hand over roles, and candidates who apply. The site has to serve both. Many agency sites built between 2017 and 2021 run on a WordPress install loaded with plugins, jobs copied from the ATS, and an application form that asks for a Word CV. On a phone, that form drives people away.

In Québec there is an extra constraint. Since Bill 96 (Charter of the French Language, as amended), a commercial website aimed at Québec must be available in French, and the French version must be at least as complete and accessible as any other language. Job postings published for Québec roles must exist in French too. A rebuild is the moment to structure this properly, with a true FR/EN architecture rather than a translation plugin bolted on.

A redesign keeps the structure, CMS and URLs. You change the visual identity, templates, homepage and a few journeys. A rebuild reworks the architecture: jobs synced from the ATS (API or XML feed), indexable role and industry pages, three-click applications, a candidate portal with alerts, and a client area for employers.

Signals that call for a rebuild

Before signing, run a 30-minute audit with your team. Each signal below costs time or candidates. Three or more, and a redesign becomes a band-aid.

Sync is the heart of it. Common ATS platforms used by Canadian agencies (Bullhorn, JobAdder, Recruit CRM, Crelate) expose either an API or an XML feed. The connector typically accounts for CAD 3,000 to 6,500 of the total budget and removes double entry for good. On privacy, Québec's Law 25 requires clear consent, a stated retention period for CVs and an easy way for candidates to delete their profile.

How to scope the budget without overpaying

For a rebuild, split the quote into work packages. Core (design, templates, role pages, FR/EN): CAD 7,500 to 13,000. ATS connector: CAD 3,000 to 6,500. Candidate portal with alerts: CAD 3,500 to 7,500. Employer area (job request, tracking): CAD 2,000 to 5,000. You can ship the first two packages in 6 weeks and add the portals later. Also plan 301 redirects for old job URLs, or you lose your SEO history.

Mini case study

Marc, founder of a Montréal placement agency focused on IT and engineering, has 4 recruiters and posts about 40 jobs a month in French and English. Each job takes 15 minutes to retype on the site, so 10 hours a month. At a loaded cost of CAD 60 an hour, that is CAD 600 a month, or CAD 7,200 a year. His form loses about 55% of mobile candidates.

He picks a CAD 24,000 rebuild: core, ATS connector and candidate portal. Direct saving on data entry: CAD 7,200 a year. With a simpler mobile form he expects 15 more qualified applications a month. If one in fifty leads to a placement billed at CAD 12,000 on average, that is about 3.6 extra placements a year, close to CAD 43,000 in fees. Even halving that estimate, the project pays back in under 12 months.

FAQ

How long does it take to rebuild a recruitment agency website?

Allow 6 to 12 weeks depending on whether you add a candidate portal and an employer area. The ATS connector alone takes 1 to 2 weeks of development and testing.

Can we keep our current ATS?

Yes, in most cases. If your ATS exposes an API or an XML feed, the site plugs into it and jobs refresh every 15 to 60 minutes.

Does Bill 96 really apply to our website?

If you do business in Québec, your commercial site must be available in French with a version at least equivalent to the English one. Budget about 10 to 15% of the project for proper bilingual structure and translation review.

What happens to old job URLs?

They are 301-redirected to the matching role page. For an agency with 2,000 past postings, the redirect work takes 1 to 3 days.

What does Law 25 require for the candidate portal?

Explicit consent, a stated retention period (24 months in practice), and access and deletion rights in one click. These add little cost when written into the specification from day one.

Let's scope your project. Send us your ATS, your monthly job volume and your current site URL, and we will tell you whether a redesign is enough or a rebuild is needed, with a week-by-week plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.