A business you run with AI

Start a niche recruiting agency while you keep your day job

Companies in your niche are always fighting to hire the right people. Actionist searches LinkedIn, screens the applicants and schedules every interview while you sign employer clients and close the placements.

Actionist does the sourcing, screening and scheduling. You run the relationships and close the deals.

Your AI workforce
$6,000+per placement, you set it
$144,000a year at 2 placements a month
6phases Actionist runs

Every sector has hard-to-fill roles. Marketing leaders in SaaS, engineers in fintech, nurses in private clinics, project managers in construction. Employers pay placement fees of ten to twenty-five percent of first-year salary to find the right person fast. Starting a niche recruiting agency the old way means cold-calling hundreds of candidates, managing a complex ATS by hand and spending every spare hour on LinkedIn. Actionist changes that. It is an AI agent that operates real apps the way a person does, so it can search LinkedIn, parse CVs, score candidates against job requirements, draft outreach messages and schedule calls with your shortlist, all running while you keep your day job.

You do not need years of recruiting experience or a full contact book to start a niche recruiting agency with AI. You bring the judgment to close deals and the persistence to sign employer clients. Actionist runs the sourcing, screening and scheduling machinery so you can carry more live roles than any solo recruiter could manage and still be home for dinner.

start a niche recruiting agencyniche recruiting agency with AIAI candidate sourcingrecruiting business from homemake money placing candidates
01

Your opportunity

The opportunity

Why this works

In most niches, a single permanent placement earns a fee of three to twenty thousand depending on the role and seniority. A recruiter who closes two or three placements a month without carrying headcount is running a very strong side income from a laptop.

Because Actionist runs the candidate research and scheduling machinery in the background, you can hold more live roles than a solo recruiter normally could. Volume becomes a real competitive advantage without the usual burn.

What matters to you
  • Placement fees are large
    A permanent placement in most niches earns 15 to 25 percent of first-year salary. Two placements a month adds up to a serious secondary income.
  • Niche focus builds trust
    Employers return to a recruiter who knows their market. One good placement regularly becomes three.
  • Candidates are already on LinkedIn
    The hard part is the volume work of finding, screening and scheduling, which is exactly what Actionist does in the background.
  • No office and no staff needed
    You need a laptop, an ATS, and Actionist doing the prospecting, screening and scheduling. Nothing else is required to start.
Your projection

Run your own numbers

Your projection

Set the numbers, see the picture

Price per placement
$6,000
placements a month
2
Per month
$12,000
Per year
$144K

Illustrative, based on the numbers you enter. Some clients pay a monthly retainer for ongoing searches.

Getting started

What it actually takes to start

Most people assume running a recruiting agency means a team, an office, years of industry contacts and expensive software. Actionist does the heavy sourcing and scheduling work, so the barrier to start is far lower than that.

What you don't need
  • Years of recruiting experience
    Actionist handles the sourcing mechanics. You learn the niche, not the trade.
  • A full candidate database to start
    Actionist builds the pipeline from LinkedIn and job boards from day one.
  • An office or dedicated desk
  • Expensive ATS software
    Breezy HR and Recruitee have free tiers Actionist can operate on your behalf.
  • To quit your current job
    The candidate pipeline runs in the background around your day job hours.
What you bring
  • A niche you understand
    Even surface knowledge of a market helps you brief Actionist and close employers.
  • A few evenings a week
    Mostly approving shortlists, taking a call and reviewing what Actionist found.
  • A laptop and Actionist
    That is the complete setup.

If you can describe the kind of role you want to fill and the type of company that hires for it, Actionist can start building the candidate pipeline.

02

How Actionist works

How it works

How Actionist builds the business

You do not run the day-to-day of this business. Actionist does. Here is how it works on any business idea, applied to a niche recruiting agency: you pick the niche, the agent plans every task, then works through them and brings you the few moments that need a human.

  1. 01

    You pick the niche and your limits

    You choose the sector, the role types you will fill, your fee rate and how many live searches you want to carry each week. That is the only heavy thinking you do upfront. Everything after this, Actionist plans and runs around your schedule.

    A clear brief Actionist can plan and work against.
  2. 02

    Actionist maps every task and subtask

    Actionist breaks the whole business into a plan: the stages to launch, the tasks under each stage and the subtasks under each task. You see the full scope in one place, from setting up the ATS to invoicing your first placement.

    A complete task plan for the business.
  3. 03

    It sources and screens candidates in the background

    Actionist searches LinkedIn for candidates who fit the live role criteria, scores their CVs, sends screening questionnaires and builds a ranked shortlist, working through the queue while you are at your job.

    A scored shortlist ready for your review.
  4. 04

    It assigns you the human-only tasks

    Some tasks only a person can do: taking the employer discovery call, running the final candidate interview, signing the fee agreement. Actionist routes those to you with everything you need, then carries on with the rest of the plan.

    A short, clear to-do list, just for you.
  5. 05

    It asks before anything that matters

    Before Actionist sends outreach to a candidate, presents a shortlist to an employer or sends a fee agreement, it stops and asks you to approve. You choose how hands-on to be per task.

    You stay in control of every client-facing and money-moving move.
  6. 06

    You keep your day job and check in

    You run this around your current work. Check the board when it suits you, approve what is waiting and message Actionist over Telegram or Slack to adjust anything. The desk moves forward between your check-ins.

    A recruiting desk that grows around your schedule.
Your agent team

Actionist is your whole team

You are one person. Actionist is the whole team. Here is every role it plays to run the recruiting desk, and the one part of each that stays with you.

~55 hrs/week of work by hand, run by your agents instead

Plan the desk

turns your niche idea into a launch plan

Before anything goes live, your assistant breaks the whole business into stages, tasks and subtasks so you see the full scope in one place.

If you did this by hand
Research how to position a new recruiting deskList every step to sign the first clientSet your fee rate and guarantee termsBuild a tracker to follow the whole pipelineRe-prioritise as clients and roles come in
~5 hrs/ week
researching the steps, setting the strategy and keeping the plan live.3 days a month you do not have, handled for you.
What your agent does
One planevery stage, task and subtask mapped
Day onescoped before you sign a single client
  • Map every task
    Breaks the business into stages and the tasks under each, from registering to closing your first placement.
  • Set the sequence
    Orders the work so each stage starts as soon as the one before it is done.
  • Keep the plan live
    Re-plans around your pace and updates the board as roles and clients come in.
Your part

You set the niche, the fee rate and the hours you can give. That is the only strategic thinking you do.

Apps your agent could useSee full Actionist App Store →
03

Your task plan

The task centre

Every task it takes, and who does it

This is the plan Actionist builds to launch the desk and fill the first roles: every stage, task and subtask. The work is split across your Actionist agents, from sourcing candidates to closing placements. Only a few tasks and approvals are left to you.

30 tasks·91 subtasks
Actionist 24You 2Approval 4Actionist handles ~80%
Done
Executive Agent
Research the most in-demand niches for your background
Done
Pick three to five role types you will focus on
Done
Write a one-line description of your specialist area
Done
Done
Technical Agent
Create a free account in Breezy HR or Recruitee
Done
Set up pipeline stages for candidates
Done
Build a placement and fee tracker in Google Sheets
Done
Done
Executive Agent
In progress
Operations Agent
To do
You

An example plan Actionist builds for this business. Yours adapts to your niche, your fee rate and your pace.

Under the hood

What one automation looks like

Trigger·You mark a candidate shortlist as ready to present in your placement tracker.
Confirmation
Step 3
Human
You review the shortlist and approve it for sending to the employer
Saved per run
~2 hrs
Runs / week
~3×
Shortlist presented and follow-up set in one approved step.
04

The payoff

Your week

All it asks of you

Here is what a week looks like once the desk is running. Your agents work the candidate pipeline every day. You step in for a handful of moments, the ones that require your judgment, and the rest of your week stays yours.

You
A couple of hours

across the whole week, on your own time

5 touchpoints · about 85 min all week

Your agents
Every day

sourcing, screening, scheduling and following up in the background

7 jobs running in the background

Your team
Your full team runs in the background, every day.
  • Approve this week's employer outreach10 min
    mon · A quick yes before the agent sends.
  • Take one employer discovery call30 min
    wed · The agent booked it and briefed you.
  • Review and approve the candidate shortlist15 min
    thu · Final look before it goes to the client.
  • Reply to one candidate question10 min
    fri · The agent flagged it; you handle it.
  • Skim the weekly desk review20 min
    sun · What was placed, what is live, what is next.
Your team, every day
  • SA
    Sales Agent
    Researches companies with open roles and drafts outreach to hiring managers
  • DA
    Developer Agent
    Searches LinkedIn for matching candidates and adds them to the ATS
  • TA
    Technical Agent
    Reviews CVs against job specs and scores each candidate for the shortlist
  • RA
    Reception Agent
    Books employer calls and coordinates interview slots for both sides
  • SA
    Support Agent
    Sends status updates to pipeline candidates and answers their questions
  • CA
    CRM Agent
    Keeps the ATS and employer records current as candidates move through each stage
  • OA
    Operations Agent
    Prepares fee agreements and placement invoices when each placement is confirmed
The payoff

What you walk away with

  • No cold searching
    You never spend hours on LinkedIn
    Actionist sources candidates from LinkedIn and job boards so prospecting the pipeline is never on your personal to-do list.
  • Around your job
    Run the pipeline while employed
    The sourcing, screening and scheduling runs in the background so you can grow the desk without quitting your day job.
  • Fee per placement
    Large one-off fees with no staff costs
    Each confirmed placement earns a percentage of first-year salary, paid by the employer. You set the rate; the fee is yours.
Before and after

Doing it alone vs with Actionist

On your own
~34h / week
every job below lands on you
With Actionist
minutes to review
it runs all 10 in the background
  • 1Finding candidates
    6.5h/wk
    Hours on LinkedIn every day

    You search by hand, check each profile, note the fit and repeat for every live role.

    ActionistOff your plate
    A pool of matched candidates

    Actionist searches LinkedIn by your criteria, scores each profile and adds them to the ATS.

  • 2Screening CVs
    5h/wk
    Reading every application yourself

    You work through each CV by hand, comparing it to the spec and deciding whether to proceed.

    ActionistOff your plate
    A scored shortlist ready to review

    Actionist reviews each CV against your must-have criteria and ranks the pool before you see it.

  • 3Outreach to candidates
    4h/wk
    Cold messaging strangers all week

    You write every first message, personalise it, send it and track who replies.

    ActionistOff your plate
    Drafted outreach, approved and sent

    Actionist writes each message and sends it from your inbox after you approve the batch.

  • 4Scheduling interviews
    3.5h/wk
    Email tag between employer and candidate

    You manually coordinate three sets of availability and go back and forth until a slot lands.

    ActionistOff your plate
    Slots confirmed automatically

    Actionist matches availability, sends the confirmed invite to both sides and handles reschedules.

  • 5Signing employer clients
    4h/wk
    Cold pitching companies yourself

    You find hiring managers by hand, write every intro email and chase the ones who go quiet.

    ActionistOff your plate
    Employer leads, ready to call

    Actionist builds the prospect list and drafts the pitch, so you only spend time on conversations that already replied.

  • 1Candidate status updates
    2h/wk
    Fielding the same update question repeatedly

    Candidates chase you for news and you spend time writing the same holding replies.

    ActionistOff your plate
    Automated updates at each stage

    Actionist sends a status note when a candidate moves stage, so they never need to ask.

  • 2Writing shortlist documents
    2.5h/wk
    Formatting CVs into a presentable pack

    You rewrite each candidate summary from scratch and format the whole thing before every client presentation.

    ActionistOff your plate
    A clean shortlist, ready to send

    Actionist builds the document from the ATS data and your scoring notes, ready for your approval.

  • 3ATS and CRM hygiene
    3h/wk
    Data entry after every interaction

    You update the ATS and CRM manually after every call, email and interview to keep records current.

    ActionistOff your plate
    Records kept current automatically

    Actionist logs every interaction and moves candidates and deals through stages after each event.

  • 4Post-interview follow-up
    2h/wk
    Chasing feedback you keep forgetting

    You remember to chase the hiring manager three days late and lose momentum with candidates waiting to hear.

    ActionistOff your plate
    Timely follow-ups, on schedule

    Actionist sends the feedback request on day one and the nudge on day five so nothing slips.

  • 5Invoicing and contracts
    1.5h/wk
    Admin that waits until you have time

    You draft the fee agreement and invoice after the placement instead of at the right moment, and chase late payments whenever you remember.

    ActionistOff your plate
    Paperwork done on placement

    Actionist prepares the contract and invoice at the right moment, sends them on your approval and flags overdue payments.

That is roughly 34 hours of work handed off every week, while you keep your day job
The tools

The apps Actionist operates

05

Stay in control and start

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Trust and control

You stay in control

This is your agency and your reputation. Actionist asks before anything reaches an employer or a candidate, and it logs every outreach and action so you can see exactly what it did.

You approve client-facing moves

Sending outreach, presenting a shortlist or signing a fee agreement always waits for your yes.

Every message is logged

Each email and message the agent sends is recorded, so you can review the full conversation history at any time.

Your accounts, your relationships

Actionist works inside your own LinkedIn, Gmail and ATS logins. You keep ownership of every contact and every placement.

Choose how hands-on to be

Set approval modes per task, from reviewing every candidate message to letting routine check-in emails run on their own.

FAQ

Questions about this idea

Do I need prior recruiting experience to start a niche recruiting agency with AI?
No. Starting a niche recruiting agency with Actionist means you focus on relationships and closing deals. Actionist handles the sourcing, screening and scheduling mechanics that would otherwise require years of recruiter training.
How does Actionist find candidates?
Actionist searches LinkedIn by the job title, location and seniority criteria you set for each live role. It reviews profiles, notes availability signals and adds the best fits to your ATS. You approve the outreach before anyone receives a message.
Will Actionist contact candidates without me seeing the message first?
No. Actionist drafts each outreach message and sends it from Gmail only after you approve the batch. You stay in control of everything that leaves your inbox.
How much can I charge per placement?
Placement fees in most niches run at 15 to 25 percent of first-year salary. On a role paying forty thousand a year that is six to ten thousand per placement. You set your rate; the fee is yours.
Do I need my own ATS to run this?
Breezy HR and Recruitee both have free tiers Actionist can operate. You do not need to buy enterprise software. Actionist sets up the pipeline stages and keeps records current as candidates move through.
How do I get paid once a placement is confirmed?
Actionist prepares the fee agreement in DocuSign and, once you approve and send it, raises the invoice in Stripe. You approve the invoice before it goes out and the payment link is sent to the employer.
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