A general virtual assistant can manage your inbox and your calendar. Recruiting is a different job. A VA who sources on LinkedIn, screens resumes, and keeps your ATS clean needs training that most VA agencies do not build into their default hiring process.
That gap is why “recruiting VA” has become its own category, separate from general admin support. We reviewed 11 staffing agencies that offer this kind of help and ranked them on how well they actually support a hiring process, not just how many tasks they can technically take off your plate.
How We Ranked These Agencies
We scored each agency on five things that actually affect whether a recruiting VA works out:
- Recruiting specialization. Is the VA trained specifically on sourcing and screening, or is recruiting one of twenty tasks a generalist VA is expected to pick up?
- Tools included. Does the rate include sourcing and ATS access, or do you have to buy and hand over your own licenses?
- Pricing transparency. Is the rate published, or do you have to book a call to find out?
- Replacement guarantee. What happens if the VA is not a fit?
- Time zone fit. Can the VA work your business hours, or are you handing off work overnight and waiting a day for answers?
Every agency below was scored the same way. Where a company did not publish a number, we said so instead of guessing.
1. RediRecruit
RediRecruit tops this list for a specific reason: it is the only agency here that runs recruiting as its core business first and sells VA support as an extension of that, rather than the other way around. Most of the companies further down this list are general VA or BPO providers that added “recruiting support” as one line item among dozens of services. RediRecruit’s VAs are trained and supervised by people who run live recruiting desks every day.
The second thing that sets it apart: the rate includes enterprise sourcing tools. LinkedIn Recruiter, ZoomInfo, Apollo, and Lusha access all come bundled in at no extra cost. Most agencies on this list expect you to bring your own subscriptions or pay a separate tool fee on top of the hourly rate.
- Pricing: $9/hour, or a $1,000 to $1,200/month retainer for ongoing support
- What’s included: sourcing, screening, interview coordination, LinkedIn outreach, ATS management, cold call and email support
- Guarantee: free replacement within 3 months
- Time zone: works inside your business hours, not a fixed offshore shift
2. VA Masters
VA Masters is the closest true specialist to RediRecruit on this list. Their recruiting VAs work directly inside your ATS (Bullhorn, Vincere, PCRecruiter) and use Boolean search, HireEZ, and SeekOut for sourcing. They run a 6-stage vetting process and have placed more than 1,000 virtual assistants.
The tradeoff: sourcing tool licenses are generally on you, not bundled into the rate the way RediRecruit’s are.
- Pricing: recruiting and talent sourcing roles from $8.50/hour, general VA range $7 to $15/hour
- Best for: agencies that already run Bullhorn or Vincere and want a VA who can log straight in
3. Tasks Expert
Tasks Expert sells a dedicated “Virtual Recruiter Assistant” product covering sourcing, screening, interview scheduling, and onboarding coordination. It is one of the cheapest entry points on this list.
- Pricing: from $4.50/hour
- Best for: a low-cost way to test whether recruiting VA support is worth it before committing to a higher tier
4. Ataraxis
Ataraxis runs a documented case where a boutique recruitment agency cut $60,000 a year in payroll cost by moving candidate sourcing to an offshore Ataraxis VA. Their recruiting VAs handle sourcing, job board posting, screening calls, and ATS management.
- Pricing: $10 to $15/hour average, bilingual VAs run $1 to $4/hour higher
- Best for: agencies that specifically need bilingual sourcing support
5. Pearl Talent
Pearl Talent runs a white-glove model and sources candidates from well-known universities and organizations across Latin America, the Philippines, and South Africa. It is priced as a flat managed service rather than an hourly rate.
- Pricing: flat $3,000/month under their Managed Services plan
- Best for: teams that want one predictable invoice instead of tracking hours
6. ClearDesk
ClearDesk lists recruiting assistance (sourcing, interview scheduling, onboarding coordination) as one of several task categories their Philippines-based VAs cover. They report accepting only about 0.5% of applicants and claim up to 60% cost savings versus hiring locally.
- Pricing: not published, quote-based
- Best for: businesses that want recruiting support bundled with broader admin and customer service coverage
7. Wing Assistant
Wing Assistant is a broad managed VA provider covering admin, marketing, sales, and recruiting-adjacent tasks. Their VAs go through an aptitude-based hiring process that accepts roughly the top 1% of applicants, and everything bills through one monthly invoice.
- Pricing: $8 to $25/hour offshore, $30 to $75/hour for US-based assistants
- Best for: teams that want one VA to cover recruiting alongside other operational work
8. MyOutDesk
MyOutDesk is one of the largest players in this space, having worked with more than 5,500 companies. Their packages fold recruiting, vetting, payroll, HR administration, and compliance (SOC 2, HIPAA where applicable) into one flat monthly rate with a dedicated Client Success Manager.
- Pricing: flat $1,988/month
- Best for: companies that want recruiting bundled with broader HR administration, not standalone sourcing
9. 20four7VA
20four7VA is a long-running Philippines-based staffing agency with a large VA pool and transparent published rates. It runs on a staff-leasing model, meaning you supervise the VA directly rather than an account manager doing quality control for you.
- Pricing: from $5/hour at 40 hours a week, up to roughly $9.99/hour depending on skill level
- Best for: businesses that already know how to manage a VA day to day and just need the staffing layer
10. Prialto
Prialto uses a “pod” model where a small team, not a single assistant, supports your account, which reduces the risk of losing coverage if one person is out. VAs are pre-vetted and Prialto is frequently mentioned alongside Belay and Boldly as a mid-market managed option.
- Pricing: roughly $1,500+/month per managed unit
- Best for: teams that want backup coverage built in rather than a single dedicated person
11. Belay (and Boldly)
Belay and Boldly sit at the premium, US-based end of this list. Both are strong choices when time zone overlap, data sensitivity, or client-facing polish matter more than hourly cost.
- Pricing: roughly $25 to $50+/hour
- Best for: businesses that need a US-based recruiting coordinator for compliance or confidentiality reasons and have the budget for it
Starting Hourly Rate, Side by Side
Full Comparison
| Agency | Recruiting Specialization | Starting Price | Sourcing Tools Included | Replacement Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RediRecruit | Core business (RPO-run) | $9/hr or $1,000-$1,200/mo | Yes, at no extra cost | 3 months, free |
| VA Masters | High (dedicated recruiting VA) | $8.50/hr | Bring your own | Not published |
| Tasks Expert | High (dedicated product) | $4.50/hr | Bring your own | Not published |
| Ataraxis | Medium-High | $10-$15/hr | Bring your own | Not published |
| Pearl Talent | Medium | $3,000/mo flat | Not published | Not published |
| ClearDesk | Medium (one of several tasks) | Quote-based | Not published | Not published |
| Wing Assistant | Medium (one of many tasks) | $8-$25/hr | Bring your own | Not published |
| MyOutDesk | Medium (bundled with HR admin) | $1,988/mo flat | Bring your own | Yes, replacement included |
| 20four7VA | Medium (staff-leasing) | $5-$9.99/hr | Bring your own | Not published |
| Prialto | Low-Medium (pod model, general) | ~$1,500+/mo | Not published | Not published |
| Belay / Boldly | Low-Medium (general EA/VA) | $25-$50+/hr | Bring your own | Varies |
FAQs
What makes a recruiting VA different from a regular virtual assistant?
A recruiting VA is trained on sourcing, Boolean search, resume screening, and ATS workflows. A general VA handles admin tasks and may not know recruiting-specific tools or terms at all.
How much does a virtual assistant for recruiting cost?
Published rates on this list range from about $4.50/hour to $50+/hour, depending on whether the VA is offshore or US-based and whether sourcing tools are bundled in. Most mid-market offshore options fall between $8 and $15/hour.
Can a recruiting VA replace an in-house recruiter?
Not fully. A recruiting VA is best used to handle sourcing, screening, and coordination so your in-house recruiters can spend more time on interviews and closing candidates. Think of it as added capacity, not a replacement for judgment calls.
What tools should a recruiting VA already know?
LinkedIn Recruiter or Sales Navigator, Boolean search, and whatever ATS your team runs (Bullhorn, Vincere, PCRecruiter, or similar) are the baseline. Ask any agency to confirm this before you sign.
How fast can I get a recruiting VA started?
Timelines vary by agency, from as fast as 24 hours to about a week for onboarding. Ask for a specific start date in writing before you commit, since “fast” means different things to different providers.