T-01
< 3 MONTHS
25%
Early exit · fullest fee
of first-year compensation
HOW IT WORKS / DIRECT HIRE
SPEC · V1.0
HOW IT WORKS · 00·DIRECT HIRE
Love working with your engineer?
Here's how to hire them directly.
Every NexusDeploy engagement is designed to give you a real working relationship, not a staffing-agency lock-in. When a project becomes a long-term fit, we want you to be able to convert it cleanly — on fair, declining terms.
CONVERSION · SPECAT A GLANCE
- DOC ID
- CONV-FEE · V1.0
- MIN FLOOR
- $25,000
- ALT FORMULA
- 3× MO PLATFORM EARN
- WINDOW
- 24 MO POST-ENGAGE
DECLINING · 25% → 10% OVER TENURE
§ 01 / RATIONALE
Why there is a conversion fee.
NexusDeploy invests in every engineer we introduce to you. That investment includes vetting, challenge assessment, background checks, security clearance tracking, platform infrastructure, escrow, NDA management, dispute resolution, and the matching work that connected you in the first place.
When you decide to move an engineer off the platform into a direct hire relationship, you're capturing the full ongoing value of that investment without compensating the marketplace that made it possible. The conversion fee is how we balance that — it lets you make the move cleanly, while fairly compensating the platform for the introduction and the rails underneath it.
This is standard in every marketplace that connects talent to clients. The difference is that our fee schedule is transparent, declines over time, and is published on a public page — not buried in terms of service.
§ 02 / SCHEDULE
Fee decays with tenure.
Based on engagement length with the specific engineer, not time since first platform contact. The longer you've worked together, the less it costs to convert.
T-02
3 – 6 MONTHS
20%
Short engagement
of first-year compensation
T-03
6 – 12 MONTHS
15%
Mid-term
of first-year compensation
T-04BEST
12+ MONTHS
10%
Long-term · lowest fee
of first-year compensation
[ IV ] FLOOR + ALT FORMULAEITHER · WHICHEVER HIGHER
A · PERCENTAGE FLOOR
The greater of the tier percentage or $25,000.
Ensures fair compensation regardless of the engineer's salary level — low-comp role, small platform investment still doesn't disappear.
B · REVENUE-BASED ALT
3× average monthly platform earnings · last 6 mo.
Min $5,000, max $50,000. Applies if platform revenue from the engineer exceeds the percentage. Higher of A or B governs.
§ 03 / BENCHMARKS
How we stack up.
Conversion fees are standard in both marketplaces and staffing agencies. Our declining schedule rewards long-term engagements and aligns with top-tier staffing benchmarks.
BENCHMARK TABLEVERIFIED · MARCH 2026
| ORG | MODEL | CONVERSION FEE |
|---|---|---|
| [ US ]NexusDeploy | 1099 marketplace | 10–25% declining, $25K floor |
| Robert Half | W-2 staffing | 15–25% of annual salary |
| Kelly Services | W-2 staffing | 15–25%, declining with hours worked |
| Toptal | 1099 marketplace | 1–3 months of billings |
| Upwork | 1099 marketplace | 13.5% of projected annual earnings |
§ 04 / EXECUTION
Four steps to release.
Conversion is a clean, documented process. Open a request, receive a quote, pay, and take the engineer off the platform — typically in under a week.
- [ 01 ]STEP
Open a conversion request
From the project page, contact support@nexus-deploy.io with the engineer's name, the proposed role, and the first-year compensation offer.
- [ 02 ]STEP
Receive a conversion fee quote
NexusDeploy calculates the fee based on platform tenure, engagement length, and the compensation offer. Quote delivered within 2 business days.
- [ 03 ]STEP
Pay the fee · receive a release letter
Payment clears, NexusDeploy issues a release letter confirming the engineer is free to enter a direct employment relationship with your organization. Non-circumvention obligations are waived for that specific engineer.
- [ 04 ]STEP
Execute your own employment agreement
Your organization and the engineer execute whatever employment or contractor agreement you want, directly. NexusDeploy is no longer a party.
§ 05 / FAQ
Questions we get asked.
- Is this a non-compete?
- No. A non-compete restricts where an engineer can work. This is a non-circumvention provision that applies only to our specific introduction — the engineer is free to work with any other enterprise, on any other platform, or directly with any client they sourced independently.
- What happens if an enterprise hires directly without paying?
- The conversion fee becomes immediately due, plus liquidated damages (currently 1.5× the applicable fee). This is enforceable as a commercial contract under standard U.S. contract law.
- Does the engineer pay anything?
- No. The conversion fee is paid entirely by the enterprise. The engineer doesn't owe NexusDeploy anything when transitioning to a direct hire.
- What if the engineer was the one who wanted the direct hire?
- The fee still applies. The enterprise is the party capturing the long-term value of the introduction, so the enterprise pays regardless of who initiated the conversation.
- Does this apply to every engineer I've ever worked with on the platform?
- Yes, but only for 24 months after the last platform engagement ends. After that, there is no fee and no restriction.
- Why declining over tenure?
- Longer engagements mean you've already generated more revenue for the platform. The platform investment has largely been recouped, so the exit fee is lower. This is the opposite of a lock-in — it rewards long-term commitment.
Q · 01
Q · 02
Q · 03
Q · 04
Q · 05
Q · 06
NOTICE · DRAFTTERMS PENDING LEGAL REVIEW
Final terms subject to legal review.
The conversion-fee schedule shown here is based on internal research and industry benchmarks. Final contractual language will be reviewed by counsel before execution. The structure reflects our intended approach and is subject to refinement.
§ 06 / NEXT
Questions about a specific engagement?
Contact our team with the engineer name and proposed role — we'll walk through your exact tenure, fee, and release timing.
— transparent, declining, published on this page.