Understand the role
A conversation about the role, the team and the market context. What is written in the job description is rarely what the position actually needs in Germany.
Recruitment · Germany & DACH
Hiring in Germany, without guessing.
Recruitment for international companies building a team in Germany — from the first commercial hire to the country lead. Direct approach, vetted shortlists, commission only when someone signs.
The situation
Your first German hire decides how the market goes.
For an international company, the first people on the ground in Germany are the market entry. They set the tone with customers, partners and every candidate who follows. A wrong hire here costs a year, not a quarter.
The strong candidates are rarely looking. They sit in secure positions, ignore job ads and respond only to a credible, personal approach — in their own language and with a clear reason why your company is worth the move.
This is recruitment (Personalvermittlung), not staff leasing. The candidate signs directly with your company or your Employer of Record.
Why Celik Advisory
A recruiter who also knows your market entry.
Denis Celik advises international companies on entering the German-speaking market and recruits the people who execute it. That means candidate conversations already carry your context: what you sell, who you sell to and what the first 12 months in Germany really look like.
Trilingual — German, English and Portuguese — with four years in the United States as a college athlete. That background shapes what he looks for: discipline, competitiveness and resilience, the traits that carry a first hire through an unproven market.
Searches run across industries, with a focus on commercial and expansion roles: sales, business development, country and general management.
Process
Three steps to a signed contract.
Source and vet
Direct approach and personal outreach instead of job ads. Every introduction has been spoken to, checked and justified before it reaches you.
Place and close
Support through interviews, feedback, offer and contract phase — across time zones and German notice periods. The commission is due only when the hire signs.
Fees are success-based: a commission on the placed candidate's gross annual salary, payable when the hire signs. No retainer and no upfront cost.
Before you hire
No German entity yet?
You need a legal employer in Germany before anyone can start: your own GmbH or UG, a branch, or an Employer of Record that holds the contract on your behalf. Which route fits depends on how permanent the presence is and how fast you want to move.
The Market-Entry Guide covers entity setup, VAT registration, payroll contributions and the rest of the groundwork — and the search can run in parallel with it.
FAQ
Questions about hiring in Germany.
How do you hire employees in Germany as a US company?
You need a legal employer in Germany — either your own GmbH or UG entity, a branch, or an Employer of Record that holds the contract for you. Once that is in place, the hire is a standard German employment contract with statutory notice periods, social contributions and paid leave.
What does a recruiter in Germany cost?
Celik Advisory works on success fee only: a commission based on the placed candidate's gross annual salary, payable when the hire signs. No retainer, no upfront cost, no fee for searches, interviews or hires that do not happen.
How long does it take to fill a role in Germany?
First vetted profiles are usually on the table within two to three weeks. Signature typically follows six to twelve weeks later, depending on the seniority of the role, your decision process and the candidate's notice period — three months is common in Germany.
Which roles do you recruit for?
Specialists through leadership level across industries, with particular strength in commercial and expansion roles: sales, business development, country and general management for companies building a German or DACH presence.
Is this recruitment or staff leasing?
Recruitment only (Personalvermittlung). The candidate is employed directly by you and signs your contract. Celik Advisory does not operate staff leasing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung), which requires a separate German licence.
Do you work with companies that have no German entity yet?
Yes. Companies often hire their first German employee before or while incorporating. The search can run in parallel with the entity or Employer of Record setup, and the market-entry side of Celik Advisory can advise on which route fits your plan.
Sind Sie ein deutsches Unternehmen? Zur deutschen Seite zur Personalvermittlung
Contact
Which role do you need to fill?
Send a short brief — the role, the market and your timeline — or book an introductory call with no obligation.
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