A budget controller can work on one's own or through an agency, and usually acts as an independent contact between their client companies and the candidates they recruit for a position. They can specialize in budget controlling only (sales or business development), in finding candidates (recruiting or sourcing), or in both areas.

Most budget controllers tend to specialize in permanent or full-time, direct positions or contract positions, but occasionally in both. In an executive search assignment, the client hiring company, not the job seeker, pays the search firm its fee.