---
title: "2017 AFDR Highlights: Recruitment Budgets"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/62e0373f-0183-436e-a876-323522ac4d7a
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/articles/2017_afdr_highlights_recruitment_budgets.html
author: "Eddy Goldberg"
category: "Franchisors"
industry: "Franchise Industry"
segment: "Franchisors"
topics: ["Regulation & legal"]
published: 2016-12-20T08:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:37:19.461Z
image: https://imgs.franchising.com/art/articles/3316_plate.jpg
---

# 2017 AFDR Highlights: Recruitment Budgets

**TL;DR:** The 2017 Annual Franchise Development Report (AFDR) surveyed 167 franchisors representing 60,989 units, finding an average recruitment budget of $181,510. The report provides insights into recruitment and development practices, budgets, and strategies of franchisors.

*By Eddy Goldberg, originally published in Franchising.com on 2016-12-20. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/articles/2017_afdr_highlights_recruitment_budgets.html).*

## Story

This is the first in a series of highlights from the 2017 Annual Franchise Development Report (AFDR). The 2017 AFDR, unveiled in late September at the Franchise Leadership & Development Conference, is based on responses from 167 franchisors representing 60,989 units (51,789 franchised and 9,200 company-owned). Participants in the survey consisted of franchisors that completed an extensive online questionnaire.

Responses were aggregated and analyzed to produce a detailed look into the recruitment and development practices, budgets, and strategies of a wide cross-section of franchisors. The data and accompanying commentary and analysis provide the basis of the 2017 AFDR. This week: Recruitment budgets.

Average budget plans for 2017 for franchise sales and recruitment (advertising and media expenses, not including brokers and employee compensation) among respondents was $181,510, with a median of $125,000. This is an increase from last year, when the corresponding numbers were $162,821 and $120,000. This could indicate more intense competition not only for quality candidates, but also higher internal costs stemming from salaries and commissions for the best salespeople.

***Next week:** Where the money goes, by category of spend.* ***Ordering Information** The complete 2017 AFDR, with analysis and benchmarks, is available for $345.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Franchise Industry (sector)
- franchise development (topic)
- Eddy Goldberg (person)
- industry report (topic)
- recruitment budgets (topic)

---
Originally reported by Eddy Goldberg, Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/articles/2017_afdr_highlights_recruitment_budgets.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/62e0373f-0183-436e-a876-323522ac4d7a).