The trade off for a good work life balance / no targets and a friendly environment is a relatively low basic by contrast to other Businesses. This is reflective of the fact that there is less of a tiered structure. There are relatively few people earning six figure salaries and instead a larger number of people on good wages working in a role they enjoy. I see this as a positive as it's a step away from the pyramid schemes you tend to see in other recruitment Businesses. The Company structure is not immediately obvious as you don't feel disconnected from senior management in the same way as most Businesses. It is a Company full of consultants, all being treated as adults, all being trusted to handle their own Business.
Your experience will vary depending on the department you work in but you can move around quite freely in the Company to a position that suits you.
The Low base is offset by a good level of commission as there are always roles for you to handle or you will have a number of contractors in the field so your earnings can become quite substantial.
The only road bump you might find is the recruitment industry itself which is not for everyone. Generally creative / artistic types struggle to adapt to an office environment and the routine that brings. They don't dislike the job but they're not won over by it either. People with that disposition have generally chosen to go traveling or pursue their hobbies and that is in generally the main reason we tend to see people leave.
It is always on good terms and on occasion they may return to the Business at a later date.