Specialist Recruitment

Permanent hiring for technical and mission-critical roles.

The default model for permanent hiring at senior-IC, lead and manager level. Full-cycle delivery from briefing through to onboarding, with a curated shortlist in 5-10 business days and a replacement guarantee as standard.

Best for

▸ Senior-IC, lead and engineering-manager hires in our twelve sectors
▸ Roles where the candidate pool is mappable and the brief is calibrated
▸ Searches where 5-10 business days to shortlist is the right pace
▸ Clients who want a sole-mandate relationship without the up-front commitment of retained

Not for

▸ C-suite and VP-level appointments - see Executive Search
▸ Strategic advisory work without a specific role to fill - see Workforce Advisory
▸ Day-rate or short-cycle contractor needs - see Contract & Project Staffing

What this looks like in practice

Most of our engagements run under this model. A senior engineering hire, a head-of-function appointment, a specialist IC where the candidate universe in the country is in the low hundreds. The brief is workshopped on the first call, sourcing starts within 48 hours, the shortlist lands inside two weeks.

Where this model breaks down is where the candidate universe is genuinely tiny - sub-50 candidates in the country, often with cleared-environment constraints - or where confidentiality is non-negotiable. For those, see Executive Search.

Engagement timeline

01 Brief & Discovery Day 1
02 Search & Source Days 2-5
03 Screen & Assess Days 5-9
04 Shortlist & Present Day 10
05 Interview & Close Weeks 3-6
06 Onboard & Follow-up 30 / 60 / 90 days

Frequently asked

What's your fee? +

Standard market rate, calculated as a percentage of first-year base salary. We disclose the exact figure on the first call - no surprises, no last-minute changes. The fee is paid only on successful placement.

What does the replacement guarantee cover? +

If a placed candidate leaves or is terminated within a defined period (typically 12 weeks), we run the replacement search at no further fee. The guarantee is stated in writing in the engagement letter; we have not had to invoke it on the majority of placements we have made.

Can we use multiple agencies in parallel? +

You can - but the strongest candidates in our markets typically appear on at most one or two recruiters' radars. Running three or four agencies in parallel produces longlist noise, a worse candidate experience, and often a slower close. We work best on a sole-mandate basis.

How is this different from retained search? +

Specialist Recruitment is success-based: you pay on placement. Executive Search is retained: an engagement fee is paid in milestones whether or not the search closes, in exchange for full proactive sourcing, market mapping and confidentiality. We use retained at C-suite and VP level where the consequences of a mis-hire are material; Specialist Recruitment fits everything below that line.