Most technical recruitment fails at assessment. A recruiter without an engineering background is matching keywords between a job description and a résumé, which reliably surfaces candidates who describe themselves well and misses those who work well. We assess technical candidates directly, and we tell you what we found rather than only who we liked.
We put forward fewer candidates than a volume agency and explain why each one is being presented. A shortlist of three people whose strengths and gaps are documented is more useful than twelve résumés for you to sort.
Where the honest answer is that the role as written will not attract the person you want — because the salary is below market, or the requirements describe two jobs — we will say so before running a search that was never going to succeed.
What is included
Role definition
The role as written reviewed against what the market will actually supply at that level and salary, before the search begins.
Sourcing
Active search rather than advertising and waiting, focused on candidates who are currently doing the work in question.
Technical assessment
Candidates assessed by an engineer against the skills the role genuinely requires, with the findings written down.
Shortlist with reasoning
A small shortlist, each candidate presented with documented strengths, gaps and the reason they are being put forward.
Offer and onboarding support
Assistance through offer, negotiation and start, which is where a surprising number of accepted offers are lost.
How it is delivered
- Candidates are assessed against the skills the role needs rather than the buzzwords in the advertisement. We will tell you when a requirement is unrealistic or unnecessary.
- We present fewer candidates with more information. Volume shortlists move the assessment work onto you.
- Terms, fees and any replacement guarantee are agreed in writing before a search begins.
What you receive
- Reviewed role definition and market salary assessment
- Shortlist with written technical assessment for each candidate
- Interview support and structured scoring
- Offer management through to start date
- Replacement guarantee on the terms agreed in writing
What is not included
Stated plainly, because unstated exclusions are where disputes begin.
- Payroll, employment administration and visa sponsorship
- Background and reference checking, which we can coordinate but which is performed by a specialist provider
- Guarantees of placement within a fixed timeframe
Common questions
How is technical assessment actually done?
By an engineer, in a structured technical conversation about work the candidate has genuinely done, supplemented by a practical exercise where the role warrants it. The written assessment goes to you, including the reservations.
Do you offer contract as well as permanent?
Yes. Contract, fixed-term and permanent, with the engagement model chosen to suit the work rather than the fee.