Why we exist
Most UK recruitment agencies charge on a percentage-of-salary model: 15-25% of the first-year comp of every hire. On a £45k office manager that is £7,000-11,000. On a £70k engineer or £120k head of function, the fee compounds into serious money for a mid-sized business. Employers accept it because they are used to it, and because switching means either running recruitment in-house (which quietly burns manager time and misses the passive market) or using a cheap job-board approach that dumps unfiltered CVs in the inbox.
Fixed Fee Recruitment was set up to be the third option. We are a UK-wide fixed-fee agency: £2,995 per placement, flat, agreed upfront, running the same full agency workflow (advertising, screening, first-round interviews, ranked shortlist, offer support, rebate cover) that a percentage-based agency runs. One published price for every role, from admin coordinator to head of function. We publish it, we quote it before we start, and what we quote is what you pay.
What we do, plainly
We place sectors listed below for United Kingdom-based businesses. Most engagements are scoped, written down, and run by the same partner from intake to onboarding follow-up. We staff permanent, contract, contract-to-hire and retained according to the niche.
The roles we cover most often:
- Office & Administration: PAs, EAs, office managers, receptionists, administrators, coordinators, team assistants.
- Sales & Business Development: SDRs, BDMs, account managers, account executives, sales managers, telesales.
- Marketing & PR: Digital marketers, PPC / SEO specialists, content marketers, PR execs, brand managers.
- IT & Software: Developers, testers, support engineers, DevOps, data analysts, junior to mid seniority.
- Engineering & Manufacturing: Mechanical, electrical and production engineers, planners, quality controllers, technicians.
- Finance & Accounting: AAT / ACCA / CIMA qualified finance, bookkeepers, accounts payable and receivable, credit control.
- HR & People: HR advisors, generalists, business partners, L&D specialists, in-house recruiters, payroll.
- Legal Support: Paralegals, legal secretaries, conveyancers, compliance and risk analysts, admin.
- Education: Teaching assistants, cover supervisors, admin roles in independent schools and academies.
- Retail, Fashion & Hospitality: Store managers, buyers, merchandisers, F&B managers, front-of-house managers.
- Logistics & Supply Chain: Warehouse supervisors, logistics coordinators, transport planners, procurement.
- Executive Search: Directors, heads of function and MDs, on the same £2,995 flat fee, no percentage of comp.
How we vet
Every candidate goes through:
- Right-to-work / work-authorisation confirmed before introduction
- References (current and previous) where available, and background-check readiness
- Current location, time zone, in-office expectation, and shift fit where applicable
- Total comp expectations in GBP, with realistic on-target bonus or commission where applicable
- Notice period, start-date realism, competing offers in flight
- Discipline-specific technical or operational screen as the niche requires
- Behavioural / cultural-fit interview tailored to the role and the hiring manager’s standards
- For senior or leadership roles: scoped case discussions and backchannel references where useful
Who we work for
Our clients span founder-led businesses, scale-ups, PE-backed companies, mid-market and Fortune-relevant employers in our niche. We work with hiring managers, owners, MDs and HR leads who would rather invest 45 minutes in a good intake than three weeks cleaning up a bad one.
How we think about a placement
A successful placement is not a signed offer letter. It is the moment six months later when the new hire is still there, the team trusts them, and the manager has stopped thinking about replacement. That is the only outcome that matters to us, and the only one we measure ourselves against.
Our values, the short version
- Niche-led screening, always. If we cannot articulate why a candidate matches the bar, we do not send the résumé.
- Tell the truth. If the comp band is light or the brief is unrealistic, we say so before sourcing.
- One partner, end to end. Same person from intake to onboarding follow-up.
- Confidentiality is default. No naming, no leaks, no surprises with competing employers.
- Stand behind the work. Free replacement on every permanent placement. No clawback games.
Want to talk?
Use the contact form and we will come back within one business day. We are available Mon-Fri 8:30am-6pm GMT.