FAQ

Recruitment questions, answered.

Fees, guarantees, timelines and coverage — the things employers ask before they hand us a role.

Updated August 2026

How much do you charge?

A percentage of first-year base salary, typically 20–25% depending on level and search type. Fees are agreed in writing before we start and are payable only on a successful start.

Do you offer a guarantee?

Yes — a 90-day replacement guarantee on every permanent placement. If the hire leaves or is exited within 90 days of their start date, we run the search again at no further fee.

How long does a search take?

Roughly four weeks from brief to offer on a calibrated search. Shortlists usually land in the first six to eight working days.

Which roles do you cover?

Sales Engineer, Solutions Engineer, Solutions Architect (pre-sales), Solutions Consultant and Technical Account Manager — across cybersecurity, AI/ML, cloud/DevOps and SaaS.

Contract or permanent?

Both. Most of our work is permanent, but we place contract and fixed-term pre-sales cover for launches, backfills and parental leave.

Do you work exclusively, retained or contingent?

All three. Retained and exclusive searches get a dedicated researcher and a committed shortlist date; contingent searches are worked alongside other briefs.

What happens if the hire doesn't work out?

Inside 90 days, the replacement guarantee applies and we restart the search at no further fee. We also run a debrief first — in about a third of cases the issue is onboarding or territory, not the hire.

How is your salary data sourced?

From our own placement records and employer briefs, reported as medians and 25th–75th percentile ranges. Read the full methodology.

Something not covered here? Ask us directly — we'll answer plainly, including on fees.

Read this alongside the national what sales engineers earn data, which is the benchmark every cut on this page is measured against.

If the title on your job ad is "solutions engineer" rather than "sales engineer", the solutions engineer compensation page is the closer comparison.

For employers

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Methodology

Figures are medians drawn from placement records, offer letters and employer briefs across the last 12 months, expressed as 25th–75th percentile ranges. Base is fixed cash; OTE is base plus variable at 100% attainment, excluding equity. Read the full methodology.