UK engineering hiring, without the 22% agency fees.
Engineering finalists from CEE for your UK team, with all agreed technical and soft-skill stages completed. Standard: 18% total, with $2,000 credited at launch. Working hours, expectations and availability confirmed.
Why UK hiring stalls
London is out of senior engineers. Your agency is charging 22% anyway.
Three structural problems that cap UK engineering hiring in 2026.
London talent shortage
Over 80,000 open engineering roles in UK vs a senior talent pool that grows 3% annually. Competition has pushed London salaries to £120–160K for a senior backend.
22–25% contingency fees
UK agencies still charge 22–25% of annual salary. On a £130K senior hire, that's £28,600–32,500 — regardless of whether you actually interview 5 or 25 candidates.
Brexit slowed EU hiring
Sponsoring a non-UK EU engineer now takes 8–12 weeks and £5K+ in legal costs. Most UK scale-ups have given up on direct EU employment entirely.
How we solve this for UK buyers
AI-augmented sourcing from CEE, built for UK scale-ups.
Six concrete differences that matter specifically for UK hiring — scoped around your budget, team and hiring process.
Well below the 22–25% UK contingency standard
A success fee of 18% vs the UK standard 22–25%. On a £70K hire: £12,600 with Recruo vs £15,400 with a contingency agency.
Zero Brexit friction
We source from Poland, Ukraine, Romania and wider CEE. B2B contractor model means no visa sponsorship, no Home Office queues.
Full UK working-hours overlap
CEE timezones vary by location. We agree 7+ hours of overlap with your UK working day before shortlisting, accounting for the candidate’s location and seasonal clock changes.
Contracting reviewed per role
Contracting is reviewed for the actual work location, UK tax/NIC position and working practices. Overseas incorporation alone does not decide IR35 treatment.
Human-reviewed screening
A human recruiter reviews shortlist evidence before client handoff. Confirm privacy and AI-use responsibilities, documentation and candidate notices for the specific engagement.
Remote-ready by default
Every candidate we shortlist is equipped and confirmed for remote work — Starlink backup in Ukraine, home-office setups verified, English confirmed B2+.
UK pricing comparison
Example: a £70K senior backend hire.
The $2,000 launch payment is credited toward the 18% total; the balance is due when your hire starts. Agree the payment currency and conversion before launch. A 90-day replacement guarantee applies under the agreed terms.
UK-specific FAQ
What UK scale-ups actually ask us.
When will we meet the first finalist?+
The search runs for 60 calendar days from the agreed launch date. If no qualifying finalist is introduced by the end of business day 15, you can stop the search and receive a full $2,000 refund. Finalists have passed all agreed technical and soft-skill stages, with interest, compensation expectations and availability confirmed. If that milestone is met but no hire starts, the launch payment covers the work and no remaining fee is due.
Can UK companies still hire CEE engineers after Brexit?+
Yes — the B2B contractor model has no Brexit implications. Your UK company contracts with the engineer's sole-proprietorship in Poland/Ukraine/Romania. No visa, no Home Office, no sponsorship licence needed. If you want full employment, we set up an Employer of Record (Remote, Deel, Oyster) that employs the engineer in their home country for you — legal cost ~£3K/year per hire.
How do you handle IR35 for contractors?+
UK tax treatment depends on the engagement, including where the work is performed and any UK tax or National Insurance liability. A CEE address or registered business does not establish the answer on its own. Review the actual contract and working practices with your adviser; an EOR arrangement also needs its own assessment. See [HMRC international guidance](https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/employment-status-manual/esm10025) and [CEST](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-employment-status-for-tax).
What about UK GDPR for candidate data?+
Candidate data handling is scoped for the engagement: controller/processor roles, lawful basis, notices, access, retention and transfers. Ask for the relevant privacy documentation and contractual terms before sharing live candidate data; a UK-only hosting or retention arrangement is not assumed.
Do you have UK-based clients?+
Yes — Phase 1 pilots include Series B UK fintechs and a Series A London-based SaaS. We don't publish client names without written permission (recruitment is a trust business). We can share an anonymised case study summary on a discovery call.
What's the typical remote setup for UK companies?+
95% of our UK placements are fully remote. Engineers work UK hours (10am–6pm UK), attend all sync meetings, and many quarterly travel to the UK office on their own expense. We verify home-office setup before shortlisting — Starlink or fibre confirmed, power backup for Ukrainian candidates.
How does your 90-day guarantee work for UK hires?+
If your hire leaves or is let go within the first 90 days from starting, we provide one replacement search of up to 60 days at no additional recruitment fee, under the conditions agreed before launch. This provides a replacement search rather than a cash refund.
Get started
Tell us the role.
We'll help plan your next step.
Add whatever you know about the role, stack and hiring timeline. Your name and work email are enough to start; we'll reply within 24 hours.
$2,000 to launch
Fully credited toward the 18% Standard fee
90-day guarantee
One replacement search under agreed conditions
Human review
Recruiters review the screening evidence
Also on Recruo
Roles we hire for
Hire by location
Further reading