Pricing & how I work
Still interviewing the wrong people? Here’s how I fix that.
Two ways to work together — depending on where you are and what you need. Both transparent on price, both built around getting the brief right before anything else happens.
Consultancy
Get the brief right before you spend a penny on hiring
Sometimes the most expensive hire is the one you didn’t need in the first place. One hour with me before you go to market saves the kind of money no recruiter will ever admit you don’t have to spend.
We pressure-test the role together: what you actually need, what the market is paying, where the trade-offs sit, and whether you should be hiring at all yet.
What’s included
- One focused 60-minute session, on Teams or in person
- Honest market reality on salary, seniority, and candidate availability
- A written report within 24 hours covering what we discussed and exactly what to do next
- Practical, not theoretical — you leave with a hiring brief grounded in what the market will actually deliver
Investment
£750
Flat fee, paid on booking. One session, one report, one clear plan.
Best for: founders hiring their first specialist, teams stuck on a hiring decision, or anyone briefing a recruiter who wants to get it right first time.
Not ready to commit? Book a free 15-minute discovery call first.
Recruitment
Full-cycle support for one critical hire
For when you need to fill a role properly — with commitment, a project plan, and a shortlist you can actually act on.
End-to-end recruitment on a single role, with a structured payment plan that aligns incentives on both sides. No retainers locked in for months. No junior resourcers in the background. No CV dumps.
What you get
- A hiring brief built around the role’s actual deliverables, not just a title
- A maximum of three candidates — each one interviewed against those deliverables before they reach you
- Direct market access — I work the search myself, every brief
- Full process visibility from search strategy to candidate feedback
- Offer support and onboarding follow-through
Fee
22%
of first-year salary, paid in three stages:
- On kick-off — after the briefing call, once we’ve agreed the brief
- On shortlist delivery — when you receive your three candidates
- On signed offer — when the hire is confirmed
Best for: one critical hire where getting it wrong is expensive. Engineering, commercial, operations, or executive roles in clean energy and e-mobility.
15 minutes. No pitch. I’ll tell you honestly if I can help.
Working together
Whether you’re an early-stage startup or a more established team, I start every engagement the same way: by defining what you actually need before any search begins. The discovery call is there to see whether I’m a good fit for you. I won’t take your money if I can’t help.
For permanent placements, I recommend a consultancy session first if there’s any doubt about the brief — it almost always pays for itself in shortlist quality and time saved.
Geography: UK, UAE, Europe, and the U.S. — deliberately, because I don’t poach from existing clients. On-site meetings across the UK; remote-first via Microsoft Teams or Zoom for everything else.
Timelines: consultancy reports land within 24 hours. Permanent searches typically run 4–8 weeks from kick-off to signed offer, depending on the seniority and specialism of the role. I’ll be transparent on the call about what’s realistic for your specific search.
Why this isn’t like working with an agency
| Comparison topic | Traditional agency | TechWaves |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the search | Junior resourcer running keyword searches | Sharn — every brief, every search, every conversation |
| Fee model | Contingent — paid on placement, rewards speed over fit | Flat 22% of first-year salary, billed across milestones |
| Shortlist | High volume, low signal — CV dumps to cover the bases | Maximum 3 candidates, each interviewed against role-specific deliverables |
| Sector knowledge | “Done some energy roles” alongside fintech, retail, FMCG | Exclusively clean energy and e-mobility |
| Transparency | Limited visibility into who’s been approached and why | Full visibility from search strategy to candidate feedback |
| Candidate experience | Often impersonal — candidates ghosted or briefed badly | Candidates treated as future hires for someone, even if not for you |
Common questions
Why only three candidates?
Because three good ones beat ten average ones. If I can’t find three people who genuinely match the deliverables of the role, the brief is the problem — and we fix the brief, not the standard.
What if my role brief changes mid-search?
It happens. We have a recalibration conversation, adjust the brief, and re-aim the search. No new fees unless the scope materially changes.
What’s your replacement guarantee?
If a placement leaves within an agreed window, I run a replacement search at no additional fee. Specifics are written into your contract.
Do you only do clean energy and e-mobility?
Yes. EV charging, battery technology, hydrogen, solar, sustainable transport, and adjacent deep-tech. I don’t take briefs outside the sector — it’s the only way to maintain the depth that makes the rest of the offer work.
Do you work with startups and early-stage companies?
A lot of my work is with pre-Series B teams hiring their first specialists. I understand equity-weighted offers and how to sell a story alongside a salary.
What if I just want a one-off conversation, not a full search?
That’s exactly what the consultancy session is for. £750, one hour, written report within 24 hours.
Currently taking on briefs for next month — capped at three new briefs per month so every search gets proper attention.