Personally, I don't know how they get away with it. Ask yourself:

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-   How deeply do recruiters get to know the business and the role?

-   What expertise of the industry do the recruiters have themselves?

-   How much time have they spent with the candidates they send you?

 

Now look at what they are asking:

 

-    10-15% annual salaries for junior management

-    15-20% for senior management, sometimes in excess of £12k for a single placement

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Fair enough — they have a business to run, staff to pay, clients to chase. But ask yourself something else: how many of them are now running on virtual offices, AI-assisted screening and automated CRM systems that have slashed their cost base? And how much of that saving have they passed on to you?

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So this is what I would charge you:                     6%  

 

And this is how much better the service could be:​

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-    40 years of experience in hospitality — as an operator, a business owner and a management consultant

-    A genuine understanding of management roles from the inside, not just from a job spec

-    Time spent with you getting to know the role, the business and the culture before I look for anyone

-    Proper face-to-face interviews with candidates — not CV forwarding

-    Full reference checks and a rounded understanding of each person I put forward

-    A tailored shortlist matched to your specific needs, not a pile of applications

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How can I provide more and charge less? Because 6% is a fair reward for the work, and I don't need to take more than that to run a good practice. I also know — from the other side of the table, as an operator and a business owner — exactly what it costs and what it should cost.

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Recruitment has always been part of my remit. As a consultant and operator responsible for launches, re-launches, turnarounds and rollouts, finding the right person for the right role has been central to everything I do. Over 40 years I have recruited at every level — bar staff, supervisors, duty managers, head chefs and general managers — across high-end Mayfair members clubs, prestigious West End flagship venues, high-energy nightclubs, gastropubs and independent neighbourhood restaurants. I know how to define the concept, the service ethic and the staff structure, and I know how to go out and find the person who fits it.

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If you need a key hire, give me a call. I think you'll find it a different experience.

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                                                                                                                 -     Reggie Adams