Colleagues talking

Unexpected places to recruit talent

Think outside of the box and hire exceptional individuals through unusual avenues.

Tap into London’s diverse talent pool to hire a strong and varied workforce. From committed ex-military personnel and hard-working former athletes, to underrepresented tech superstars and passionate returners, the capital is full of skilled people to recruit.

To ensure your company is inclusive, consider working with a diversity recruitment consultancy such as Equal Approach.

Charities and social enterprises

Take satisfaction in knowing that your new hires benefit the community as well as your business by working with charities and social enterprises.

  • Code First Girls
    This social enterprise focuses on getting more women into tech roles by providing free coding courses.
  • Rest Less
    Post your vacancies on this site and hire experienced and motivated people aged over 50.
  • Ex-offenders
    Hiring former prisoners is proven to reduce reoffending and can make a lasting difference. This government site is a great place to start.
  • Coracle inside
    This organisation looks to revolutionise prisoner education through in-cell digital learning and access to vacancies from employers who support the recruitment of ex-offenders.
  • The Ability People
    A for-profit, social enterprise aimed at empowering the skilled disability workforce. Its staffing model benefits from the talents and experiences of those living with a disability.
  • Auticon
    Auticon is an international social enterprise, offering professional B2B consulting services to clients in the industry and service sectors. All their consultants are on the autism spectrum.

Specialist agencies

Work with specialist agencies to find individuals with the specific skill sets your business needs.

  • FDM
    This consultancy recruits, trains and deploys across three areas: graduates, ex-forces and returners to work. It trains people on business and tech subjects before they start working for clients.

Government-funded employment agencies

Gain talent and recruitment advice at no cost to you by contacting government-funded agencies.

  • Career Transition Partnership (CTP)
    Access a growing ex-military talent pool and connect with highly dedicated and capable individuals who have served in the Armed Forces.
  • Jobcentre Plus
    Connect with local people looking for work with this employment agency and social security office that can be found in most London boroughs.
The depth of the ecosystem and the diversity of talent make London a brilliant place to start and scale from.
Caroline Plumb OBE
CEO, Fluidity

Returners

Hire professional workers returning after a career break, who are passionate to get back into work.

  • The Return Hub
    Let this agency do the hard work, as they sift through CVs to source experienced candidates returning to work in financial services.
  • Capability Jane
    Find staff with more than 10 years’ experience. Candidates come from a range of backgrounds including sales, finance, HR and marketing.
  • F1 Recruitment
    Source specialists in PR, marketing and communications from a pool of candidates who have taken time out to raise a family or work as a carer.

Professional athletes

Find determined candidates who know the value of hard work by hiring a current or former professional athlete.

  • Life After Professional Sport (LAPS)
    Find flexible staffing solutions with this organisation who can source elite athletes for work experience, one-day-a-week placements or full-time contracts.

Professional bodies 

Professional bodies are an excellent source of advice on reaching experts in particular fields, and many include specialist recruitment services.

See a full list of professional bodies in the UK.

Universities 

London is famous for its higher education, with four of the world’s top 40 universities among its offering (2019 Times Higher Education World University Rankings).

However, there are many more top-quality institutions in the capital, ranging from large multi-faculty universities to smaller specialists focused on business, law or finance. All of these are keen to work with employers to ensure their graduates get the best possible job opportunities.  

Find a selection of graduate recruitment websites with our recruiting talent guide.

Although we try our best to make sure this information is accurate we can’t guarantee this is always the case, including that of the third parties we link to. Please take professional advice before making any decisions.

Contact us

Our team can advise you on every aspect of how to start a business in London, free of charge.