Services

    We help you |

    Four flexible ways to work together — fractional talent, retained or project work, contingent search and training delivery.

    What we do best

    (SERVICES)

    Fractional Talent

    Ways to work with us

    Four ways to work with us

    Pick the model that matches how much hiring you're doing — or talk to us and we'll tell you which one fits.

    Fractional talent partnership

    Fractional talent

    Flexible, practitioner-led talent support for a set number of days or a defined outcome — embedded recruitment (often called RPO) inside your team, or senior hiring support alongside it.

    Explore fractional talent

    Retained and project work

    Retained / Project

    Retained search or a clearly scoped recruitment project, with committed capacity, defined milestones and shared accountability from the start.

    Explore retained / project

    Contingent Search

    Contingent search

    Success-only search for the hires that matter. Full market mapping, a shortlist built for the role you actually have, and nothing to pay until someone starts.

    Explore contingent search

    Practical hiring training

    Training delivery

    Tailored half-day and full-day recruitment training that turns better hiring principles into practical, repeatable behaviour for recruiters and hiring managers.

    Explore training delivery
    Start with the hiring problem you need to solveSee the experience behind our approachRead our plain-English guide to what RPO is

    Industries

    Sectors we specialise in

    Deep networks across the industries that matter most to high-growth businesses.

    HR tech, regulatory intelligence & PropTech
    Technology

    HR tech, regulatory intelligence & PropTech

    Hotels, restaurants & leisure
    Hospitality

    Hotels, restaurants & leisure

    Catering, live events & site teams
    Events & Catering

    Catering, live events & site teams

    High street, ecommerce & DTC
    Retail

    High street, ecommerce & DTC

    Purpose-led teams and organisations
    Non-profit

    Purpose-led teams and organisations

    HR tech, regulatory intelligence & PropTech
    Technology

    HR tech, regulatory intelligence & PropTech

    Hotels, restaurants & leisure
    Hospitality

    Hotels, restaurants & leisure

    Catering, live events & site teams
    Events & Catering

    Catering, live events & site teams

    High street, ecommerce & DTC
    Retail

    High street, ecommerce & DTC

    Purpose-led teams and organisations
    Non-profit

    Purpose-led teams and organisations

    Pricing

    Engagement models

    Four commercial models, each matched to a different hiring outcome.

    Fractional
    Flexible scope
    Best for: Ongoing, changing demand

    Experienced talent capability for set days or defined outcomes, without adding permanent overhead.

    Includes

    • Fractional talent leadership
    • End-to-end hiring delivery
    • Workforce planning
    • Process improvement
    • Dōjō™ client visibility
    Retained / Project
    Scoped engagement
    Best for: Critical outcomes

    Exclusive search or defined transformation work with committed resources and clear milestones.

    Everything in Contingent, plus

    • Exclusive, priority search
    • Detailed market intelligence
    • Employer brand advisory
    • Structured milestone updates
    Contingent Search
    Success-only
    Best for: Individual hires

    Success-only permanent and fixed-term hiring for individual roles, with a 90-day replacement guarantee.

    Includes

    • Full market mapping
    • Bespoke shortlist
    • Interview coordination
    • Offer support
    • 90-day replacement guarantee
    Training Delivery
    Scoped session
    Best for: Building internal capability

    Tailored half-day or full-day learning that helps recruiters and hiring leaders apply better practice.

    Modules include

    • Bias awareness
    • Structured hiring best practice
    • Practical AI in hiring
    • Hiring as a leadership skill

    Not sure which model fits?

    Book a free consultation and we'll recommend the right approach for your stage and budget.

    The cost of getting it wrong

    What does a bad hire really cost you?

    Industry research (CIPD, SHRM, HBR, Robert Half) puts the true cost of a mis-hire at 1.5x – 3x annual salary. Run the numbers for one of your roles - then see what a best-in-class hiring process is worth.

    Your role inputs

    Pre-fills CIPD recruitment cost benchmarks (12% – 33% of salary). Editable below.

    18%
    26 weeks
    40%

    SHRM & Gallup find under-performing hires deliver 30–60% of expected output.

    5
    18%

    Industry avg ≈ 18% (US DoL). Best-in-class ≈ 6%.

    Cost per bad hire

    £0

    ≈ 159% of annual salary

    Annual exposure

    £64,530

    5 hires × 18% bad-hire rate = 0.9 expected mis-hires/year

    Salary cost for weeks worked

    Wages paid to the wrong person before they exited

    £22,500

    Recruitment & re-hire fees

    18% of salary × 2 cycles (CIPD avg cost-per-hire)

    £16,200

    Training & onboarding

    Direct L&D, system access, manager onboarding time

    £7,200

    Lost productivity

    40% output gap × tenure (SHRM / Gallup)

    £9,000

    Manager & team drag

    ~20% of salary in coaching, rework & peer cover (HBR)

    £9,000

    Morale & opportunity cost

    ~9% of salary in lost team output & missed deals (Robert Half)

    £4,050

    Notice / severance

    Statutory notice, holiday pay-out & exit admin (ACAS)

    £3,750

    Potential annual saving

    £43,020

    If your bad-hire rate dropped from 18% to a best-in-class 6% (SHRM Quality of Hire benchmark).

    We obsess over candidate–opportunity fit. Every shortlist is market-mapped and reference-checked.

    Estimates use blended benchmarks from CIPD, SHRM, Harvard Business Review, Robert Half and ACAS. Figures are indicative and intended to start a conversation, not replace formal cost-of-hire analysis.

    Velo North Dōjō™

    Where our team works — and clients see the work take shape.

    Delivery visibility, Employer Brand Audit and UK labour-market and salary intelligence in one practical operating layer.

    Step into the Dōjō
    01Delivery visibility
    02Employer Brand Audit
    03Market intelligence

    In-house experience

    We'vedonethejob-in-house,atpace,underpressure.Weknowwhatgoodlookslikebecausewe'velivedit.

    Flexible engagement

    Nolock-incontracts.Scaleup,scaledown,orswitchmodelsasyourneedschange.

    Our promise

    Removing the roadblocks to great hiring

    It's easy to get lost in a sea of CVs, conflicting advice, and broken processes. We filter out the noise, focus on what truly matters, and give you the clarity to hire with confidence.

    Velo North

    Quality over quantity

    Every shortlist is curated, never mass-produced. We'll never send you a CV we wouldn't stake our reputation on.

    Confident professional at work

    Total transparency

    No ghosting, no radio silence. You'll hear from us at every stage - even when the answer is 'not yet'.

    Brand guardians

    Your employer brand is an extension of ours. We represent you like we work for you - because we do.

    Team brainstorming session

    Accountable delivery

    Every shortlist is market-mapped, reference-checked, and accountable. If something isn't right, we make it right - fairly and transparently.

    How do I hire without an internal TA team?What's the right recruitment model for my stage?How do I reduce cost-per-hire?How do I attract passive talent?What does a great hiring process look like?How do I scale hiring without sacrificing quality?
    How do I hire without an internal TA team?What's the right recruitment model for my stage?How do I reduce cost-per-hire?How do I attract passive talent?What does a great hiring process look like?How do I scale hiring without sacrificing quality?
    How do I hire without an internal TA team?What's the right recruitment model for my stage?How do I reduce cost-per-hire?How do I attract passive talent?What does a great hiring process look like?How do I scale hiring without sacrificing quality?
    How do I hire without an internal TA team?What's the right recruitment model for my stage?How do I reduce cost-per-hire?How do I attract passive talent?What does a great hiring process look like?How do I scale hiring without sacrificing quality?
    What interview structure actually works?How do I compete for talent against bigger brands?How do I improve candidate experience?When should I build in-house vs outsource?How do I retain top performers?What does good employer branding look like?
    What interview structure actually works?How do I compete for talent against bigger brands?How do I improve candidate experience?When should I build in-house vs outsource?How do I retain top performers?What does good employer branding look like?
    What interview structure actually works?How do I compete for talent against bigger brands?How do I improve candidate experience?When should I build in-house vs outsource?How do I retain top performers?What does good employer branding look like?
    What interview structure actually works?How do I compete for talent against bigger brands?How do I improve candidate experience?When should I build in-house vs outsource?How do I retain top performers?What does good employer branding look like?
    New - Free Employer Brand Audit

    Get your FREE employer brand audit today.

    See exactly what candidates and AI search engines see when they research you. Eight pillars scored, one honest conversation. We do the work; you get the scorecard.

    8 pillars scoredR/A/G status per areaEB Health Score
    Sample EB ScorecardScore 66
    • Careers site & EVP
      82green
    • Glassdoor & reviews
      64amber
    • Search & AI visibility
      41red
    • Process & candidate UX
      78green

    + 4 more pillars in the full audit

    Ready to build your dream team?

    Let Velo North find exceptional talent for your business - fast, flexible, and without compromise.

    Team member 1TSTeam member 2TSTeam member 3TSTeam member 4TS

    100%

    Success-only model

    I'm hiring for my team

    Whether you need one key hire or a full team build-out, we'll find the right model for your stage and budget.

    I'm looking for a role

    Submit your CV and we'll match you with opportunities that align with your experience and ambitions.

    FAQs

    Common questions

    Fractional talent suits flexible ongoing capability; retained or project work suits a critical defined outcome; contingent search suits individual permanent or fixed-term hires; and training builds capability inside your team.

    No. Each engagement is scoped around the outcome and level of support required. We explain the commercial structure clearly after an initial conversation.

    Our experience spans HR tech, regulatory intelligence technology, PropTech, hospitality, events, retail and non-profit organisations.

    Yes. The models are designed to flex. A project can lead into fractional delivery, or training can sit alongside retained or advisory work.

    Timelines depend on the role and scope. We'll give you a realistic start date during our initial scoping call.