Employers

What makes us different

We work with fewer clients than most agencies. That is a deliberate choice.

It means when you brief us on a role, it gets our full attention. Not split across forty open vacancies. Not handed to a junior to fill a quota. It is ours, from the first conversation to the point where your new hire is settled and performing.

We will tell you honestly if the brief needs refining, if the salary is out of step with the market, or if the role as written will struggle to attract the right people.

That kind of candour is rare in recruitment. It is also exactly what a hiring manager needs.

Hiring in the South West? See how we support IT recruitment in Bristol for data, AI and cyber roles.

What working with us looks like

A proper brief, not a job description handed over and worked.

Honest market feedback, even when it is not what you want to hear.

A shortlist with context behind each name, not a pile of CVs to sift.

Candidates who are properly prepared for interview, kept informed throughout, and supported through to their first day and beyond.

If something is not right, you hear it from us first.

No handoffs. No volume targets. Recruitment you can hold someone accountable for, from start to finish.

What Our Clients Say

“We have worked closely with Xist4 to recruit some critical technical IT Infrastructure and Development roles in a very challenging marketplace. We have been successful in now appointing all of the roles – Gozie Ezulike has provided a very professional level of service and expertise’”
— CIO, National Museum

Working With Us: Common Questions

How do your fees work?
For permanent roles, our fee is a percentage of the first year's salary, and nothing is payable until your new hire starts. For retained search, the fee is paid in three stages: a third when the search begins, a third when we present the shortlist, and the balance when your chosen candidate accepts, based on their actual salary.

What happens if the person leaves early?
For permanent roles, if your new hire leaves within the first eight weeks, we refund part of our fee on a sliding scale. For retained search, we run a replacement search at no extra cost if they leave within the agreed guarantee period. Full details are in our terms of business.

Do you recruit outside Bristol and London?
Yes. We are based in Bristol with a London office, and we recruit for employers across the UK.

Can you help with a role we have struggled to fill?
Yes. Hard-to-fill roles are where specialist recruitment earns its fee. We map the market and approach people who are not actively looking, rather than relying on whoever answered the advert. For scarce or senior roles, a retained search gives the role our dedicated time.

What do you need from us to get started?
A short conversation about the role, the team and the salary range, and a job description if you have one. Getting started is quick: register your vacancy using the form below and we will be in touch to talk it through.

Ready to Hire? Let's Talk.

If you need a recruitment partner to run the search properly, we can help. We manage the process from brief to offer, keeping candidates engaged and making sure you know where things stand throughout.

Register vacancy

Recruiting it Yourself?

The Hiring Campaign Diagnostic is a two-day review of your brief, job description, salary, sourcing plan and candidate journey before you go to market.

It helps you spot the problems that could cost you weeks: the wrong salary, a weak advert, unclear role definition, poor sourcing routes or a process that good candidates simply will not wait around for.

£1,500 fixed, with a written readout you can act on.

Book Xist4's Hiring Campaign Diagnostic

What our clients say

Testimonials

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