Deerfoot is an independent tech and IT recruitment consultancy, recruiting permanent, contract and interim technology professionals for employers across the UK.
Helping you achieve better tech hiring outcomes
Hiring for a strategically important tech or IT role presents a valuable opportunity to strengthen your team with a candidate who will bring fresh perspectives and innovative skills. Selecting the best-match professional is crucial, so it's important to approach the talent search process with care and consideration.
Our standard permanent terms include a 6-month, 100% refund guarantee.
We have access to extensive UK tech talent pools, including our own database built since 1997. We take the time to engage properly with candidates, and every one goes through a robust, multi-step assessment process audited by the British Standards Institution (BSI). That gives us full confidence we can make exceptional matches that add measurable value and last. We focus on securing authentic candidates with the essential skills, experience and, importantly, genuine enthusiasm for your organisation and what it is trying to achieve.
Experience & expertise
As one of the longest-established independent tech and IT recruitment consultancies in the UK, we have dedicated the past 29 years to focusing exclusively on tech talent search and engagement best practices. This extensive experience has allowed us to build up expertise and refine our processes, ensuring we consistently deliver measurable results.
The Deerfoot team is made up of highly experienced technology recruiters, with an average of 19 years of experience in the recruitment industry and 14.4 years at Deerfoot.
Ever mindful of our ethical and social responsibilities to candidates and clients alike, we strive to be a trusted recruitment partner, delivering results across all tech functions, roles and technologies.
Meet the founder
Nick Gordon, Founder
Nick founded Deerfoot in 1997 and has more than 25 years in recruitment. He is still hands-on, advising organisations with complex tech hiring needs, and leads Deerfoot’s commitment to ethical recruitment.
Tools & knowledge
We constantly review and adopt the best tools for attracting, selecting and engaging candidates. For example, an AI tool checks our adverts for biased wording, and video interviewing software saves your hiring team time. We also use natural search technology that delivers better target candidate shortlists than Boolean search alone.
We also give clients an online platform to manage applicants, so CVs don't get lost in email threads. You can progress candidates to interview, or reject them, easily within the system.
Team training focuses on achieving process excellence and understanding technology across all tech roles and disciplines. We shy away from sales-based training and tactics, and instead operate in a more considerate way that delivers better long-term outcomes for all candidates and hiring stakeholders.
We also publish the 2026 Technology Salary Report, giving hiring managers current salary benchmarks by specialism.
Ready for mission-critical talent?
Talk to us about your next tech hire, and how we would approach the search.
Certified B Corporation™
We have a strong collective social heart as a business, but we know there is always room for improvement. As a Certified B Corporation™, we believe it is action that counts, not just policies. We continually reflect on what we do, how we do it, and why we do it.
We always want to be proud of the answers. Generating profits and achieving growth is positive, but only if our services protect society and actively respect the environment.
Each month, we donate a sum for each employee to Ecologi, an organisation that plants trees and funds the world's best climate crisis solutions. To date, Deerfoot has donated over £70,000 to charitable causes.
One of our long-term initiatives directly links our recruitment service to charity. Every time we send a candidate's CV to a client, we donate £1 to the Born Free Foundation (registered charity no. 1070906), an organisation devoted to compassionate conservation and animal welfare. We also place one permanent IT hire a month fee-free for a registered charity or non-profit.
Diversity & inclusion
As a Certified B Corporation™, we champion inclusive practices that break down systemic barriers. We actively welcome partnerships with organisations that action a clear DE&I policy, and we recognise the immense positive impact a strong, diverse workforce offers.
DE&I matters to more and more of our clients, and we are fully committed to supporting them with it.
To achieve this, we use advanced AI tools to ensure our IT vacancy adverts are compliant and optimised to attract candidates from under-represented groups. For every role, our goal is to consistently present a diverse shortlist of highly qualified talent.
Objective, informed recruitment support
We offer an objective, well-informed search service that supports in-house HR and talent teams and IT managers. We keep our communication factual and up to date with best practice, and we only put forward authentic, best-match candidates, aiming for a 2:1 CV-to-interview ratio.
We conduct certified biometric TrustID checks on all candidates to whom you extend a job offer. We also carry out in-depth vetting to uncover even the smallest red flags early.
“We have worked with Deerfoot for several years, and they remain a trusted partner in tech hiring initiatives. As well as helping secure quality tech hires, their support around providing info on market trends, thorough candidate vetting and all-around delivery has been excellent.”
Contingent Workforce Program Manager, MUFG Banking Group
Questions employers ask us
What tech and IT roles do you recruit for?
Permanent, contract and interim roles across software engineering, data and analytics, AI, cloud and DevOps, infrastructure and networking, cyber security, architecture, project management, business analysis, product and IT leadership, in any sector. See the roles we cover.
Where are you based, and which areas do you cover?
Our team is based predominantly in Hampshire and works remotely, recruiting for employers across the UK. Most clients meet us by video call, and we are happy to meet in person too. See the areas we cover.
How does the refund guarantee work?
On our standard permanent terms, if a hire leaves within six months you get 100% of the fee back. Nothing is invoiced on the start date: 50% of the fee is due after four weeks and 50% at three months. The full terms are on our risk-sharing page.
How is the 94% retention figure measured?
It is the share of permanent placements still in post twelve months after their start date, across our most recent audited period. It is checked as part of our ISO 9001 audit by BSI.
Do you work with contractors and in-house talent teams?
Yes. We supply contract and interim IT professionals, with contract roles from an 8% mark-up, and we work alongside in-house HR and talent acquisition teams as a specialist supplier. How we support talent teams.
Hiring for a tech or IT role?
Tell us about the role and we will talk you through how we would approach the search. Benchmarking salaries first? Request our 2026 Technology Salary Report.
