- For bootstrapped founders who are tired of guessing
Your Embedded Head of Talent -
Without the Full-Time Salary
Human-First, AI-Optimised recruiting for founder-led companies who want serious hiring expertise without agency percentages. Chemistry First methodology. Flat fees. 12-month guarantee.
No pressure. No obligation. Just clarity on your next hire.
Growing companies face impossible choices
Pay £15k+ per hire to agencies. Spend 80-150 hours doing it yourself. Or hire a £60k+ recruiter you can’t fully use. There’s a better way.
DIY hiring fails 40-60% of the time
You know your culture best, but you’re also the busiest person in the company. Most founders spot credentials, not chemistry. 18 months later, it’s a business divorce.
Agencies charge percentages, not value
Traditional recruiters get paid more when you hire the most expensive candidate. They’re incentivised to fill the role fast, not find the person who actually fits how you work.
AI finds people, not fit
AI is brilliant at high-volume, high-turnover hiring. It’s terrible at bootstrapped founder-led hiring, which is high-stakes, low-volume, and founder-centric. Chemistry can’t be keyword-matched.
Chemistry First means hiring for who people are, not just what their CV says
I’ve spent 27 years watching the same pattern. The teams that win aren’t the ones with the most impressive credentials. They’re the ones where people actually click.
Assess
Define what you actually need
Not a job description – a chemistry profile. What’s missing in your current team? What working style complements your existing people? What personality fits a bootstrapped stage?
Locate
Find candidates beyond the obvious
The best people aren’t always job-hunting. They’re building things, contributing to communities, sharing thinking. We look where others don’t.
Investigate
Test for chemistry, not just interview
Trial projects, conflict simulations, decision-making observation. You can’t learn how someone communicates when stuck by asking behavioural questions.
Gel
Ensure fit with your existing team
A candidate perfect for you might clash with your team. We test group dynamics, energy levels, and communication styles before anyone signs anything.
How it work
No six-month retainers. No percentage fees. Just expert hiring support that scales with you.
Trusted by founders who needed
this done right
27+
Years Recruiting Experience
400+
Founders Helped via BIPC Workshops
12mo
Replacement Guarantee
“Helen and her team accompanied us for years in expanding our team in all business areas. Helen’s team is easy to work with, and they quickly learned our company culture and needs. Through the years, we have relied on Helen with recruitment with complete trust.”
Monika Jercha, Shadow Robot Company, London
10+ Year Client Relationship
“I would highly recommend Helen – they are very much an extension of our team and have been extremely hands on. Having worked with numerous recruiters over the years, they are not like them at all and completely different to traditional recruiters which is a breath of fresh air.”
Tom W., Agency, 30+ staff, London
Extension of Our Team
Questions founders usually ask
How is this different from a regular recruiter?
Most recruiters work for the employer, not the founder. They’ll place someone quickly. I work with you to place someone who actually stays. Chemistry First methodology, flat fees, and a 12-month guarantee – most recruiters offer 90 days.
What does 'flat fee' actually mean?
I price the value of the work, not a percentage of the salary. From £1,500/month for the Starter Retainer. That means I’m not incentivised to push the highest-paid candidate – I’m incentivised to get the fit right.
What if the hire doesn't work out?
You get 12 months. If the chemistry fails, we keep searching. I back every placement because I’ve seen what happens when hiring goes wrong. That’s not a line – it’s how I’ve worked for over a decade with clients like Shadow Robot.
Can't I just use AI or LinkedIn to do this myself?
AI is brilliant at finding people. It’s terrible at finding people who’ll actually thrive in YOUR culture. And doing it yourself costs 80-150 hours per hire – time you don’t have as a bootstrapped founder. Hiring yourself is like doing your own tax return. Technically possible. Expensive when it goes wrong.
How quickly can you start?
Book a call this week. If we’re a fit, we can be assessing your first role within days. Bootstrapped founders don’t have 3-6 months to learn hiring; they have 3 weeks to find the right person.
Ready to stop gambling on hiring decisions?
Book your free strategy call. We’ll review your hiring plans, identify your biggest challenges, and show you exactly how a Fractional Talent Partner could work for your business.
No pressure. No obligation. Just clarity.
Hiring For and Building Awesome Companies
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