...I'm Darren and I help creative people get hired and creative teams scale.
Since 2006, I've been working as an independent recruiter across the digital and creative industries.
Since 2021, I’m doing that differently by working much more closely with individuals (figuratively speaking of course!)
Looking for a new challenge? Building a team? Finding the right role, or the right talent, is all about getting noticed and I’ve been helping people do that for years.
Whether you’re a designer, developer, UX/UI specialist, art director, copywriter, project manager, info architect or an artworker, at board level or just getting started, you can use me as your personal talent agent, and together, we’ll get you moving towards your goal.
Find out more in the section below or find me on any or all of these socials.
“One of Darren’s greatest attributes is empathy, and recognising a persons potential...”
Challenge seekers…
Over nearly 20 years, I’ve met hundreds of people and seen literally thousands of CVs and portfolios, so I know what lands. If you're ready for a new challenge but haven’t written a CV for years, can’t see the wood for the trees when it comes to presenting your work or you’d just like a leg up from someone that’s really got your back, you can book some time with me.
You’ve got two options…
Option 1: £99 - The Power Hour!
An in-depth hour-long chat where we discuss hopes and dreams and what your ideal role looks like. That means conversations about the roles, agencies and organisations you’ve been dreaming of, before making a plan to engage with them.
This package includes:
Taking stock - where are you are currently - what progress has been made?
Full CV assessment and guide for improvement
Portfoilio surgery - understanding what’s working well and where to make adjustments
Tactical advice on making your approaches
Ideas of other organisations to consider
Think of me as your very own cheerleader - rooting for you all the way and doing everything I can to help you get to where you want to be! My promise to you is that you’ll leave our conversation energised, motivated and ready to attack your job search like never before!
Option 2: £149 - Power Hour + Follow up
Everything in the above package + a follow-up call to see how it’s going.
Scheduled at a time that suits you - so we work at your pace - we’ll look through the changes you’ve made and the feedback you’ve gained since our first call and really hone in on what’s working.
Use this second session as a method of accountability or to ask any questions you think you might have missed the first time round.
If you’re a recent graduate or you’re currently unemployed, you can book a session too and it’ll be free of charge. Just drop me a line and let me know your circumstances and I’ll let you know a time.
“In all honesty, Darren is a rarity in his field, he has high integrity and is extremely personable. He also has great connections and expert knowledge of who could fit with who.”
Team builder…
I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to build great teams of creatives.
If you’ve never hired before, not sure who you need, have been looking for ages, struggled to whittle down boatloads of applicants or you’re not attracting anyone at all, you can book time with me where we’ll talk through what you need to do to get the problem solved.
You’ve got three options…
Option 1: £250 - Discovery!
We’ll go back to the beginning and explore why you’re hiring, what type of individual you need (or think you need) and what you’ve done about it already and I’ll share with you how a recruiter would go about doing things.
The call includes:
understanding the brief as it stands and measuring that against what happening in the current market
exploring compromises (there will need to be some) and nailing down non-negotiables
talking through your offer and identifying the compelling reasons why someone should join you
making a start on your pitch (yes, the right candidate almost always needs to be pitched!)
advice/ideas on where to start your search
My promise to you is that you’ll leave our conversation with a clearer picture of who you’re looking for, where to find them and - most importantly - why they should be joining your business.
Whilst this call might all you need, there are of course many other aspects to the recruitment process that you might like my help with - brief writing, ad copy, long-listing, prospect approaches, shortlisting, interview guidance/coaching, first-round interviews, brief setting, prospect feedback, offer management, onboarding etc. If that’s the case, option two or three might be for you…
Option 2: £1,999 - £8,000* - Discovery to shortlisting
Over four weeks I’m dedicated to you and finding viable candidates for your role. A typical plan would look something like this:
Develop a plan for how and where to get the word out (what sites/platforms/events etc.)
Write an ad and set up listings across those places
Leverage my existing contacts to uncover individuals that might not be ‘actively’ looking
Conduct telephone assessments with the most interesting applicants
Present back a list of properly qualified candidates for you to take through to interview stage
Ensure we give feedback to those that weren‘t the right fit, leaving them with a positive experience too
Highlight any of those that could be strong candidates for any future role(s)
Each candidate put forward will match the brief we’ve agreed upon and, after conducting an informal ‘first round’ meet with me, they’ll be primed and ready to enter into a formal interview process with you.
*Costs for this stage are based on the projected starting salary of the successful applicant.
Option 3: £3,999 - £10,000* Discovery through TO Onboarding
We’ve got our short-list so it’s time to start meeting people - the fun part! Things included in this phase are:
First-round interviews and coaching - for you and the candidate(s)
Managing the interview process - feeding back to you and the candidate(s) after meets
Potential ‘test brief’ setting and assessment - helping you decide if it’s necessary and if so, what it could be
Offer management - including salary/package negotiations and setting a start date
Counter-offer preparation and management (very common at the moment)
Help and advice with on-boarding
Final contact and feedback - for all candidates
There is no time limit on this stage - you’ve got me for as long as you need me. I’ll be on hand for both you and the candidate(s) for advice and guidance from the first interview, during notice periods, right through until the day they start (and beyond in truth).
Once your new starter is in place, we can take the time to discuss ‘what next’ and if/how/when you’d like me to get involved in the future.
*The fee for this stage is a flat £2k (added to whatever costs have already been incurred.
“Darren has a vast knowledge of the creative industry with connections spanning far and wide. He’s proactive, positive, extremely honest and a great sounding board.”
Get in touch
If you’ve got questions about how I work or anything else, you can get me on +44 (0)7967 129802 - I’m always happy to talk.
Or, alternatively, click below, fill out the form and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Find me
I work out of the wonderful Wizu Workspace - above Kirkgate Market. It's about a 5 minute walk from the central train station. When we’re allowed to, it’d great to see you face-to-face!