How to hire without a recruiter.

You don't need an agency to reach great people. Here's how direct hiring works on describe.me, from a pasted role to a booked interview — and what it costs.

See who we'd match — free Book a live demo Jump to how it works

The complete hiring workflow

What it costs vs an agency

A recruitment agency

  • £6,000–£12,000 per hire (15–25% of salary)
  • Paid on placement, fit or not
  • Weeks of CV forwarding
  • Their shortlist, their process

describe.me

  • £0 to post roles and see matches
  • Pay per contact — first 3 free
  • A scored shortlist in about a minute
  • Your shortlist, your calls, your data

FAQs

Are these real candidates?

Yes. Every profile is opt-in and verified — added by the person themselves, never scraped or bought. You see anonymised matches first, and full details only when you choose to unlock them.

Is it just for recruiters and agencies?

No — it’s built for anyone hiring. Founders, hiring managers and in-house teams use it exactly like an agency would, without the fee.

Do I have to sign up to see candidates?

No. Paste a role — or give us the job title and we’ll write it for you — and see your anonymised, scored shortlist for free, no account needed. You only sign up when you want to unlock someone’s details.

How is everyone’s data handled?

Candidates opt in and consent to being matched; their name and contact details stay hidden until they agree to share them for your specific role. No surprises, no data brokers.

How is this different from a job board?

A job board waits for people to apply. describe.me matches motivated, opt-in people to your role — including strong passive candidates who aren’t actively applying.

What does it actually cost?

Free to post roles and review matches. You only pay per contact when you unlock someone — and your first 3 are free. No subscription, no contract.

See who we'd match to your role.

Paste a role — or give us the title and we’ll write it — and get a free shortlist in about a minute. No signup, no agency fee.

See your matches — free

Are you a professional looking for your next career move?

Explore describe.me for Professionals

Run a recruitment agency? See describe.me for Recruiters

Hiring insights

Platform updates, hiring tips, and early access to new features.

Candidates' data stays theirs. Every contact is gated on the candidate's explicit consent. Read the data promise