Evidence over adjectives
We describe what someone has done, how they did it and where the risk sits. A shortlist should be useful, not flattering.
Our story
About Bennett & Fletcher
We are a search-led, assessment-backed technology talent firm. Founded in 1991, employee-owned since 2021 and independently minded.
Our story
A partnership built on two disciplines.
Bennett & Fletcher was founded in 1991 by Helen Bennett and Richard Fletcher. They had seen the same failure from different sides: a candidate who interviewed well but could not do the work, or one who could do the work but was never found. The firm was built to close that gap.
Helen brought an assessment-led approach from her background in occupational psychology. Richard brought a researcher’s view of the market and a direct-scouting method. The combination still shapes how we work: research finds the market, assessment tells you what is actually there.
The firm has grown well beyond that first office. Today we are 200 people across 11 countries, working with clients in 31. We are employee-owned, which means the people doing the work have a stake in the standard.
35
Years in business
200
People across 11 countries
1,100
Placements in the last 12 months
94%
Still in post after 12 months
Assessment
A pioneer in online assessment
Bennett & Fletcher has been designing online assessments for technology hiring since 2003. We built remote work-sample assessment into our search process long before remote hiring became standard, and we have been refining it ever since. The point was never the technology. It was to give hiring teams better evidence, earlier.
- Online work-sample assessments since 2003
- Structured scoring and calibration
- Remote delivery across 31 countries
Timeline
Thirty-five years, six offices.
A few milestones, and the decisions behind them.
1991
Founded in Clerkenwell
Helen Bennett and Richard Fletcher started Bennett & Fletcher in two rooms above a print shop on Clerkenwell Road.
1994
REC corporate member
The firm joined the Recruitment & Employment Confederation and adopted its Code of Professional Practice.
1999
International search
The search practice moved beyond the UK with a CTO appointment for an Amsterdam software business.
2003
Online assessment
We began running remote work-sample assessments through a bespoke online workflow, long before remote hiring became standard.
2004
34 Clerkenwell Road
The firm moved to its current London headquarters, a short walk from the original office.
2006
Assessment practice formalised
Helen formalised the firm's assessment method around role scorecards, structured interviews and written calibration notes.
2008
APSCo member
The firm joined the Association of Professional Staffing Companies as its contract and interim work grew.
2012
Embedded hiring
The embedded hiring practice began with a six-person search team placed inside a payments business for nine months.
2014
Amsterdam office
The firm opened its European hub and Claire Devlin joined to lead enterprise client strategy.
2016
New York office
The firm opened its New York hub to support financial services and enterprise software clients on the US East Coast.
2018
Singapore office and leadership transition
The firm opened its Asia-Pacific hub. Richard stepped back from day-to-day search and Tomás Ferreira joined as chief operating officer.
2019
Austin office
The firm opened its Austin hub to support enterprise software and AI clients across the US and Canada.
2021
Employee-owned
Bennett & Fletcher became employee-owned through an Employee Ownership Trust, giving every colleague a stake in the firm.
2022
Dubai office
The firm opened its Middle East hub to support financial services and technology clients across the region.
2024
200 colleagues
Headcount reached 200 people across 11 countries, with clients hiring in 31 countries.
2026
35 years
The firm marks 35 years: 200 people, six offices, 11 countries and 1,100 placements in the last 12 months.
Values
What we mean by a good search.
Long-term over quick wins
A placement that lasts is worth more than a fast one. We would rather extend a search than force a hire.
Discretion
Senior searches are sensitive. We keep names, conversations and decisions inside the process.
Craft
Research, assessment and feedback are skills. We train for them, review them and keep improving them.
Leadership
The people accountable for the standard.
Six people, six offices and a shared view of what good looks like.
Helen Bennett
Co-founder & Chairman
BSc Psychology, University of Bristol, 1983
Helen co-founded Bennett & Fletcher in 1991 after eight years in assessment and selection. She shaped the firm's assessment-led approach and still chairs the annual review of its scorecards, interview standards and calibration process.
Previously: A UK assessment consultancy
Richard Fletcher
Co-founder & Non-Executive Director
BSc Computer Science, University of Manchester, 1983
Richard began his career as a researcher in 1984 and built the firm's direct-scouting method. He stepped back from day-to-day search in 2018 and remains a non-executive director, with a particular interest in research quality and long-term client relationships.
Previously: A UK technology search firm, from 1984
Claire Devlin
Chief Executive
BA History, University of Leeds, 1999
Claire joined in 2014 and became chief executive in 2019. She leads client strategy and the firm's Fortune 500 partnerships, with a focus on making senior hiring more evidence-based and less reactive.
Previously: A global technology search firm
Marcus Okafor
Managing Director, Global Search
BSc Computer Science, University of Lagos, 2004; MSc Information Systems, University of Amsterdam, 2006
Marcus joined in 2011 and leads global search across AI, data and engineering. He has built search teams in London, Amsterdam, New York and Singapore, and works closely with founders and CTOs on senior technical appointments.
Previously: A European technology scale-up
Priya Raman
Director of Assessment
BSc Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 2009; MSc Occupational Psychology, University of Nottingham, 2011
Priya joined in 2016 and owns assessment design, calibration and quality. She reviews every assessment template used by the firm and trains consultants to separate evidence from impression.
Previously: Assessment design at a FTSE 100 employer
Tomás Ferreira
Chief Operating Officer
BSc Economics, University of Porto, 2007
Tomás joined in 2018 and leads delivery, compliance and the firm's global operating model. He is responsible for the systems that keep searches consistent across six offices and eleven countries.
Previously: Operations roles in professional services
Offices
Six hubs, one operating model.
Our people work across 11 countries. These are the six places we call home.
Since 1991
London
Headquarters
2nd Floor34 Clerkenwell Road
London EC1M 5PQ
Our founding office, a few minutes from Farringdon. Client meetings and assessment sessions are held here.
Opened 2014
Amsterdam
European hub
Keizersgracht 2411016 EA Amsterdam
Netherlands
amsterdam@bennett-fletcher.com
Our European search and assessment team, supporting clients across the Benelux, Germany and the Nordics.
Opened 2016
New York
US East Coast hub
200 Park Avenue17th Floor
New York, NY 10166
United States
Our New York team works with financial services, enterprise software and AI businesses across the US East Coast.
Opened 2018
Singapore
Asia-Pacific hub
1 Raffles Place#20-61
Singapore 048616
singapore@bennett-fletcher.com
Our Asia-Pacific team supports clients across Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and the wider region.
Opened 2019
Austin
North American hub
300 West 6th StreetSuite 2100
Austin, TX 78701
United States
Our Austin team works with enterprise software, payments and AI businesses across the US and Canada.
Opened 2022
Dubai
Middle East hub
Gate Village 4Level 3
Dubai International Financial Centre
Dubai, UAE
Our Dubai team supports financial services and technology clients across the Middle East.
Standards
Accreditations, awards and the things we measure.
We are judged by retention and repeat business, not by a shelf of awards. Recognition is welcome; the metrics matter more. The accreditations below are part of how we run the firm, not a substitute for doing the work properly.
- RECCorporate member since 1994
- APSCoMember since 2008
- ISO 27001:2022Certified since 2022
- Cyber Essentials PlusCertified since 2021
- ICORegistered data controller
- Living Wage EmployerAccredited since 2018
- Tech Talent CharterSignatory since 2019
Recognition
- The UK Technology Talent Awards 2025
Finalist, Specialist Recruitment Firm - The Talent & Assessment Awards 2024
Finalist, Assessment-Led Search
How the firm is made up
- 82 consultants
- 44 researchers
- 18 assessment specialists
- 56 operations and central team
Responsibility
How we work, beyond the search.
We publish what we measure, including the parts that are not flattering.
Diversity
Women make up 46% of our people and 2 of our 6 leadership team. 28% of colleagues are from minority ethnic backgrounds. We publish an annual diversity note and report progress against it.
Our use of AI
We use AI to support research, drafting and scheduling. We do not use it to screen, rank or reject candidates. Every shortlist is reviewed by a consultant, and every recommendation is ours.
Our environmental approach
We measure and report our business travel emissions annually, buy renewable electricity for our offices and include environmental considerations in our supplier reviews. We are a Living Wage Employer and publish an annual diversity and impact note.
Contact
Start with a conversation.
Tell us what you are building, the role you need to fill and the timeline. We will come back within one working day.