IT recruitment: search and selection for direct hire

CTO search: selecting the head of technology you will hire

The CTO sets the technical direction of the company, and for a founder or an HR manager it is the hardest hire to assess. We run targeted IT headhunting and verify live the technical vision, team leadership and past decisions.

Start the search How the search works

What we assess in the technical interview

Technical interviews are live and run by people who work with the same technologies every day. These are the topics we cover for this role.

Technology strategy
How they tie technical choices to the goals of the company and build a credible roadmap.
Architecture and technical debt
How they assess an existing system, decide what to rebuild and what to keep, and explain the trade-offs.
Team leadership
How they hire, organise and grow people, and how they handle a conflict in the team.
Development processes and security
Releases, quality, security and service continuity: which rules they bring in and how they enforce them.
Budget and suppliers
How they estimate costs, choose between in-house development and suppliers and present decisions to management.

Skills and tools we verify

In the briefing we agree with you on the ones that matter to your team; the technical interview verifies them.

Technology roadmap
Software architecture
Cloud and infrastructure
Security and compliance
Agile methods
Supplier management
IT budget
Hiring and growing the team

Seniority

Junior, mid or senior: what changes in what you can expect from the person you hire.

Junior: First CTO role: comes from a tech lead position and leads a small team, with the founders alongside on business choices.
Mid: Has already led a technical team as CTO or head of engineering and handles processes, priorities and hiring alone.
Senior: Has led technical organisations with several teams, sits with management and answers for budget and strategy.

How the search works

01
Briefing
You tell us about the role, the team, the technologies and the contract you offer: this sets the assessment criteria.
02
Search and screening
We look for suitable profiles and screen them on experience, skills and motivation before proposing an interview.
03
Live technical interviews and shortlist
Live technical interviews are run by people who work with the same technologies every day. The shortlist is guaranteed within 4 working days.
04
Hiring and guarantee
You choose who to hire. You have a free replacement guarantee within the 3-month probation.

Costs

Free search
The search and selection of IT staff costs you nothing: briefing, screening, technical interviews and shortlist are free.
A fee of 15% of the gross annual salary
You pay it only once the hire has taken place. If you hire no one, you pay nothing.
Free replacement
If the person you hire does not pass the 3-month probation, we replace them free of charge.

Need the profile for a period rather than hiring them?

With Talent as a Service the professional works in your team for as long as you need, without you hiring them: contract and administration stay with us.

Fractional CTO with Talent as a Service

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to find a CTO?

The shortlist is guaranteed within 4 working days. For a CTO there are usually several interviews, with you and with your partners, and the notice period of the chosen person can be long.

How do you assess technical skills?

With live technical interviews run by people who work with the same technologies every day: architecture, the choices made and their consequences, and the way the candidate leads people.

What happens if the person does not pass probation?

You have a free replacement guarantee within the 3-month probation: we reopen the search and present new profiles at no cost.

Should I hire a CTO or rely on a Fractional CTO?

If you need stable, full-time technical leadership, hiring a CTO is the right move. If you need it for a period or part time, a Fractional CTO with Talent as a Service can be enough.