DNA Recruit
DNA Recruit is a London-based, fully remote specialist recruitment agency founded in 2008, placing creative, marketing, technology, and executive talent into UK and global agencies and brand-side organisations via contingency, hybrid, retained and embedded engagement models.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DNA Recruit does
DNA Recruit is a UK-based, fully remote specialist recruitment agency founded in 2008 by Ali Wallace and Jo Suter, headquartered in London. The firm places creative, marketing, technology, planning, strategy and executive talent into advertising agencies, marketing services groups and client-side brand organisations across 17+ sector specialisations. Its long-tenured client base includes ALDI, AKQA, Grey Group, The MARS Agency, BWM Dentsu, TLC Worldwide, and Somo/CI&T, with testimonial relationships documented as spanning 10–19 years.
The business is structured around five productised service lines: DNA Grow (contingency), DNA Adapt (hybrid), DNA Evolve (fully retained executive search), DNA Outplacement (career transition coaching) and HIDDEN by DNA (embedded recruitment / RPO-style partnership). Underpinning the offering is DNA Screen, a proprietary cloud-based video interview technology that enables candidates to record "Video CVs" for client review and shortlisting. The technology stack otherwise relies on standard CRM and recruitment automation tools; no proprietary AI models, training pipelines or disclosed data assets are referenced. A dedicated offshore talent sourcing team in South Africa supports consultant desks, and the team operates as one of the first fully remote recruitment businesses in the UK.
DNA Recruit generates revenue primarily through transaction fees on contingency placements, with additional managed-services revenue from the HIDDEN embedded partnership (projected to be 40–50% cheaper than in-house or contingent costs), retainer-based professional services revenue from DNA Evolve executive search and outplacement engagements, and a subscription/recurring element from DNA Screen. Go-to-market is direct, consultative enterprise field sales supported by self-serve candidate registration, a job board (36 active vacancies at time of data capture), and content-led demand generation including the annual DNA Salary Guide, the "DNA Download" podcast and recurring event sponsorships with The BD100 (8+ year partnership), MAD//Fest, MAD//North and NABS. The firm offers its own consultants an EMI equity scheme alongside uncapped commission.
DNA Recruit firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DNA Recruit
- Legal name
- DNA Recruit
- Website
- https://dnarecruit.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- DNA Recruit is a London-based, fully remote specialist recruitment agency founded in 2008, placing creative, marketing, technology, and executive talent into UK and global agencies and brand-side organisations via contingency, hybrid, retained and embedded engagement models.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DNA Recruit industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sales, Marketing & Customer Success Direct Hire (BPACAFAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS) (BPACAPAD), Recruitment Marketing & Employer Branding for RPO (BPACABAL)
Keywords
Where DNA Recruit is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
DNA Recruit business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- DNA Grow (Contingency Recruitment): Classic contingency on-demand solution to recruit world-class contract, freelance and permanent talent. Fees earned on successful placement.
- DNA Adapt (Hybrid Recruitment): Hybrid recruitment solution designed to improve chances of unearthing senior talent not actively on the market and deliver strategic recruitment needs.
- DNA Evolve (Retained Executive Search): Fully retained recruitment solution to attract executives who will take a brand to the next level. Project-based, retainer-driven engagement.
- DNA Outplacement: Helping employers manage redundancies by coaching employees to find new roles. Fee-based career transition services.
- HIDDEN by DNA (Embedded Recruitment / RPO): Embedded recruitment experts dedicated to client success; partnership model offering scalable talent acquisition support projected at 40%-50% cheaper than in-house or contingent costs.
- DNA Screen (Video Interview SaaS): Cloud-based video interview technology product offered as part of recruitment process improvement services.
- Recruitment Consultant Roles (Internal): DNA also hires its own recruitment consultants via competitive base salaries with uncapped quarterly commission and EMI equity scheme.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Recruitment fees - quote-based, consistent fee structure |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | Internal recruiter compensation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
DNA Recruit product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DNA Recruit is a London-based, fully remote specialist recruitment agency that places contract, freelance, permanent and executive talent into creative, advertising, marketing, digital, technology and client-side roles. It delivers its services through five branded engagement models — DNA Grow (contingency), DNA Adapt (hybrid), DNA Evolve (retained executive search), DNA Outplacement (career transition), and HIDDEN by DNA (embedded/RPO) — wrapped around DNA Screen, a proprietary cloud-based video interview technology.
Product overview
DNA Recruit is a UK-based, fully remote specialist recruitment agency — not a single unified SaaS product, but a portfolio of complementary recruitment service lines (DNA Grow, DNA Adapt, DNA Evolve, DNA Outplacement, HIDDEN by DNA) wrapped around DNA Screen, its proprietary cloud-based video interview technology. The core service lines (Grow contingency, Adapt hybrid, Evolve retained executive search, Outplacement and HIDDEN embedded) address different engagement models from contract/freelance hiring through to executive appointments, while DNA Screen is the underlying technology layer used across these solutions to improve shortlisting via video CVs. Insights offerings (the annual DNA Salary Guide) and thought-leadership content (The DNA Download podcast, blog, case studies) complement the core recruitment solutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DNA Grow: Classic (contingency), on-demand recruitment solution to recruit world-class contract, freelance and permanent talent.
- DNA Adapt
- DNA Evolve
- DNA Outplacement
- HIDDEN by DNA
- DNA Screen
Products and services
- DNA Grow Classic contingency recruitment solution providing on-demand hiring of contract, freelance and permanent talent across DNA Recruit's 17+ specialist sectors. Fees are earned on successful placement. Targeted at agencies and client-side organisations that need flexible, on-demand hiring without a retained engagement.
- DNA Adapt Hybrid recruitment solution designed to surface senior talent not actively on the market and address strategic recruitment needs, combining elements of contingency and retained search. Targeted at clients needing senior or hard-to-find candidates without a fully retained engagement.
- DNA Evolve Fully retained recruitment solution designed to attract executive leaders who can take a brand to the next level, including executive assessments of leadership potential, strategic thinking and cultural fit. Targeted at C-suite and senior leadership appointments across creative, marketing and digital organisations.
- DNA Outplacement Outplacement service helping employers manage redundancies by coaching redundant employees to find new roles, providing career transition coaching and access to a network of ambitious brands. Targeted at employers undergoing restructuring who want to protect employer brand and support displaced staff.
- HIDDEN by DNA Embedded recruitment solution providing experienced talent acquisition experts dedicated to a client's success, functioning as an extension of the client's in-house team. Functions as a scalable RPO model projected at 40-50% lower cost than in-house or contingent hiring. Targeted at organisations needing ongoing, embedded recruitment capacity without building a permanent in-house team.
- DNA Screen Cloud-based video interview technology that lets candidates record a Video CV and allows clients to review candidate personalities and fit more efficiently as part of the recruitment process. Used internally across DNA's recruitment service lines and offered to clients to improve shortlisting and reduce wasted interview time.
- 2026 DNA Salary Guide Annual salary benchmarking publication providing industry salary insights across creative, marketing, digital, technology and executive disciplines. Available as a downloadable resource to candidates and clients to support compensation conversations and EVP positioning.
Quantifiable outcome
- Projected 40%-50% cheaper cost per hire via HIDDEN embedded partnership model versus in-house or contingent costs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use DNA Recruit
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DNA Recruit technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
DNA Recruit partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship - 8+ year talent partnership anchoring bd community engagement, core - training, mentoring and peer network for dna's team, core - recurring official talent partner role at major industry event, core - sponsor with branded 'win a hire' activation, mid - first-of-its-kind sponsorship aligned with d&i values, minor - community sponsorship and core - dedicated offshore team supporting consultant desks.
- The BD100flagship - 8+ year talent partnership anchoring bd community engagementDNA Recruit has proudly partnered with The BD100 for over 8 years as the official Talent Partner. The relationship includes championing new BD talent, judging the BD100 Awards (Ali Wallace judged in 2025), and sharing learnings about building successful BD careers. The BD100 underpins DNA's positioning within the business development community.
- The Recruitment Network (TRN)core - training, mentoring and peer network for dna's teamDNA is a member of The Recruitment Network (TRN), which is open to the whole DNA team for training, mentoring and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. Team members have a personal login to the TRN world platform for training and support.
- MAD//North (MADDY Awards)core - recurring official talent partner role at major industry eventDNA Recruit served as Official Talent Partner at MAD//North 2026 (6 March 2026) and shared takeaways on retaining top talent. The partnership positions DNA as a key voice on hiring and retention within the UK marketing industry.
- MAD//Festcore - sponsor with branded 'win a hire' activationDNA Recruit sponsored MAD//Fest 2026 with a 'Win a hire' activation (article dated 21 June 2026), using the event to generate brand visibility and recruiting opportunities.
- NABS (National Advertising Benevolent Society)mid - first-of-its-kind sponsorship aligned with d&i valuesDNA Recruit sponsored the first ever NABS Growth Hack on 2 April 2026, supporting diversity, inclusion and talent development in the UK advertising/media industry.
- Barley Cricket Clubminor - community sponsorshipDNA Recruit is a proud sponsor of Barley Cricket Club.
- Berkhamsted Rugby Clubminor - community sponsorshipDNA Recruit is a proud sponsor of Berkhamsted Rugby Club.
- South Africa Offshore Talent Sourcing Partnercore - dedicated offshore team supporting consultant desksDNA operates a Dedicated Offshore Talent Sourcing team based out of South Africa to support consultants' desks on achievement of key milestones. Functions as a back-office research/sourcing partner.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DNA Recruit competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Stopgap: Stopgap is a specialist marketing recruitment agency covering digital, communications, brand and creative roles across the UK — overlapping heavily with DNA's Marketing, PR & Communications and Digital Marketing sectors.
- Aspire: Aspire is a specialist recruitment firm covering sales, marketing, digital and creative roles across the UK and globally, with multiple service lines including executive search and embedded recruitment — closely comparable to DNA's DNA Grow/Adapt/Evolve/HIDDEN portfolio.
- Reuben Sinclair: Reuben Sinclair is a London-based specialist recruitment agency focused on communications, PR, marketing, digital and creative roles — a direct competitor in DNA's PR & Communications, Social & Content and Strategy & Planning verticals.
- Major Players: Major Players is a UK creative, marketing and digital recruitment specialist covering content, design, PR, client services and technology — directly competing with DNA across multiple of its 17 sector pages.
- Folio (folio.london): Folio is a London-based creative, marketing and digital recruitment specialist focused on agency and client-side roles — directly comparable to DNA's creative, design, client services and digital marketing disciplines.
- Carter Murray: Carter Murray is a global executive search and recruitment firm specialising in marketing, sales, digital, HR and communications leadership — a direct peer to DNA's retained executive search (DNA Evolve) and senior marketing placements.
- VMA Group: VMA Group is a global specialist recruitment firm covering communications, marketing, sales and digital transformation roles — comparable to DNA's mid-market and enterprise marketing/communications executive search work.
- Salt: Salt is a UK/global specialist recruitment agency focused on digital, marketing, technology and creative roles — directly overlapping DNA's core verticals (Digital Marketing, Performance Marketing, Technology, UX/UI) and serving similar mid-market and enterprise clients.
Broad incumbents
- Hays: Hays is a global publicly-listed recruitment firm with a large marketing & digital, technology and accountancy practice — a broad incumbent whose specialist desks compete with DNA for the same enterprise marketing and technology briefs, but at much larger scale and broader coverage.
- Michael Page: Michael Page is a global recruitment incumbent with dedicated marketing, digital, technology and executive search divisions — competing with DNA for mid-market and enterprise briefs while offering a much wider industry and geographic footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DNA Recruit social profiles
Digital presenceDNA Recruit financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DNA Recruit leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
DNA Recruit subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
DNA Recruit funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DNA Recruit M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DNA Recruit
What does DNA Recruit do?
DNA Recruit is a London-based, fully remote specialist recruitment agency that places contract, freelance, permanent and executive talent into creative, advertising, marketing, digital, technology and client-side roles. It delivers its services through five branded engagement models — DNA Grow (contingency), DNA Adapt (hybrid), DNA Evolve (retained executive search), DNA Outplacement (career transition), and HIDDEN by DNA (embedded/RPO) — wrapped around DNA Screen, a proprietary cloud-based video interview technology.
Is DNA Recruit a public or private company?
DNA Recruit is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was DNA Recruit founded?
DNA Recruit was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is DNA Recruit based?
DNA Recruit is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does DNA Recruit make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. DNA Grow (Contingency Recruitment) is the primary driver. The others are DNA Adapt (Hybrid Recruitment), DNA Evolve (Retained Executive Search), DNA Outplacement, HIDDEN by DNA (Embedded Recruitment / RPO), DNA Screen (Video Interview SaaS) and recruitment Consultant Roles (Internal).
Who are DNA Recruit's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stopgap, Aspire, Reuben Sinclair, Major Players, Folio (folio.london), Carter Murray, VMA Group and Salt. Broad incumbents are Hays and Michael Page.
Does DNA Recruit have an API?
No public API is recorded for DNA Recruit.
What industry is DNA Recruit in?
DNA Recruit's product category is Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAFAD, Sales, Marketing & Customer Success Direct Hire, with a secondary code of BPACAPAD, Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS). Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.