First Military Recruitment
First Military Recruitment is a UK-based, veteran-owned ex-military recruitment firm placing Army, Navy and RAF veterans into permanent, contract and executive technical, engineering and leadership roles across UK SMEs and global brands, with a US sub-brand.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersCirencester, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What First Military Recruitment does
First Military Recruitment (legal entity: Perceptive Recruitment Ltd) is a UK-based, veteran-owned and predominantly veteran-staffed recruitment firm founded in 2013 and headquartered in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. The company specialises in placing ex-Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel into permanent, contract and executive civilian roles across technical, engineering, leadership and logistics functions, claiming in excess of 100 years of combined military experience across its team and emphasising its understanding of the UK security clearance system as a key differentiator.
Its core offering comprises permanent placement, contract/temporary placement and executive recruitment services, supported by a website job board and a CV upload portal for candidate self-registration. The firm operates no proprietary technology platform, relying instead on Recruit So Simple as its CRM and Logic Melon for job application management across job boards, social media and the website. Distribution is exclusively direct and consultative, with no resellers or channel partners.
The business model is contingency-based: permanent placements are typically fee-based as a percentage of placed salary, with additional revenue from contract/temporary margin. Clients range from global brands to local SMEs across the UK, with a US sub-brand (FMR USA) led by former Paratrooper Chris Rowan extending the proposition to the continental United States. The firm monetises an added-value ecosystem through its sister company Learning Direct, which provides pro bono leadership and soft-skills training to clients around major recruitment campaigns.
First Military Recruitment firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- First Military Recruitment
- Legal name
- Perceptive Recruitment Ltd
- Website
- https://first-military.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- First Military Recruitment is a UK-based, veteran-owned ex-military recruitment firm placing Army, Navy and RAF veterans into permanent, contract and executive technical, engineering and leadership roles across UK SMEs and global brands, with a US sub-brand.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
First Military Recruitment industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Executive Search Services (561312)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Veterans & Military-to-Civilian Transition Programs (EDAAAOAH)
Keywords
Where First Military Recruitment is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cirencester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
First Military Recruitment business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Permanent Placement Recruitment: Contingency-based permanent placement fees, typically charged as a percentage of the placed candidate's annual salary upon successful hire.
- Contract / Temporary Placement: Placing candidates in contract or fixed-term roles, generating revenue through placement fees or ongoing margin on contract rates.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
First Military Recruitment product offering
Product offeringCore offering
First Military Recruitment is a veteran-owned specialist recruiter that places ex-Army, Royal Navy, and RAF personnel into permanent, contract, and executive civilian roles spanning technical, engineering, logistics, and leadership functions. It charges employers placement fees (typically a percentage of annual salary for permanent hires or a margin on contract rates) while candidates register free of charge via the website job board, CV upload portal, phone, or email.
Product overview
First Military Recruitment operates as a veteran-owned and predominantly veteran-staffed recruitment firm specialising in the permanent and contract placement of ex-military and defence sector talent. The company offers a unified recruitment service portfolio encompassing permanent placement, contract placement, and executive recruitment services. Candidates access opportunities through a CV upload platform and online job board. The company maintains offices in Cirencester (head office), Bristol, and Gloucester, with an additional US operation called FMR USA led by Chris Rowan serving the American veteran community. Internally, the company uses Recruit So Simple as its CRM and Logic Melon for managing job applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Permanent Placement Services Contingency-based permanent recruitment services placing ex-military and defence sector candidates into permanent civilian roles for UK employers, spanning technical, engineering, logistics, retail, and leadership positions from shop floor to boardroom. Fees are typically a percentage of the placed candidate's annual salary upon successful hire.
- Contract Placement Services Contract and temporary recruitment services placing ex-military candidates into fixed-term or contract civilian roles, generating revenue through placement fees or ongoing margin on contract rates.
- Executive Recruitment Specialised executive-level recruitment placing senior ex-military candidates into leadership and board-level positions, drawing on the firm's access to security-cleared and senior Armed Forces leavers.
- FMR USA Veteran Recruitment US-based veteran recruitment service operating across the continental United States, led by former Paratrooper Chris Rowan, connecting US military veterans with US employers. Functions as the firm's transatlantic offering with its own sales coverage and candidate network of thousands of US Military Veterans.
Companies that use First Military Recruitment
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
First Military Recruitment technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
First Military Recruitment partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Learning DirectminorSister company providing leadership and soft skills training pro bono to clients as part of major recruitment campaigns. Offered at no additional cost to clients.
- The Buchanan TrustminorVeteran charity whose mission is to help those who have served in the armed forces transition into civilian life by offering short term accommodation, accredited training, skills, work experience and employment opportunities. FMR personnel participated in the 3-Peaks Challenge to support the charity.
- Recruit So SimplecoreCRM provider acting as a data processor with procedures and safeguards in place to protect personal data. Contact: 01276 300123 or [email protected].
- Logic MeloncoreData processor managing job applications from relevant job boards and applications made by social media and the website. Contact: (0)203 553 3667 or Silvaco Technology Centre, Compass Point, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, PE27 5JL.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
First Military Recruitment competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Michael Page: Global professional recruitment brand (PageGroup) placing mid-to-senior professionals across engineering, technical and commercial functions. Overlaps with FMR's executive and technical engineering placements at the more senior end of the market.
- Reed: One of the UK's largest generalist recruitment firms, operating across permanent, contract and temporary placements with broad sector coverage including a dedicated affinity/ex-military network. Competes with FMR on permanent placements into SMEs and enterprises.
- Korn Ferry: Global executive search and organisational consulting firm with veteran-affinity programmes. Comparable to FMR's executive recruitment service for senior leadership placements, particularly in defence and industrial sectors.
Direct peers
- Matchtech: UK specialist technical and engineering recruitment firm placing engineers into aerospace, defence, infrastructure and manufacturing roles. Overlaps with FMR's technical/engineering placement focus and UK defence-sector clients.
- Orion Talent: US-focused military and veteran talent acquisition firm connecting transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses with employers across corporate, industrial and defence sectors. Highly comparable business model and candidate focus to FMR's FMR USA operation.
- Bradley-Morris: US military-to-civilian recruiter placing officers, NCOs and enlisted personnel into corporate, engineering, operations and technical careers. Highly comparable candidate pool and employer-targeting approach.
- Cameron-Brooks: US executive search firm specialising in placing military officers (O-3 to O-6) into business leadership roles. Direct overlap with FMR's executive recruitment service and ex-military candidate sourcing.
- Sterling Engineering: Engineering and technical recruitment firm operating in the US, placing engineers and technicians into manufacturing, aerospace and industrial roles. Comparable technical-candidate focus and contingency placement model.
- RecruitMilitary: US veteran employment company operating job fairs, a veteran job board and recruitment services aimed at placing military veterans into civilian roles. Directly comparable in veteran-candidate focus and employer-driven placement model.
- Forces Recruitment Services: UK-based ex-military recruitment firm placing ex-Forces personnel into security, facilities management, construction and commercial roles. Closest UK-headquartered peer to FMR in terms of candidate specialism and employer base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
First Military Recruitment social profiles
Digital presenceFirst Military Recruitment financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
First Military Recruitment leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
First Military Recruitment subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
First Military Recruitment funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
First Military Recruitment 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 First Military Recruitment
What does First Military Recruitment do?
First Military Recruitment is a veteran-owned specialist recruiter that places ex-Army, Royal Navy, and RAF personnel into permanent, contract, and executive civilian roles spanning technical, engineering, logistics, and leadership functions. It charges employers placement fees (typically a percentage of annual salary for permanent hires or a margin on contract rates) while candidates register free of charge via the website job board, CV upload portal, phone, or email.
Is First Military Recruitment a public or private company?
First Military Recruitment is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was First Military Recruitment founded?
First Military Recruitment was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is First Military Recruitment based?
First Military Recruitment is headquartered in Cirencester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does First Military Recruitment make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Permanent Placement Recruitment is the primary driver. The others are contract / Temporary Placement.
Who are First Military Recruitment's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Michael Page, Reed and Korn Ferry. Direct peers are Matchtech, Orion Talent, Bradley-Morris, Cameron-Brooks, Sterling Engineering, RecruitMilitary and Forces Recruitment Services.
Does First Military Recruitment have an API?
No public API is recorded for First Military Recruitment.
What industry is First Military Recruitment in?
First Military Recruitment's product category is Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAOAH, Veterans & Military-to-Civilian Transition Programs. Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.