About MACBI

Why we exist

Most business recruitment agencies chase CV volume. A brief comes in, a generic search runs against a database, an unranked stack of CVs lands in the hiring manager’s inbox by the end of the week, and the hiring manager quietly starts working with a second agency in parallel to reduce their reliance on the first. The brief stalls, the timeline slips, and the eventual hire is often the candidate who was already active on the job boards, not the one you actually wanted.

MACBI was set up to do the opposite. One consultant per brief, a proper intake, a considered vetting process, and a ranked shortlist that arrives on the day we said it would. We work the passive market as thoroughly as the active one and read every CV before it leaves our desk. If we cannot articulate why a candidate matches the brief, the introduction does not happen.

What we do, plainly

We place business talent for UK employers. Direct-hire placements for sales, marketing, finance, HR, operations, IT, legal, admin, supply chain and senior leadership roles across owner-managed businesses, mid-market companies, PE-backed portfolio businesses and corporate teams. One consultant accountable end to end, from the intake call through onboarding follow-up.

The MACBI process

Five deliberate steps that give the acronym meaning:

• Match the Brief. A structured intake to capture the role, seniority, comp band, timeline and success criteria. Written back for sign-off before we start sourcing.
• Approach the Market. Our network and the active market, plus discreet approaches to the passive market where you have a preference for specific competitors or specific backgrounds.
• Confirm the Fit. Screen against the actual role bar, verify current comp and notice period, take up references, confirm right-to-work and background-check readiness before an introduction.
• Brief the Shortlist. A ranked shortlist of three to five applicants, presented with our written notes on why each is worth your interview time.
• Introduce and Support. Interview coordination, offer structuring, counter-offer management and confirmed start-date logistics. Follow-up check-ins at day 30 and day 90.

How we vet

Every applicant on a MACBI shortlist has been assessed against the same standard before an introduction:

• Right-to-work confirmed before introduction
• Sector and functional experience validated against the brief, not just the CV headline
• Current comp package broken down (base, bonus, LTIPs, pension, benefits)
• Notice period, contractual restrictions and start-date realism
• Motivation for move, market activity and any competing processes in flight
• Reference readiness and background-check readiness before we send
• Where the role calls for it, a functional or technical screen tailored to the discipline

Who we work with

Our clients span founder-led businesses, family-owned SMEs, mid-market companies, PE-backed portfolio businesses and corporate teams across the United Kingdom. Managing directors, heads of function and hiring managers who would rather invest 45 minutes in a good intake than three weeks on a bad shortlist.

How we think about a placement

A successful placement is not a signed offer letter. It is the moment 12 months later when the new hire is still there, delivering, integrated into the team, and the hiring manager has stopped thinking about backup plans. That is the outcome we measure ourselves against, and it is why our published median for a placement staying past year one is 89 percent.

Our standards

• Sector-fluent screening. Every consultant is fluent in the functional discipline they recruit for. Generalists cover generalist roles. Specialists cover specialist roles.
• Tell the truth. If a brief is unrealistic for the comp band, or the timeline is too tight for the sector, we say so before we start sourcing.
• One consultant, end to end. Same person from intake through onboarding follow-up.
• Discretion by default. Every approach is confidential. Every brief is confidential until you say otherwise.
• Stand behind the work. Replacement guarantee on every direct-hire placement. No clawback games.

Want to talk?

Use the contact form and we will come back within one business day. We are available Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm.