Research and evidence
Startup hiring research, with the sources attached
Short, checkable briefs on the questions founders ask before hiring. Where a fact is published by a reputable source we cite it and link it. Where we hold no evidence, we say so and leave the number out rather than invent one.
How this section works
Three rules, applied to every page here.
Sourced or absent
Every factual claim names a source with a publisher, a link and the date we last checked it. Nothing is asserted without one.
Gaps stated openly
Salary ranges, time-to-hire, retention and response rates are not published, because we hold no dataset we could stand behind. Each brief lists what it deliberately leaves blank.
Reviewed and named
Each brief carries a reviewed date and is reviewed by Joseph Edney, Managing Director, Humand Talent Solutions.
Section last reviewed 2026-08-15.
The briefs
Each one opens with a direct answer.
What a hire actually costs, and when the money leaves
The cost of a hire is salary plus statutory employer costs plus recruitment cost, and the three have completely different timing. Employer National Insurance and pension contributions recur monthly from the start date; a traditional recruitment fee lands once, usually within weeks of the start date; a monthly recruitment fee spreads across the employment. Only the statutory rates are fixed and published — the recruitment element depends entirely on the model you agree.
Reviewed 2026-08-15 · 4 sourced claims · 3 stated gaps
How to structure a technical hiring process
A workable technical process has four things: a written definition of the outcome before any interviewing, the same assessment applied to every candidate, evidence recorded per stage rather than impressions collected afterwards, and the statutory employer duties handled at the right point. The legal duties are published; the design of the stages is a judgement call, and this page is explicit about which is which.
Reviewed 2026-08-15 · 4 sourced claims · 3 stated gaps
What founders should measure in a hiring funnel
At startup volumes, track five things: how long the role has been open, conversion between each stage, where candidates drop out, offer acceptance, and how long new hires stay. Measure them against your own previous hires — not against an industry benchmark, because at ten or twenty candidates a role the numbers are too small for an external average to mean much.
Reviewed 2026-08-15 · 2 sourced claims · 3 stated gaps
What evidence should exist before a senior technical hire
Before committing to a senior technical hire you should be able to show four things in writing: why the role exists and what changes if it is filled, that the salary and employer costs are funded for at least twelve months, how you will assess the specific judgement the role needs, and that the statutory duties are handled. If any of the four is missing, the gap usually turns up later as a failed hire rather than as a failed search.
Reviewed 2026-08-15 · 3 sourced claims · 3 stated gaps
The source list
The complete set of sources this section is allowed to draw on. Official publications and our own published terms — no vendor reports, no aggregated industry benchmarks.
| Source | Publisher | Type | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Insurance rates and categoriesRates shown for the tax year 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027 | GOV.UK (HM Government) | Official / primary | 2026-08-15 |
| Set up and manage a workplace pension scheme | GOV.UK (HM Government) | Official / primary | 2026-08-15 |
| Checking a job applicant's right to work | GOV.UK (HM Government) | Official / primary | 2026-08-15 |
| Employment contracts | GOV.UK (HM Government) | Official / primary | 2026-08-15 |
| Equality Act 2010: guidance | GOV.UK (HM Government) | Official / primary | 2026-08-15 |
| How the SUS monthly recruitment fee works | Startup Staffing | First party | 2026-08-15 |
| Startup Staffing website and service terms | Startup Staffing | First party | 2026-08-15 |
| Rate calculator and team planner | Startup Staffing | First party | 2026-08-15 |
| Companies House register: Humand Talent Solutions Limited (12379847) | Companies House | Official / primary | 2026-08-15 |