How to start a recruitment agency:
launch checklist
Starting a recruitment agency in the UK means setting up the company, meeting the agency regulations and data protection rules, getting insured, and building a brand, website, systems and client pipeline before your first placement. This checklist covers all 46 steps in nine groups. Tick items off as you go; your progress stays in this browser.
Start the checklist ↓How to start a recruitment agency, step by step
This is a planning checklist, not legal advice. Official links go to GOV.UK, legislation.gov.uk and the ICO; check them for the current rules and take professional advice on your own set-up.
Recruitment agency launch checklist (trg-digital.com)
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Costs, naming and your first website
Read our full guide on how to start a recruitment agency, the breakdown of recruitment agency start-up costs, and tips on naming a recruitment agency. When you're ready for a brand and site, see brand creation and what a recruitment website costs.
Official starting points: GOV.UK: employment agencies and businesses, guidance for employment businesses and agencies and the ICO data protection fee self-assessment.
Set up the company (usually a private limited company) and a business bank account; learn the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct Regulations 2003; register for the ICO data protection fee unless exempt; arrange insurance; choose a niche, name and brand; launch a website with job pages; pick an ATS; and start business development with a target list of companies. The checklist on this page covers each step.
Most UK recruitment agencies don't need a licence. GOV.UK says agencies supplying workers in agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering or food processing and packaging need a licence from the Fair Work Agency, and nursing and domiciliary care agencies may need to register with a care regulator.
The main costs are company setup, insurance, the ICO data protection fee, an ATS/CRM, job boards and LinkedIn tools, a website and brand, and enough cash to live on until the first fees arrive. Temporary recruitment also needs working capital to pay workers before clients pay you. Our guide to recruitment agency start-up costs breaks these down.
A Key Information Document is a short document that employment businesses (agencies supplying temporary workers they pay) must give every new agency worker before they agree terms. GOV.UK publishes guidance for employment businesses on what it must include.
No. It is a practical checklist to help you plan, with links to GOV.UK, legislation.gov.uk and ICO guidance. Rules change and depend on your business model, so check the official guidance and take advice from a solicitor or accountant for your situation.