Recruitment Agency In The South East
Permanent, temporary and contract recruitment across Reading, Milton Keynes, Southampton, Brighton, Oxford and the wider South East. Independently owned since 1987, with sector specialists who interview every candidate before you see a CV.
Specialist desks recruiting across the South East
Express Recruitment has supplied staff to South East employers for more than three decades. Every vacancy is worked by the desk that recruits for that sector, which matters in a region where the labour market changes every twenty miles.
For employers here that means benchmarking that reflects the gap between Thames Valley and coastal salaries, candidates interviewed before they reach your shortlist, and consultants who know which roles need to sit near a station and which do not.
We recruit across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Kent and the Isle of Wight, from technology head offices in Reading to seasonal cover on the coast.
South East at a glance
Thames Valley to Coast and Kent
Every county and city in the region covered
DBS checks arranged in house
Clearances tracked by our own compliance team
Same day shortlists
For roles filled from our work ready pool
Written terms up front
Fees and charge rates agreed before we start
Where we recruit in The South East
The towns and areas each location covers. All eight divisions recruit in every location below, worked by a named sector desk rather than a general branch
Reading and Bracknell
The Thames Valley business parks, from Reading and Bracknell out to Slough, Maidenhead, Wokingham, Windsor and Newbury.
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes and the distribution estates around it, plus Bletchley, Leighton Buzzard, Aylesbury and Northampton.
Southampton and Portsmouth
Both ports and the Solent between them, taking in Eastleigh, Fareham, Havant, Totton and the Isle of Wight.
Brighton and Sussex
The coastal strip from Worthing and Hove through Brighton to Lewes, Eastbourne and Hastings, plus Burgess Hill inland.
Oxford
Oxford and the science and research sites around it, including Abingdon, Harwell, Didcot, Bicester, Witney and Banbury.
Basingstoke and Andover
North Hampshire, covering Basingstoke, Andover, Whitchurch, Alton, Tadley and Winchester.
Crawley and Gatwick
The airport and its supply chain, then Crawley, Horley, Redhill, Reigate, Horsham and East Grinstead.
Maidstone and Kent
The county end to end, from Dartford and Gravesend through Maidstone, Sittingbourne and Ashford to Canterbury, Dover and Folkestone.
Guildford and Woking
The Surrey corridor, including Guildford, Woking, Farnborough, Camberley, Aldershot, Leatherhead and Epsom.
Client Testimonial
“September used to be a scramble. Express now pre brief a pool of temporary administrators for our Milton Keynes office, so every seasonal peak since has been covered by people who already know our systems.”
Operations Manager, insurance broker
South East salary benchmarks
Indicative ranges from placements we have made across South East in the last twelve months. Ask us for a full benchmark report for your sector and location.
| Customer Service Adviser | £28k to £31k | £26k to £29k | £14.25 to £16.00 ph |
| Administrator | £28k to £32k | £26k to £30k | £14.25 to £16.50 ph |
| Assistant Accountant | £35k to £41k | £32k to £38k | £18.00 to £21.00 ph |
| Project Engineer | £47k to £58k | £44k to £54k | £24.00 to £29.75 ph |
| Internal Sales Executive | £31k to £38k | £29k to £35k | £16.00 to £19.50 ph |
| HR Advisor | £38k to £47k | £35k to £44k | £19.50 to £24.00 ph |
South East recruitment questions
What employers and candidates in South East ask us most often.
Which parts of the South East do you cover?
All of it. We recruit across Reading, Milton Keynes, Southampton, Brighton, Oxford, Basingstoke, Crawley, Maidstone and the surrounding towns, as well as business park and out of town locations that agencies often skip. If a role is remote or hybrid we search the wider region to widen your candidate pool.
Do you have an office in the South East?
Our office and payroll team are in Nottingham, and we recruit for employers in London from there. Your vacancy is handled by the consultant who specialises in that sector, and we travel to London for client meetings, site visits and assessment days. Enquiries are answered the same working day.
How quickly can you fill a role in the South East?
Do candidates in the South East pay any fees?
Never. It is free for candidates to register, be interviewed and be placed, permanent or temporary. Employers pay a percentage of starting salary for permanent hires, or an agreed hourly charge rate for temporary staff, confirmed in writing before we begin.
What vetting and compliance checks do you carry out in the South East?
Every candidate is interviewed by the consultant on your vacancy. We verify identity and right to work, take up references, and arrange DBS checks, qualifications, licences or tickets where the role requires them. A full audit trail is available on request.
Can you supply staff across multiple sites in the South East?
Yes. Multi site bookings are coordinated by one sector desk so you get a single point of reporting, one consolidated invoice and consistent charge rates, wherever in South East the sites are.
Do you handle payroll for temporary workers in the South East?
Yes. We manage pay, holiday accrual, pension auto enrolment, working time records and Agency Workers Regulations parity for every temporary worker we supply, and invoice you weekly against approved timesheets.
How do I get in touch with the South East team?
Submit your Enquiry
Send in a brief overview of what you're looking for and we will be in touch with you to find out more about your needs.