Recruitment Agency In The South West
Specialist desks recruiting across the South West
Express Recruitment has supplied staff to employers in the South West for more than three decades. Each desk recruits for one sector and nothing else, covers the whole region, and travels in for client meetings, site visits and assessment days.
The region stretches from the Bristol city economy to the far end of Cornwall, and pay expectations change enormously along the way. We benchmark from our own placements rather than a national average, and we are honest about which roles will struggle to attract candidates west of Exeter without relocation support.
We recruit across Bristol, Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. Whether it is one permanent appointment in Bath, an interim finance team in Swindon or seasonal office cover in Truro, the same sector team handles it from brief to start date.
South WEST at a glance
Bristol and Bath to Devon and Cornwall
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 West
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
Bristol
The city and both sides of the Avon, taking in Filton, Avonmouth, Portishead, Clevedon, Keynsham, Thornbury and Weston super Mare.
Swindon and the wider Wiltshire estates, out to Chippenham, Calne, Melksham, Marlborough, Trowbridge and Cirencester.
Exeter
Exeter and the M5 towns north and south, including Cullompton, Tiverton, Honiton, Newton Abbot, Torquay and out to Barnstaple.
Plymouth
Plymouth and the dockyard, plus Saltash, Ivybridge, Tavistock, Liskeard and the Tamar Valley.
Gloucester and Cheltenham
The Severn corridor, covering Gloucester, Cheltenham, Quedgeley, Tewkesbury, Stroud, Dursley and the Forest of Dean.
Bournemouth and Poole
The Dorset conurbation and inland towns, from Poole and Christchurch to Ferndown, Wimborne, Ringwood and Dorchester.
Taunton and Bridgwater
Taunton and the M5 belt, including Bridgwater, Wellington, Highbridge, Street, Chard and Yeovil.
Truro and Redruth
The whole county, from Truro and St Austell through Redruth, Camborne and Newquay to Bodmin, Falmouth and Penzance.
Bath
Bath and the north Somerset and west Wiltshire towns, including Radstock, Midsomer Norton, Bradford on Avon, Frome and Corsham.
Client Testimonial
“Our Bristol accounts team lost its manager with two weeks notice. Express had interim cover in place inside four days and the permanent appointment signed within a month.”
Finance Director, professional services firm
South West 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 | £26k to £29k | £25k to £27k | £13.25 to £14.75 ph |
| Administrator | £26k to £30k | £25k to £28k | £13.25 to £15.50 ph |
| Assistant Accountant | £32k to £38k | £29k to £35k | £16.50 to £19.50 ph |
| Project Engineer | £43k to £53k | £40k to £49k | £22.00 to £27.25 ph |
| Internal Sales Executive | £29k to £35k | £27k to £32k | £14.75 to £18.00 ph |
| HR Advisor | £35k to £43k | £32k to £40k | £18.00 to £22.00 ph |
South West recruitment questions
What employers and candidates in the South West ask us most often.
Which parts of the South West do you cover?
All of it. We recruit across Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Swindon, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Bournemouth, Taunton 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 West?
Our office and payroll team are in Nottingham, and we recruit for employers in the South West from there. Your vacancy is handled by the consultant who specialises in that sector, and we travel to the South West 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 West?
Do candidates in the South West 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 West?
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 West?
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 the South West the sites are.
Do you handle payroll for temporary workers in the South West?
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 West 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.