Your global minds
ROUTS
ROUTS is where companies find the people who move them forward — and where ambitious professionals find the path to do it.
We work across global markets: hiring, strategy, and the tools to build careers that outlast any algorithm.
One wrong senior hire quietly costs
$1,000,000
salary paid
During the failed tenure
revenue lost
While the role goes unfilled
search cost
Cost of the search itself
6 months growth
That simply doesn't happen
That includes salary paid, recruitment costs, lost productivity, and months of growth slowed down by the wrong hire.
Hiring is hard. The market is noisy.
The right people aren't actively
looking — 70% of senior professionals
are passive candidates.
The right people aren't actively
looking — 70% of senior professionals
are passive candidates.
You need to get it exactly right.
Time zones, visas, local markets —
we know all of it. That's no longer
your problem.
Time zones, visas, local markets —
we know all of it. That's no longer
your problem.
From retained search to career strategy — across tech, AI, fintech, and digital
We build the teams.
We shape the careers
We shape the careers
Services
01
Strategic Hiring
We find the people your business needs to move faster. Retained search, global reach, senior attention on every role.
What We Look for Beyond the CV
The best senior hires in tech share certain qualities that do not appear on a CV: intellectual curiosity, the ability to operate in ambiguity, and a track record of building things — teams, products, revenue — not just managing them. We look for trajectory, not just tenure. Potential, not just history.
We also pay close attention to cultural fit. Not in the vague sense of 'do they seem like someone we'd get a beer with', but in the specific sense of how they operate, what environments they have thrived in, and whether your company's stage and culture are genuinely the right next step for them.
We also pay close attention to cultural fit. Not in the vague sense of 'do they seem like someone we'd get a beer with', but in the specific sense of how they operate, what environments they have thrived in, and whether your company's stage and culture are genuinely the right next step for them.
Sectors and Markets
ROUTS specialises in tech, AI, fintech, and digital. We work with early-stage startups, scale-ups, and enterprise businesses across EMEA, with particular depth in London, Dubai, and Zurich.
We also work across borders — if the right person for your role is in Amsterdam, Singapore, or Toronto, we find them. Geography is a constraint we have largely eliminated.
We also work across borders — if the right person for your role is in Amsterdam, Singapore, or Toronto, we find them. Geography is a constraint we have largely eliminated.
02
Workforce Strategy
Where does your business need to be in 3–5 years —
and who needs to be in the room to get there? We map the gaps, benchmark against global markets, and build the team structure that scales.
and who needs to be in the room to get there? We map the gaps, benchmark against global markets, and build the team structure that scales.
What Workforce Strategy Covers
We start with talent gap analysis: mapping your current team against the capabilities your strategy requires, and identifying where the gaps are. Not just headcount gaps, but skills gaps — the specific expertise your business will need to compete in 18 months that you do not currently have.
From there, we build a hiring roadmap — sequenced, prioritised, and tied to your business milestones. We benchmark roles and compensation against global market data, so you know what it will realistically take to attract the people you need.
From there, we build a hiring roadmap — sequenced, prioritised, and tied to your business milestones. We benchmark roles and compensation against global market data, so you know what it will realistically take to attract the people you need.
Why This Matters for Scale-Ups
The inflection points where companies most often stumble are predictable: Series A to Series B, first international expansion, first major enterprise contract. Each of these requires a different kind of team — and if you are still building that team after the milestone has arrived, you are already behind.
Workforce strategy done well means arriving at each inflection point already knowing who you need, how long it will take to find them, and what they will cost. It turns talent from a reactive bottleneck into a strategic advantage.
Workforce strategy done well means arriving at each inflection point already knowing who you need, how long it will take to find them, and what they will cost. It turns talent from a reactive bottleneck into a strategic advantage.
What You Get
- Talent gap analysis mapping current capabilities against future requirements
- Hiring roadmap sequenced to business milestones
- Market benchmarking for roles and compensation across London, Dubai, Zurich
- Organisational design recommendations for the structure of your next stage requires
- Ongoing advisory as plans evolve
03
Organisational Design
Clear roles. Right grades. Leadership structures built for the speed you're moving at.
What we do
ROUTS helps fast-growing tech and fintech companies build leadership structures and role hierarchies that match where they are going — not where they have been.We look at role clarity, spans of control, grading and compensation architecture, and leadership development pathways.
We do not apply templates — every business is different, and the structure that works for a 50-person Series B in London is not the same as the one that works for a 200-person scale-up expanding into Dubai.
Finally, we help you implement the change — communicating it clearly, managing the transition, and building the role frameworks and job architectures that make the new structure stick.
We do not apply templates — every business is different, and the structure that works for a 50-person Series B in London is not the same as the one that works for a 200-person scale-up expanding into Dubai.
Finally, we help you implement the change — communicating it clearly, managing the transition, and building the role frameworks and job architectures that make the new structure stick.
04
Culture & Leadership
Growing across markets and time zones is hard.
We help you keep the team aligned, performance sharp,
and people in place.
We help you keep the team aligned, performance sharp,
and people in place.
The Culture Problem at Scale
The most common culture failure point in fast-growing tech companies is the transition from founder-led to professionally managed. Founders carry culture implicitly — in how they make decisions, in what they tolerate, in what they celebrate. When the company grows past the point where the founder has direct contact with every person, that implicit culture needs to become explicit.
What We Work On
- Culture articulation and documentation — making the implicit explicit, in a way that travels
- Leadership development — helping senior leaders operate effectively in the environments their company is moving into
- Performance frameworks — clear expectations, regular feedback cycles, and accountability structures that work across time zones
- Retention strategy — understanding why your best people stay, and what would make them leave, before they tell you on their way out
- International expansion advisory — helping companies entering Dubai, Zurich, or other EMEA markets understand the people dynamics before they arrive
05
Career Advisory
We help ambitious people position smarter, negotiate better, and move into markets and roles that they didn't think were
reachable yet.
This is where the career advisory work begins.
Programmes coming soon.
reachable yet.
This is where the career advisory work begins.
Programmes coming soon.
What Career Advisory Includes
- Positioning — understanding how the market currently perceives you, and what it would take to be seen differently
- Target market mapping — identifying the specific companies, sectors, and geographies where your experience has the highest value
- Narrative development — building a story about your career that is coherent, compelling, and tailored to where you are going
- Salary negotiation — most professionals leave significant money on the table at the point of offer. We help you understand your true market value
- Access to opportunities — ROUTS' networks span tech, AI, fintech, and digital across London, Dubai, Zurich, and EMEA
06
Talent Audit
We assess your current team against the demands of where your business is going — identifying capability gaps, misaligned roles, and the structural changes that will unlock the next stage of growth.
What We Do
A talent audit gives leadership a clear picture of what the team can and cannot do, and what that means for the strategy. We map individual capabilities against role requirements, assess team composition and bench strength, and identify the gaps that will slow you down before they do. The output is a structured view of where your people are today and what needs to change to reach your next milestone.
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We find the right people.
Fast. Anywhere
Fast. Anywhere
The process starts with depth.
Before we begin searching, we invest time in understanding your business:
Before we begin searching, we invest time in understanding your business:
Where you are going
What the role actually requires
What kind of person will thrive in your culture
What they will need to see to take the conversation seriously
01
DAYS 1–7
Signal Detection
We map potential, trajectory, and cultural fit across global talent markets — beyond CVs and job boards.
02
DAYS 7–14
Talent Mapping
We identify and approach the people who directly address your gaps, including those not actively looking.
03
DAYS 14–30
Shortest Path Execution
We manage the process end-to-end and deliver a shortlist of people worth your time, anywhere in the world.
Timelines depend on seniority, location and role complexity
PROCESS
1,000+
Roles closed across tech, fintech,
and high-growth companies
and high-growth companies
WOrldwide
Deep networks across EMEA, emerging tech markets, and global talent communities
Our APPROACH
A long-term view of where the market is going
Not an agency.
A partner for what comes next
A partner for what comes next
Global Search
Executive search for companies hiring senior talent worldwide
Career Strategy
Advisory for professionals building international careers
Market Intelligence
Benchmarks, talent data, and strategic insight on where the market is heading
Future Programmes
Education and development programmes for professionals building careers that outlast any algorithm.
Coming soon
FAQ
ABOUT ROUTS
What is ROUTS?
ROUTS is a global talent ecosystem specialising in senior hiring and career strategy across tech, AI, fintech, and digital. We work with companies on retained executive search, workforce strategy, and organisational design — and with senior professionals on career advisory and market positioning. We operate across EMEA with deep networks in London, Dubai, and Zurich.
FOR COMPANIES
Does ROUTS work with startups or only enterprises?
Both. ROUTS works with early-stage startups making their first senior hires, scale-ups building out leadership teams as they grow, and established enterprises going through transformation. The common thread is that the roles we work on are senior or specialist enough that the wrong hire has real consequences — whether that's a 20-person Series A hiring their first VP Engineering or a global fintech replacing a departing CTO.
What is the ROUTS process for executive search?
Every search starts with a deep briefing — understanding the business, the culture, the growth plans, and what success actually looks like in the role. From there, we map the market and approach candidates directly. Days 1–7: signal detection across global talent markets. Days 7–14: talent mapping and direct outreach to the right people. Days 14–30: shortlist delivery. We manage the process end-to-end, including offer negotiation and onboarding support.
What is the difference between ROUTS and a traditional recruitment agency?
Traditional recruitment agencies typically work on contingency — they only get paid when a candidate is placed, which incentivises speed over fit. ROUTS operates on a retained model, which means we are a dedicated partner on every search, not one of five agencies racing to fill the same role. We also go significantly deeper on briefing, market mapping, and candidate assessment — and we work exclusively on senior and specialist roles where that depth makes a real difference to the outcome.
What is retained executive search and how does it work?
Retained executive search means a company pays a search firm upfront to dedicate their full attention to a specific role. The firm conducts a thorough, confidential search — mapping the market, approaching passive candidates, and managing the process end-to-end. ROUTS operates on a retained model for senior roles where quality, discretion, and speed of shortlist matter. Retained search consistently outperforms contingency models for senior and specialist positions because the incentive is aligned: the firm is invested in finding the right person, not just the first available one.
FOR PROFESSIONALS
What is the difference between retained and contingency recruitment?
Retained search means the client pays upfront for a dedicated search — typically used for senior, specialist, or confidential roles. Contingency recruitment means the agency only gets paid on placement, which incentivises speed over fit. For C-suite, VP-level, and highly technical roles in tech and fintech, retained search consistently delivers better outcomes because the search firm invests real time in understanding the business before approaching anyone.
How competitive is the AI talent market in EMEA in 2026?
Demand for senior AI talent in EMEA significantly outpaces supply. Roles like Head of AI, VP of Machine Learning, and Senior AI Research Engineer regularly attract fewer than five genuinely qualified candidates in any given market — and most of them are not actively looking. Companies that move quickly, offer genuine technical challenges, and can articulate a credible AI strategy have a significant advantage. Companies that run slow, committee-heavy processes typically lose the candidates they want.
How do I get a senior role in tech without applying?
The majority of senior roles in tech are filled before they are advertised — through networks, referrals, and direct approaches from search firms. The most effective strategy is to build genuine visibility in your market: a clear LinkedIn profile that describes impact rather than responsibilities, a reputation in your specific domain, and direct relationships with the search firms that cover your sector. Career advisory at ROUTS includes positioning work specifically designed to make you visible to the right people before the right opportunity appears.
How do I negotiate a senior salary offer in tech?
Most senior professionals leave significant money on the table at the point of offer because they don't know their true market value and feel uncomfortable negotiating. The key is to approach negotiation with data, not emotion: what are comparable roles paying in this market right now, what is the full package including equity and benefits, and what is your realistic walkaway point. ROUTS' career advisory includes specific salary negotiation support grounded in current market data across London, Dubai, and Zurich.
How do I make my LinkedIn profile visible to executive search firms?
The most important thing is describing impact, not responsibilities. Instead of 'Responsible for engineering team', write 'Built engineering team from 8 to 45 across three markets in 18 months'. Executive search firms search by keywords, seniority signals, and company context — so including specific technologies, markets, and business outcomes makes you significantly more findable. Having a clear headline that describes what you do and at what level is also critical. ROUTS' career advisory includes LinkedIn profile optimisation as part of positioning work.
Скрипт аккордеона
id: faq
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Для настройки аккордеона перейдите в окно настроек. Для этого выделите этот блок, блок с кодом или любой элемент аккордеона, кнопка настроек появится на панели инструментов справа.
