Business Details
19 Years
experience
Your Trusted Rail Recruitment Partner in Marlow
Established in 2007, Suitable Candidates was founded to address the challenge of securing niche technical skill sets within the rail industry. Our approach combines traditional headhunting principles with modern digital strategies to deliver high-quality candidates for hard-to-fill roles. We specialise in white-collar rail recruitment across mainline, underground, and light rail projects, covering sectors such as OLE & E&P, HV/LV Power, Signalling, Telecoms, and Rail Civils. Our team of recruitment professionals, all members of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), adhere to strict codes of practice and provide fully reference-checked, qualification-verified candidates.With 61% of our placements coming from contractor roles and 73% of candidates directly sourced, we offer clarity on representation periods and confidence in our vetting processes. Our commitment to continuous improvement ensures we remain responsive to client feedback while maintaining industry-leading standards.
Services
OLE & E&P Recruitment
HV/LV Power Engineering
Signalling Specialists
Rail Telecoms Solutions
Rail Civils Engineers
Contractor Placements
IRSE Qualified Staff
Project Management Recruitment
Design Engineering Roles
Construction Management Staffing
Details
- Year established: 2007
Highlights and features
- REC membership ensures adherence to industry codes of practice
- Niche market knowledge reduces recruitment times for specialist roles
- All candidates undergo reference and qualification verification
- Clear representation period terms for transparent engagements
- 73% candidate direct sourcing success rate since 2007
Associations and certifications
- REC Approved
What people say
Niche market expertise
Quick recruitment times
Qualified candidates
REC compliance
Clear terms
Services
OLE & E&P Recruitment
Specialist recruitment for Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) and Electrification & Power (E&P) roles. We source qualified engineers for design, project management, and construction positions across mainline and underground rail networks. Our candidates include OLEC (2-5), Power Delivery Managers, and HV/LV Testing Engineers.
Signalling Specialists
IRSE-qualified recruitment for rail signalling projects. We provide designers, project engineers, checkers, verifiers, and planners with expertise in system integration and safety-critical infrastructure. Our candidates meet industry-specific compliance requirements for mainline and urban rail networks.
Rail Civils Engineers
Recruitment for civil engineering roles in rail infrastructure. Our specialists include design engineers, project managers, and bridge design experts with experience in track construction and civil discipline leadership across mainline and light rail projects.
Contractor Placements
61% of our placements involve contractor roles for rail projects. We specialise in temporary engagements for technical specialists including SCADA engineers, traction power designers, and telecoms technicians. Our process ensures compliance with IR35 regulations and project-specific requirements.
Project Management
Recruitment for senior project management roles in rail infrastructure. We source experienced professionals for OLE, power delivery, track construction, and telecoms projects. Our candidates include construction managers, engineering leads, and discipline-specific project directors with proven delivery track records.
Questions
What rail sectors do you specialise in?
We focus on OLE & E&P, HV/LV Power, Signalling, Telecoms, and Rail Civils across mainline, underground, and light rail projects.
Are your candidates pre-vetted?
Yes, all candidates undergo reference checks, qualification verification, and representation period clarity before submission to clients.
Do you handle contract and permanent roles?
We provide temporary (9%), permanent (30%), and contractor (61%) placements tailored to project requirements.
How quickly can you fill specialist roles?
Our niche market knowledge and direct sourcing methods typically reduce recruitment times by 40% compared to generalist agencies.
What compliance standards do you follow?
We operate under REC codes of practice with 100% compliance in candidate vetting and engagement processes.
Reviews (7)
Harry Goodwin
Jan 27, 2022
Report
Positive:Professionalism,Quality,Responsiveness
Brilliant from start to finish. Took the time to understand what I was looking for and found me a perfect role. Could not recommend suitable candidates highly enough. Thanks again and good luck in the future!
Brilliant from start to finish. Took the time to understand what I was looking for and found me a perfect role. Could not recommend suitable candidates highly enough. Thanks again and good luck in the future!
Mark Dolan
Dec 07, 2020
Report
Another Recruitment Agency that treat people like something that you would scrape off the sole of your shoe. Took the time and effort to apply for a position with this firm, contacted by telephone twice, was assured that I would be contacted ASAP regarding the role that I applied for, never heard from James McGuiness again. No doubt this review will be replied to ASAP unlike the response I was meant to receive, and don't patronise me replying with the standard reply to all your bad reviews, get in touch, we can fix this, the usual rubbish, would never be so desperate to use them ever again.
Luna Frey
Nov 08, 2019
Report
Helpful to begin with (when they contact you), but then completely ignore you, despite emailing and calling multiple times. Appalling customer care.
Isobel Slater
Oct 30, 2019
Report
I first spoke with Suitable Candidates when I was keen to set up as my own consultant. They spent time giving me the advice on what steps to take, and on how to best approach the marketplace. They are very knowledgable and made the process straight forward. I would recommend their service to others in the future.
Mollie Wood
Oct 27, 2019
Report
Ive used Suitable Candidates to help find rail specialists for a number of years. They are very knowledgeable of the rail industry, advise me on current market rates and present strong candidates.
Finlay Dawson
Sep 25, 2019
Report
I have used Suitable Candidates for a number of years now. They know what I look for in new staff members and send people across who are a good fit for my team. I will continue to use them in the future.
Billy Watts
Sep 11, 2019
Report
I moved to suitable candidates after experiencing payment difficulties with another agency. They are a small outfit, but are on the ball. I no longer have payment issues and am glad I moved across
