Research Academy Daily Swig
My account Customers About Blog Careers Legal Contact

How we work with recruiters

How PortSwigger works with recruitment agencies

Recruiters should read and digest this page in full before contacting us. Please get in touch if you are happy to work in the way that we describe.

For software engineering roles, we accept applications via any agency. We do not enter into exclusive or preferred supplier relationships. We are always hiring for exceptional Java and .NET developers with any level of experience. All opportunities are permanent positions.

For non-engineering roles, we work exclusively with selected agencies. If you would like to be considered for future opportunities, please email us.

We pay market-beating 23% commission. We always operate on our standard terms.

What we expect from recruiters

We never compromise on the quality of our people. They have to be the best at what they do and a good fit for our culture.

To find the right candidates for us, you must understand PortSwigger and our requirements. We are not a typical company. You will only have a successful relationship with us if you take the time to get your head around how we work and what we are looking for. Please read every word on this page to find out more.

We are interested in exceptional candidates only.

We need the candidate's full educational record including degree and A-levels (or equivalent), both subjects and grades. We recognize that academics aren't everything, particularly for more experienced candidates. But they do help us to get a well-rounded view of candidates.

We need the candidate's email address and mobile number. We will communicate directly with the candidate throughout the process. Alignment with our culture is essential, and it is only through direct engagement that we can explain this to candidates. We will always keep you in the loop.

Please submit applications via email.

We have standard terms for working with recruitment agencies. If you would like to work with us, you must accept these.

recruiters working with portswigger people

What recruiters can expect from us

We will communicate directly with candidates. We will sell the opportunity, manage candidate expectations, and answer any questions that they have. We will copy you in to email communications and always keep you in the loop on the candidate's progress.

We behave with openness and integrity. If you refer a candidate with whom we have an existing dialogue, we will let you know promptly. Otherwise, you own the referral, and you will be paid commission if the candidate is successful.

We make fast decisions. We will progress candidates through interview stages as rapidly as possible. We will provide you with open and fast feedback throughout the process.

We make generous offers to successful candidates. Since we only hire the very best people, we expect to pay above normal market levels. You are unlikely to lose a placement due to a superior offer from elsewhere.

We perform proactive preboarding of successful candidates in the period between offer acceptance and start date. You are unlikely to lose a placement due to a candidate becoming disengaged before joining.

We operate on our standard terms for working with recruitment agencies and will pay our market-beating XX% commission.

What recruiters need to know about PortSwigger

We are different than other employers you have worked with.

We are fiercely protective of our culture. We closely scrutinize all candidates for alignment with our beliefs, values, and motivations.

We set an exceptionally high bar in our recruitment. We look for strong expertise or aptitude in the role, but also for numerous other attributes as well. It can be hard for outsiders to understand precisely what we are looking for. If you work with us successfully, then over time you will gain a better understanding of what we look for.

We reward generously, but we don't have fixed salary bands.

Please read all of the links below to understand more about PortSwigger. If you still have questions, or just want to talk in more detail about how you can help us find the best candidates, please do get in touch.

Other than for graduate positions, we don't ever have a fixed salary range for an opportunity. In general, we will select the right person for an opportunity, and then consider what they are worth to us. This is always determined individually based on the candidate's capabilities.

In general, we do not fixate on years of experience. We are far more interested in someone's aptitude and potential than how long they have been working.

For software engineering roles, we hire people with 20+ years of experience, and straight out of university, and everything in between. For non-engineering roles, we will discuss specific requirements with individual agencies.

Please submit applications via email.

Sorry, it is essential that we communicate directly with candidates. Since our culture, ways of working, and requirements are so different than anywhere else, we have found that only unmediated communication can be fully effective.

We will always behave in an ethical manner and we have no interest in cutting agencies out of a deal. We only want to reach and hire the very best candidates. It is far more likely that candidates, and therefore agencies, will be successful if we are in direct communication.

Sorry, our terms are not negotiable.

Please email careers@portswigger.net and someone from our hiring team will be in touch.

PortSwigger Culture

Read more

What we look for in PortSwigger people

Read more

What we look for in software engineers

Read more

Reward and benefits at PortSwigger

Read more