Two markets · Permanent · For commercial leaders
There are two markets for Quantity Surveyors. Most companies only ever see one.
Every advert, database search and job board is aimed at people already looking. The second market is everyone else.
The two markets.
People who are looking
They read adverts. They apply. They are available now. Every tool you have reaches them, and so does everyone else’s. Nothing wrong with that market. It is just crowded.
People who are not
They are doing well and they are mid-project. They have no reason to answer a stranger, and they are usually the ones worth having.
Money does not move them. Seventy-five per cent of Quantity Surveyors say they are underpaid for the stress they carry. That is responsibility without relief, and a rise does not touch it.
clearnorth and LinkedIn, 2025
What moves them is scope, authority, a project worth doing and somebody worth working for. That is not a conversation you can have in an advert.
The brief is where the money is decided.
Most QS briefs are the last one with the dates changed. Grade, sector, forms of contract, five years' experience.
Nothing in that says what work is sitting on the desk on day one. Which accounts are open. Which framework is up for renegotiation. Where the last person got stuck.
A QS hired against a copied brief arrives and does the job as written. A QS hired against what the job actually needs arrives and starts on the thing that has been costing you money since March.
Same salary. Same seat. Different year.
Where you lose the second market.
The first call. They will take a call from someone who knows the job. They will not fill in a form.
The stages. Three interviews and a written exercise is a fair ask of an applicant. It is how you lose someone who was not looking.
The wait. A fortnight between stages reads as disinterest. Nothing is holding them there.
The exposure. If it means a system, a panel diary or eleven introductions, they will not start.
How we reach it.
A search
Work out what you actually need first. Then find that person, whether they are looking or not. One at a time.
A fill
Take the brief as given. Look at who is available. Send several CVs and let you pick.
Both are legitimate. Only one reaches the second market.
We only take roles nobody else is working on. A passive QS will not have their name sent to three companies, and they will not talk to you if it might be. So that condition is how we earn the right to ring them.
Find out more about this in a Navigation Call.
Who reaches what
| Generalist | Your team | clearnorth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| People looking now | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| People who are not | Rarely | Rarely | Yes |
| First CV in your inbox | Fastest | Slower | Slowest |
| Cost | Middle | Lowest | Highest |
| Exclusive, so their name goes nowhere else | Rarely | n/a | Always |
We are slower and dearer. The second row is the one you are paying for.
Assistant Quantity Surveyor to Commercial Director, Permanent, UK wide
Thinking about your own move? The same lane from the other side
What people have said · Google reviews
Matt helped us place a freelance QS whilst we had an opening for a new full time position.
Andy Pickering · June 2026
Matt sourced the freelance position at the company I wanted to work for, and negotiated terms perfectly.
James Hughes · May 2026
They came highly recommended from a close friend. When I was ready for my next commission, I reached out.
Matthew B · August 2026
What is the difference between a search and a fill?
A fill takes the job as given, looks at who is available and sends several CVs. A search works out what you actually need first, then goes and finds that person, whether they are looking or not.
What does exclusive mean in hiring?
We are the only ones working on the role. No other agency has it, so nobody is racing to send CVs. A Quantity Surveyor's name goes to that one company and nowhere else.
Do you advertise roles?
Sometimes, and when we do we can say who it's with and what it pays, because nobody else has it. The advert is a door, not the search. The people you want are usually not reading adverts.
