Reviews from our talent network

Client and Candidate Testimonials

Tom Bennett

I would like to thank Louise at Fish Hook Careers for helping me secure my new position. She made the whole experience as stress-free as possible and was always honest and knowledgeable about the role and the client’s expectations. This approach helped me feel at ease throughout the whole process.

Senior Full Stack Developer, Mobas

Andy Cording

I’ve known Louise for a number of years and has always been my ‘go-to’ person for solid roles within the creative industry. When she tells me that a role is worth going for I know it’s time to listen! Well connected, enthusiastic and hard working – Louise stands in your corner every time

Creative Strategy Director, Hexcite Group

Catriona Tripp

I would highly recommend Louise to anyone looking to move or to find the right candidate for them. She is efficient, reliable and very personable. She helped me secure my current role and the whole process was seamless, I never had to chase for feedback or updates. A true professional

Account Director, Black Dog Creative

Karla Bonello

I would highly recommend Louise! She’s is very professional, communicative, reliable and honest. She has kindly helped me secure my new position at Smart Live, part of Smart Group as an Event Producer. Thank you so much for everything, it has been an absolute pleasure working with you

Events Producer, London

Blue State Digital

“Our London office had a need to recruit and I found Louise’s business profile via Linkedin. After reviewing her experience and the services Fish Hook Careers offer, we appointed Louise and her colleague Liz Rowe as our Freelance In-House Recruiters for the UK. Supporting our Managing Director in London, Liz and Louise provided professional recruitment services from headhunting to assisting the US team with offers of employment. This was a fantastic solution for us as we needed external support when speaking to UK candidates and to help introduce Blue State Digital into the London job market. Liz and Louise operate on flexible contracts which was very appealing to us, being able to hire a Freelance In-House Recruiter without employee commitment was the best solution. We will be using Liz and Louise again in the near future – I highly recommend this team. “

Megan Hovious - Talent & Operations Director at Blue State Digital, New York

Chameleon Studios

“I have used Louise’s services several times as I know I can be assured of quality over quantity, as our market place is extremely competitive. She understands our culture, the web process and our ideal candidate profile and always shows me candidates that fit the brief. Our recent hire was the only candidate she recommended and the early signs are that he is proving to be a great success. I am happy to endorse Louise Ashford Hodges at Fish Hook Careers as a true professional that delivers results and saves me time by getting it right. We look forward to working with Fish Hook again and hiring Louise as our personal In-House Recruiter – a fantastic solution for us!”

Garth Lauckner - Founder and Technical Director at Chameleon Studios

Hawthorn Theatrical

“Louise and her team did a great job, they took my brief, took time to understand the needs of our business and my department, then researched and shortlisted appropriate candidates. This not only saved a huge amount of time, but I also felt that I was getting a real return on my investment as I was paying for time well spent, rather than the usual inflated recruitment commission charged in the industry, in return for very little effort.”

Rachel Waterfield - Head of Sales and Marketing at Hawthorn Theatrical

Johnston Press PLC

“Louise’s enthusiasm is infectious and her diligence in tracking down ideal candidates is second to none. She has an in-depth understanding of the industry and has gone the extra mile to understand our company and our specific requirements. I’ve been more than happy with the quality of the candidates that she has sent over and would absolutely recommend her to anyone trying to fill a tricky vacancy. She’s definitely top of my list for any future recruitment.”

Zoë Eastwell - Former Head of CRM and Marketing Data at Johnston Press PLC

Paragon One Live Partner

“Louise and her team were phenomenal in supporting Paragon to find the right candidate and with such strict deadline! The best part was that she managed to send relevant CVs for the role and we actually end up hiring 2 instead of 1!”

Pamela Benitez - Head of Events

Paragon One Live Partner

“Last year I was in the position to recruit an Events Manager for our office in Richmond. In the past, I have used traditional methods of online advertising and recruitment agencies, however, Louise from Fish Hook Careers introduced herself and promoted her services as a Freelance In-House Recruiter. Louise and her team were a pleasure to work with, she kept me updated every other day on suitable candidates plus helped boost our company’s social media. I’m delighted to confirm we hired a fantastic events professional directly from Linkedin with the help of Louise. When we have a new requirement, I will be calling Fish Hook again – bringing your recruitment in-house is a great method to save time, money and attract candidates directly to your company. I highly recommend! “

Mike Martin - Founder/Managing Director

The Cambridge Building Society

“Louise at Fish Hook Careers was recommended to us by one of our suppliers as we were fast approaching a large recruitment campaign at The Cambridge Building Society. We have used recruitment agencies in the past but were keen to explore other HR services to help with multiple job opportunities across the business. We hired Louise as a temporary arm to our HR department to help save time sourcing CVs, managing online adverts, social media campaigns and telephone interviewing candidates on our behalf. We would certainly recommend Fish Hook Careers to other HR professionals looking for extra help when recruiting. Louise was very professional, sourced some excellent candidates and worked fast within our company deadlines – we look forward to working with her again in the future.”

Louise Wood - HR Business Partner at The Cambridge Building Society

Studio24

“Louise has done an excellent job for Studio 24 acting as our in house recruiter. She takes a real interest in our business and the roles we are recruiting for. She is extremely dedicated and honest in her approach, something that is sadly lacking in the general recruitment industry. I would certainly recommend her to other businesses.”

Jonathan Woods - Former Managing Director at Studio24

Paragon One Live Partner

“Louise and the team are very efficient and provide an exceptional service. Louise in particular was very helpful and understanding, she demonstrates professionalism and passion in her work. I would have no hesitation in recommending Louise and Fishhook Careers for their excellent, cost-effective service.”

Owen Oxlade - Sales Director

Red Eye Events Ltd

“As a corporate hospitality and events agency we had to ensure our recruitment process is as cost-effective as possible, not just in terms of job adverts but also hiring the right person for the job. Louise at Fish Hook Careers managed the complete recruitment process of our Business Development Manager, from writing the job description, headhunting on LinkedIn, telephone interviewing and all the administration associated with processing the applications. Louise also promoted Red Eye Events online through social media. A great experience and an approach I would highly recommend to other SMEs.”

Nigel Essam - Managing Director at Red Eye Events Ltd

Reddico

“By bringing our recruitment in-house we have saved money on fees previously paid in commission to recruiters, whilst securing high-quality candidates for key roles. Not only did our Account Managers, Clare and Louise from Fish Hook Careers filter CVs, screen potential candidates and headhunt on our behalf, they also dealt with all the administration associated with the recruitment process from start to finish. This saved us a huge amount of time and meant that our own staff could focus on other areas of the business.”

Craig McDermott - Director at Reddico

Smart Group Ltd

“Louise was recommended to me from our London office. She joined the Smart Group in February 2015 as our In-House Recruiter. I had an urgent requirement for a business development professional for my Manchester team. I have used recruitment agencies in the past, however, they were not delivering the calibre of candidates I needed for this particular role. I briefed Louise and her team in London and via social media, she created a pool of experienced and relevant candidates not only for my position but also built an online community who follow our brand. The candidate Louise placed here is fantastic, hardworking and an asset to my team.”

Stefan Maciejewski - Managing Director, Manchester at Smart Group Ltd - Event Services

Reddico

“lare and Louise worked with me to hire for a new Paid Search Manager to join my team at Reddico at a time of rapid growth. My own time was taken up with managing new business, clients and their accounts – therefore it was a great weight off my shoulders to know that recruitment was being looked after while I was occupied with my own workload. Their screening process ensured my time wasn’t wasted when it came to reviewing CV’s, and the good quality of candidates meant a welcomed difficult decision to who got the position. We had regular calls and updates – I spoke to Clare after every interview and appreciated her advice throughout. Their support was key in securing an excellent new employee who will help our business continue to succeed and grow.”

Dave Hatton - Head of Paid Search at Reddico

The Engage Group

“As part of our 2016 growth strategy, we had a need to hire several Sales positions in our London office. I was looking for a new solution to bring our recruitment in-house whilst promoting The Engage Group via social media. Louise and Liz at Fish Hook Careers were recommended to me as Freelance In-House Recruitment Specialists, available for hire when a business needs it. This was the best avenue to avoid recruitment agencies; they joined under our brand and helped attract multiple candidates directly over a 6 months’ period. This has not only saved us money but also valuable time resourcing and speaking to candidates directly ourselves – if you are looking to recruit multiple positions, Fish Hook is a very cost effective solution!”

Chris Dixon - Operations Director at The Engage Group

Ware Anthony Rust

“We have worked with Louise over a number of years, and have always been impressed by her understanding of our business and appreciation of the kind of recruits that we are looking for. Fish Hook is a perfect solution – giving us the ability to use Louise’s skills, without the heavy fees charged by agencies. Louise has helped us to make much better use of all the available recruitment avenues: saving both time and money, and creating a pool of talent that we can access in the future.”

Shelby Haslam - Head of PR and Planning at Ware Anthony Rust

Potter + Moore

“Over the years we have used employment agencies to help us recruit marketing and product professionals for our business. In the past, Louise Ashford-Hodges was one of these agents. Due to our working relationship, Louise introduced her new business “Fish Hook Careers” and highlighted the benefits of hiring a Freelance In-House Recruiter. The results speak for themselves, as not only did she recruit our Product Manager position directly but has also created a fantastic pool of local and relevant candidates who are now following our company for future job opportunities at Potter and Moore. She has significantly reduced our hiring costs, saved me time and promoted the company online using our social media streams – I will definitely be using her services again, thank you.”

Sally Cross - Sales & Marketing Director at Potter and Moore