Welcome
SAPhire International Limited is a specialist in the SAP world, providing permanent retained search or contingency as well as contract recruitment solutions to end users and consultancies alike. We source and place highly qualified and skilled SAP consultants for clients on a pan-European basis, and these can be both permanent or contract. We have access to over 10,000 SAP Professionals due to our huge network of contacts built up over the last 17 years.
Our scope of activities covers the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Switzerland, which is our biggest market.
In addition, SAPhire International is the chosen SAP division of CNA Executive Search, part of the UK's largest independent recruitment business - the £800 million Pertemps Group. Please go to our Partners for website links.
For the last 17 years, our consultants have specialised in SAP Recruitment for functional configuration of all SAP modules as well as ABAP developers, Basis consultants, Solutions Architects, Project Managers and IS-Solutions specialists. We also have expert knowledge of multi-lingual SAP consultants. Some of our own recruitment consultants are bi-lingual.
We make sure that we comply with all forms of regulation of each country in which we operate. We are REC accredited - membership number 00074583 - and as such our processes follow the REC Code of Professional Practice, a copy of which is available on our web site.
We are also registered under the Data Protection Act no: PZ3147969, thus ensuring confidentiality.
We are partnered with Accurity GmbH and APC International in Zurich, who manage all of our Swiss business in terms of licensing, payroll, work permits, pensions and mandatory deductions. This means we comply with the latest SECO regulations.
We take compliance very seriously and as such have robust policies with regard to: Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities and Diversity, Complaints Procedure, Customer Service, Environmental and Information, Security and Data Protection. All are available on our website.
When we are given the opportunity to source a new Consultant for a client, we first spend time discussing and understanding the job specification. With the experience we have in the SAP industry, we understand the importance of detail, no matter how small. Amongst other things, we speak with the client to understand the project's module and sub module requirements, linguistic requirements, budgetary limitations, the importance of delivering the project on time and of course the salary and benefits package commensurate for the role.
We do not merely send you many CV's; we have continued to be successful by sourcing, screening and interviewing SAP consultants ourselves prior to them ever meeting a client. That way we present the client with only 2 or 3 quality candidates for interview. We ensure that these SAP consultants want the position, are skilled, and are able to fill the role. Visas are checked where necessary, as well as any relocation or commuting considerations. We appreciate that the client's time is valuable and limited and offer a service where we deliver based specifically on the client's needs. The client can then make a decision knowing that each SAPhire SAP consultant is capable, available and affordable to perform the role.
Our contingency service is free to our clients until our candidate accepts a formal written offer. At that point we invoice a pre-agreed percentage of the 1st year salary. We also offer a retained executive search service, which allows the client to have first choice of all SAP consultants sourced by SAPhire International Ltd for the specific role. This is the preferred choice of most of our major clients.
We also offer a fully retained service, which allows the client to have first choice of all Consultants sourced by SAPhire International LTD for the specific role; this is the preferred choice of many of our major clients.
As a business, we take honesty, integrity and ethics very seriously and as such we abide by the code of conduct of the Recruitment Employers Confederation.
About us
SAPhire International Limited was founded by people who understand SAP and recruitment. Our senior management team include former Managing Director of two SAP centric recruitment companies, Fellow of the Institute of Recruitment Professionals, a former Vice President of JP Morgan and a qualified Chartered Accountant.
There is a combined SAP recruitment experience of over 20 years in the team, going right back to the R/2 days.
We believe in total honesty and integrity and always treat people as we would like to be treated ourselves.
We are the ethical recruitment consultants.
Finding us
Our offices are located at:
Riverside House
River Lawn Road
Tonbridge
Kent
TN9 1EP
Click the map to find us using Google Maps.
Our Services
Here at SAPhire International Limited we believe in delivering solutions tailored to our client's needs.
We offer retained executive search for those hard to find SAP specialists or senior executives and contingency recruitment for the day to day hires needed by all companies
The executive search profession has two distinct fields, retained executive search and contingency search. Retained search firms such as SAPhire are paid a retainer fee to locate and evaluate potential internal or external candidates for a senior level position.
Search consultancies are often entrenched in particular market sectors, in our case SAP. Their market sector networks are used along with various methods to seek candidates for a particular job. Normally the individuals are not actively seeking a new job. It is the job of the search consultant to approach these individuals with a view to taking them out of their current company and placing them in another, often a competitor.
The service is paid for by the client company or organization, not by the hired job candidate. Potential job candidates are identified, qualified and presented to the client by the executive search firm based upon fit with a written or verbal Job Specification developed in conjunction with the client. Assessing degree of potential fit of the candidate with the job specification is a key activity for the search firm, since the most common reason a search consultant is engaged by a client company is to save time and effort involved with identifying, qualifying and reviewing potential candidates for specific leadership positions.
It is common for a potential candidate to be identified by the search firm via a telephone call. Often the phone call is the result of a recommendation from someone inside the existing network of the search firm. Quality oriented search firms work hard at cultivating and continually updating their network of contacts so that when a search assignment is awarded they will be ready to start recruiting potential candidates. Another way to identify potential candidates involves search firm "research", which is contacting targeted people in specific companies who appear to fit the job profile in some logical manner. Some of the best candidate referrals come from people who could be candidates for the job themselves but for any number of reasons are not interested at that particular time.
Job seekers who qualify for senior-executive level searches often mistake executive recruiters for career transition, or "outplacement" specialists. Here at SAPhire, we do not do this, we use a specialist company called Mayfair International Resources Limited. Executive recruiters work for their client companies. They do not actively place out-of-work individuals. This would not only be a conflict of interest, it would also be financially unwise. A job seeker does not pay a recruiter when he lands a job. The client company pays the recruiting firm when it fills a position. This nuance is lost on many. It may be worthwhile to contact executive search firms if you qualify, but do not expect them to take time out of their schedule to talk with you or see you. They are driven by their specific assignments for their clients: they find people for roles, not roles for people. Executive search consultants can be "career makers" for some individuals, but for most, this will not be the way they will find their next role.
We offer contractors to fill the "needed now" talent shortages often experienced by new projects or upgrades.
Our contract recruitment services enable you to quickly source specialist SAP consultants without compromising on quality. Hundreds of contractors register with us every month and we have access to over 10,000 SAP contractors via our partnership network.
We also offer interim management for short to medium term business improvement or to cover in the event of maternity or illness.
Finally, we have a consulting partnership agreement where we are able to introduce you to some of the very best specialist consulting companies in the world.
Uniquely we can also provide our own employees and associates for a wide range of SAP contract and consulting positions. This provides an added level of quality assurance.
The Team
Now that you know a bit about our company, here's a bit about us.
Stephen Hall FIRP, Managing Director and owner 
Stephen started his career in the early eighties and worked in the world of IT for eight years at Reuters and The London International Stock Exchange.
He moved to IT recruitment in 1988 and was managing and mentoring a team of twenty recruiters just 4 years later. In 1997 Stephen founded Saphire Consulting International (a niche SAP recruitment company) and built the business to £3.75 Million in sales over just two years. He sold Saphire as a going concern to James Caan (of Dragons Den fame) and subsequently founded the Method Group which he grew to a multi million pound international operation over 4 years. He trained all of the recruiters in executive search and many were highly successful. Subsequently he became CEO of Berkeley International Plc., where he built a significant business infrastructure. Then Stephen worked as a Management Consultant for several recruitment companies and spent a year in Switzerland with The Albany Group, facilitating the deployment of SAP contractors on an international basis.
He founded Saphire International Limited in 2009 to focus on supplying the growing demand for highly skilled SAP consultants across Europe.
Stephen is a father to two and also a keen angler. He supports the Help for Heroes charity actively.
Gary Cockerill, Business Development Consultant
Gary originally worked in the technology industry in the mid 80's and was involved in numerous high profile projects such as the satellite GPS systems and the original cellular mobile networks.
Having been active in a number of market sectors he has spent the last 10 years working in both Europe and the US in the IT and communications industry. He has worked as a Consultant and has also directly managed the sales and marketing teams for a number of Global Systems Integrators, Manufacturers and Resellers.
Formerly a Director at Fujitsu he was responsible for £10.0 million revenue stream that encompassed all of the Central Government direct business. Gary has extensive commercial and technical experience across multiple software and hardware platforms as well as emerging Cloud based technologies.
Shaun Rogers, Finance Director & Company Secretary
Shaun Rogers is the Managing Director of High Finance Group, having played an instrumental role in establishing the company in 2003. Shaun is also Finance Director and Company Secretary of Saphire International Ltd. He is involved in all company decisions including the employment of new staff.
Shaun is a widely connected and knowledgeable individual, with an extensive business network.
Shaun gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Accountancy from University College of North Wales and later qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst and Young.
A father of two, Shaun is dedicated to his family. He plays cricket, football and golf and promotes youth sport.
Simon Long, Team Leader
Simon joined SAPhire International in 2009 after being approached by the Managing Director. Simon had been running his own business since 2003, which he sold as a going concern in Early 2009. Simon places SAP candidates for medium size to large multinational clients, on a pan-European basis. Simon particularly works with German speaking SAP experts and also has specialist knowledge of the Swiss SAP market. He also has several relationships with consulting companies in mainland Europe. Simon is well versed in business practice and ethics and seeks to build long term relationships with his client base. Simon adheres to the company ethos of treating people as he would like to be treated. During his three years with SAPhire international, Simon has progressed from Associate Consultant to be Team Leader.
Roger Napleton, Managing Consultant
Roger originally worked in retailing for over thirty years, starting as a Store Manager, then Central Accountant and Head of Administration and later specialising in EPOS and ERP systems. He eventually became main Board Director of Payless DIY, Fads Paint & Wallpaper Shops and Retail Controller of Halfords. He was also a Director within Boots plc.
Later on, he spent fourteen years developing and selling software within the Oil & Gas Industry, specialising in procurement, materials control and supply chain management and became Managing Director of the SME he co-founded.
During the last two years he has returned to retailing in a Management Consulting role working for some of the largest retailers in the UK and the world.
Roger brings a wealth of business and ERP experience to the Saphire Team.
Careers at SAPhire
Working at SAPhire is unlike working for the majority of recruitment or staffing companies. We say what we mean and mean what we say, so there is no ambiguity as we move forward in our partnership.
Our people are our business and as such we treat them with the respect and dignity that they deserve.
Our salary structure is the same for everyone so no nasty surprises.
Our bonus structure is simple. We take the cost of your salary, national insurance and office costs as your "cost of employment". Once you have achieved this, we pay you 20% up to £10,000 in fee income per month and 25% over £10,000 in fee income. We do not cap bonus so it is up to you how much you earn.
We have a clearly defined career path which is as follows: Salaries are 2012 levels.
| Trainee Consultant | Basic £16,000 |
| Associate Consultant | Basic £18,000 |
| Consultant | Basic £20,000 |
| Senior Consultant | Basic £25,000 |
| Team Leader | Basic £27,500 |
| Team Manager | Basic £30,000 |
| Country Manager | Basic £35,000 |
| Associate Director | Basic £42,500 |
| Director | Basic £50,000 |
We also from time to time hire administrators and researchers; we do not have defined salaries for these roles, so they can be negotiated at interview.
Current Vacancies:
Please contact us using the contact form here.
Employee Benefits:
- Full training will be provided in executive search and SAP.
- 20 days paid holiday per year, increasing by one day for each completed year of service up to a maximum of 25 days.
- Generous and uncapped bonus structure.
- Company funded Christmas meal and outing.
- A structured career, with defined goals to reach promotions and pay rises.
- All expenses incurred in the day to day performance of your duties will be paid under our expenses policy.
- Six monthly performance appraisel for each employee.
- We treat our people as we would like to be treated.
- SAPhire International Ltd is an equal opportunities employer.
Office hours:
Monday to Thursday 08.45 - 17.30 with one hour for lunch.
Friday 08.30 - 16.30 with one hour for lunch.
It may be that you are expected to work outside or beyond these hours in the performance of your duties, however, we are a flexible company that understands that you have a life outside of work.
Contact us
You can use this form to contact us. You might like to know we are fully registered and compliant with the Data Protection Act 1998 (Registration PZ3147969) and will never disclose any information to third parties without your consent.
Links & Partners
CNA International
CNA has been operating since 1995 and successfully combining specialist Executive Search processes with their unique CABS® methodology to provide their clients with the best talent available. CNA are part of the Pertemps Group. SAPhire International is the chosen SAP specialist division of CNA International.
Pertemps Group
Since 1961 their growth has been spectacular. From their roots in the West Midlands the company has developed into a national organisation with branches from Edinburgh to the Isle of Wight. This year their turnover is anticipated to be in excess of £240 million and they employ nearly 1000 permanent staff and payroll in excess of 20,000 flexible workers per week.
Accurity
Accurity offers a comprehensive permit, payrolling and management service for freelancers working on contract. Accurity is run by an experienced team of professionals who are familiar with the challenges associated with freelancing and know what is important to contractors, agents and clients. They are committed to providing the best retention rates possible to contractors and consistently provide the best value in the business and only partner with agencies committed to high professional standards
Accurity manage all of Saphire International's Swiss based business
High Finance Group
As an international insurance recruiter covering general insurance, life, reinsurance, pensions and management consultancy, High Finance Group has experience in finding the best people for an extraordinary range of clients, from the FTSE's top 50 leaders to private-equity backed start-ups across the EU. We are based in the City of London.
Endorsements
You can see our most recent endorsements above, or you can see all our endorsements below too.
"I'm really lucky to have met Simon. He not only helped me to find a job in Switzerland but he was also the reliable person that was always available to give valuable advices, support actively, kept informed for any progress and all the time extremely patient. Sure, he is one of the best professional I ever met. I wish everyone the chance to work with him. Merci Simon de tout coeur!"
Jean-Pierre Pawela , Consultant
"Simon is a true recruitment professional. He pays attention to detail and listens to the client. He makes complex situations look simple. He knows how to home in on client and candidate needs. Simon is a gifted negotiator with excellent international cultural awareness. Thank you for your services and look forward to work with you again in the future."
Remco H. , Consultant
"Simon helped me out in my recent job hunt in Switzerland. He has a great flair for what he does and has a good understanding of the European Job markets. He is aware of the client requirements and makes this clear to the candidates in advance, so that we know what to expect in the interview cum recruitment process. Apart from this Simon is a great support both procedure wise as well as morally during the recruitment process, which was a great help to me. His no-nonsense approach is something I personally liked. All in all, I am glad I sent my resume to Simon!"
Karthik Thilak , Consultant
"During the period when I was looking for a new role Simon was one of the very few consultants whom I felt was actually working with and for me as a candidate. Simon always kept me advised of progress, regularly kept in touch and consistently put forward sensible suggestions as to potential roles. As a candidate I can thoroughly recommend him."
Simon Jefferson , Managing Consultant
"I found my recent job through Simon. He is the best when you're on a job hunt. He not only knows different markets very well, but also has great connections abroad that can get you through to many different companies. He listens to your needs, guides you sincerely and is always so informative on the process, so you never feel left out. I'm very happy to have built my connection to him."
Yasemin Yildirimer , Consultant
"Stephen is an expert in the world of SAP recruitment. Stephen has a broad and deep knowledge of his market place and is extremely well networked. He has an unflinching commitment to delivering to his clients and SMEs and contractors. I recommend Stephen as an invaluable resource to your SAP project or as a source to find a new engagement."
Kenny McAllister, Director, Business Services Group
"Stephen is a consultant who has a vast network of contacts within the industry. This along with his entrepreneurial drive and ability to keep on top of the key issues affecting the market, have enabled him to become extremely talented in building lasting relationships."
Stephen Davey, Account Manager, Top-Consultant.com
"Stephen, along with his colleague Chris Willard put a lot of effort into helping me gain employment at my current company. It is a fantastic job and they went above and beyond the call of duty helping me through every step."
"Stephen Hall is very efficient in fulfilling client's requirements and is very on the ball where skills and experience is concerned in placing candidates in high level positions. Stephen is reliable, conscientious and a hard worker who forever strives to reach his goals within the recruitment sector."
Karen Turner, Client Service Director, Mayfair Coaching Practice Ltd
"Stephen is an experienced recruitment professional with a wealth of knowledge and a strong customer focus. Stephen and I have known each other professionally for some time and I can thoroughly recommend his professionalism and integrity"
Jonathan Nardinochi, Director, Aimselect
"Stephen brings a wealth of recruitment and management experience to any venture he is associated with. I attended client meetings with Stephen and his questioning and closing techniques were both instinctive and incisive. I would recommend Stephen as a trainer, business developer and evangelist in the staffing industry. His integrity and honesty puts him head and shoulders above the majority."
David Bridge, Director, Mayfair International Resources
"Stephen is a highly motivated professional with a real depth of recruitment services understanding. He is technically adept and driven to develop his team through providing best practice solutions to his clients at all levels of their corporate development. Should you either be a professional in IT services seeking a new career challenge or an organisation in need of securing quality technical services personnel, I thoroughly recommend getting in contact with Stephen."
Graeme Elkin, Operations Manager, Consulting Point
"Always professional with almost unparalleled business experience, Stephen is a valued contact who I would recommend to any SAP professional."
Simon Baker, Search Consultant, Bowden Mayes
"Stephen has proved reliable and innovative. He has helped us challenge some of our recruitment decisions and come up with some alternative approaches that have worked out well for us.
I have known Stephen for many years now and would not hesitate to recommend him."
"Stephen has always displayed that mixture of passion and intelligence that marks him out as being both credible and professional. Over the years I have known him, he has been reliable, trustable and highly proficient. I am happy to provide further information at any time."
Del Hunter, Director, SSR Personnel Services Limited
"Saphire International contacted me with regard to a role at Chartis Insurance. The role was explained in detail to me, the selection and interview process was clear and concise. The interview took place as planned and I was offered the contract which has since been extended. Simon Long is a good communicator who kept me informed of the progress throughout the whole time. He also called a few weeks later to ensure the contract was proceeding as planned and that I was happy with the position. He and the business are extremely professional and I would recommend them to anyone who is searching for a new freelance or permanent position within the SAP industry. Thank you for your efforts."
Shlok Sharma
Press releases & News
SAPhire International Ltd featured by recruitment-international.co.uk
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