Embedded RPO · Full-Cycle Recruiting · 7 Industries

Hire great people.
Grow fast.
Win your market.

Cardinal Talent Partners embeds directly into your business — acting as your dedicated recruiting team. From early-stage startups all the way to unicorns.

"Cardinal found people we couldn't have found ourselves." VP People · Tech Startup
"We doubled headcount in under a year. Thomas was the engine." CEO · SaaS Scaleup
"Quality, speed, and a partner who gets our market." CPO · Fintech

Trusted by ambitious companies

Buyk Denim Hubbell Invisible

Solving the real problems of high-growth hiring

01

Embedded, not transactional

We become part of your team — attending standups, learning your product, understanding your culture — so every hire reflects who you truly are as a company.

02

Full-cycle ownership

From sourcing and screening to offer negotiation and onboarding. Thomas owns the entire process so your leadership stays focused on what matters most.

03

Quality over volume

We don't send 50 CVs and hope for the best. We deliver tight shortlists of exceptional people — A-players who can genuinely move your company forward.

04

Predictable, transparent cost

A clear monthly engagement model with no agency markups and no per-placement surprises. Scales cleanly as your hiring needs grow or contract.

A career built placing exceptional people.

Thomas Baker has spent his career embedded inside high-growth companies — from early-stage startups all the way through to unicorns — placing hundreds of candidates across 7 industries at every level.

100s
Placements across career
50%
Cost savings vs agency
7
Industries covered
48hr
Response on all enquiries

A model that scales to you

Whether you're making your first critical hires or scaling rapidly across multiple functions — Cardinal has the flexibility and expertise to match your pace and ambition.

Startup

First Hires, Done Right

Our most agile model — reactive, flexible, built for startup speed. Ideal for early-stage companies making critical first hires that define the culture.

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Growth Stage

Scale Without the Overhead

Full end-to-end recruiting. Ideal for Series A–C companies scaling headcount rapidly. From startup to unicorn — we've done it before.

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Enterprise

Augment Your TA Function

High-volume, multi-discipline hiring with consistent quality. Expert support without building an internal team from scratch.

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Deep expertise across 7 sectors

01

Tech & SaaS

Engineering, Product, GTM and leadership for software companies.

02

Fintech

Compliance, Risk, Engineering and commercial talent for regulated fintechs.

03

AI Training

Data labelers, RLHF trainers and AI research talent for model teams.

04

Enterprise AI

ML engineers and AI leads for enterprise transformation programs.

05

Manufacturing

Operations, Supply Chain and technical leadership for manufacturers.

06

Construction

Project managers, site leaders, estimators for large-scale builds.

07

Engineering

Civil, mechanical and structural engineers across infrastructure.

+

Your sector?

Don't see your industry? Let's talk.

Thomas Baker
Founder · Cardinal Talent Partners
100s
Placements made
7
Industries
Full
Cycle expertise
48hr
Response time

Built by a recruiter, for founders

Cardinal Talent Partners was founded by Thomas Baker — a full-cycle recruiting specialist with experience placing hundreds of candidates across 7 industries, from early-stage startups growing all the way to unicorns.

Unlike traditional agencies, we embed directly into your business. We learn your culture, understand your bar, and act as a true extension of your leadership team — not just a vendor filling requisitions.

  • Full-cycle ownership — sourcing through to onboarding
  • Embedded in your team, not sitting on the outside
  • Quality-first — tight shortlists, not high volume
  • Long-term partner through every stage of your growth
Book a discovery call

Ready to hire better?

Book a discovery call with Thomas. We'll understand your hiring needs and put a tailored plan together within 48 hours.