Automotive recruitment
Automotive techs who pass a trade test, not just an interview.
We supply vehicle technicians, bodyshop trades and production staff to dealer groups, bodyshops, fleet workshops, manufacturers and component suppliers across Ireland and the UK. Local candidates first. When local cannot deliver, we deploy from overseas and handle the permit, the visa and the move.
- Every technician trade tested in a real workshop, on real vehicles, before they travel
- Diagnostic ability checked on your make of scan tool
- Permit, visa and the Labour Market Needs Test carried end to end
- No retainer, no startup fee, and nothing ever charged to the candidate
HGV mechanic trade test, Johannesburg
Who we work for
Employers we work with
Established operators across Ireland and the UK. Transport, automotive, construction, engineering and food service.
What we place
Roles we fill in Automotive
If what you need is not on the list, ask anyway. We turn down briefs we cannot fill, so a no from us costs you a phone call and nothing else.
- Vehicle Technicians
- HGV and Bus Mechanics
- Diagnostic Technicians
- Panel Beaters
- Spray Painters
- MIG and TIG Welders
- Auto Electricians
- Tyre Fitters
- Trailer Fitters
- CVRT and MOT Testers
- CNC Machinists
- Quality Inspectors
- Mechanical Engineers
- Production Line Operatives
- Service Advisors
- Workshop Controllers
Trade testing
Where we test automotive candidates
These are our workshops, not stock photographs. Every candidate is trade tested on the tools before you see a CV, and before anybody gets on a plane.
Placed, not promised
Roles we have filled for employers like you
Named clients and the roles that actually started. Ask us for a reference and we will put you in touch.
How we fill it
Three routes, and we will tell you which one you need
We look at your local market before we look anywhere else. Overseas deployment is slower and more involved, so we only recommend it when local genuinely cannot deliver.
Ireland and the UK
- About two weeks from brief to a start date
- Candidates pre-screened and compliance handled before you interview
- No retainer and no monthly fee
- Thirty day replacement guarantee
International deployment
- Sourced from the Philippines, South Africa, the UAE, Bangladesh, Colombia, India and Nepal
- Permit, visa and Certificate of Sponsorship work handled end to end
- Labour Market Needs Test managed for you
- Flights, accommodation and welfare checks after arrival included
Remote support roles
- Live in one to four weeks, because there is no permit in the way
- Five stage vetting including a proper English assessment
- Employed directly by your company
- Typically 50 to 70% below the cost of a local hire
The work behind the shortlist
What we check before you see a CV
A shortlist is only worth anything if somebody did this first.
The trade test
- Diagnostic fault-find on a live vehicle, timed
- Brake, clutch, timing belt and suspension work assessed by a qualified assessor
- Panel and spray work judged on finish, not on a certificate
- Welders tested on the process you run, MIG or TIG
The paperwork
- Qualification checked with the awarding body, not taken on trust
- Manufacturer training records verified where the candidate claims them
- Diagnostic tooling familiarity confirmed, Bosch, Autel, Snap-on, Launch or brand-specific
- References taken from named workshops with named managers
The fit
- Interview with you, in person or by video, before any offer
- Realistic view of your workshop, your hours and your pay given to the candidate up front
- Written offer with the terms in it before anybody commits
- Somebody on the phone after they arrive, not just until they sign
Recruitment trips
Come and test them yourself
Every month we are in Manila, Johannesburg and Dubai with clients, running in-person trade tests and volume interviews. Based on everything we have seen, it is the most effective way to hire.
- Meet more candidates in a day than you would in a month of video calls
- Get a better read on somebody by watching them work, not just hearing them talk
- Trade test in person, on the tools, to your own standard
- We handle all the logistics. You turn up, we do the rest
The bit most agencies skip
A technician who is excellent on one continent is not automatically excellent on your ramp. Vehicle parc, tooling and diagnostic software differ, and a good overseas tech can still need a few weeks to get up to speed on the brands you carry.
We tell you that honestly and promise you no drop-in replacement. What we do promise is that the underlying trade skill is real, because we watched them do the work before they got on a plane.
Lead times
How long it takes, honestly
Government processing times move, and anybody quoting you a single confident number is guessing. Which route applies to your role, and the current wait, we confirm in writing before you commit.
Local hire, Ireland or UK
About 2 weeks
Brief to start date. Candidates pre-screened and compliance handled before you interview.
Ireland, employment permit
Department clock
Our preparation takes days. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment publishes its own processing times and they move with demand; we tell you the current one in writing before you commit.
UK, Skilled Worker
UKVI clock
You assign the Certificate of Sponsorship; UK Visas and Immigration publishes decision times. We tell you the current one in writing before you commit.
Remote support role
1 to 4 weeks
Where the job can be done remotely, there is no permit and no queue.
Official processing times: enterprise.gov.ie for Irish employment permits and GOV.UK for the Skilled Worker visa.
Cost and cover
What it costs, and what happens if it goes wrong
Government fees are passed through at cost and the placement fee is staged across the process, none of it up front.
Replacement guarantee on a local hire
Replacement guarantee where the trade test was remote
Replacement guarantee where the trade test was in person
Retainer, startup or candidate fees, at any point
Sama Talent & Offshore Services Limited, 136 Capel Street, Dublin D01 T2C9. Licensed employment agency EA 5649, Workplace Relations Commission of Ireland. CRO 810220. Local first. Internationally ready when local cannot deliver.
Straight answers
Questions employers ask
Can you fill a whole workshop, not just one tech?
Yes. Crew placements out of a single brief are normal for us. Tell us the shape of the workshop and the start date, and we build the shortlist around it and do not send you one CV at a time.
Do your technicians hold Irish or UK qualifications?
Usually not on arrival. They hold the equivalent qualification from where they trained, and we verify it with the awarding body. Whether that qualification is recognised for a given role, and which permit route the role sits on, depends on the specific vacancy, so we confirm both in writing before you commit.
How do you test a sprayer or a panel beater remotely?
We do not. Bodyshop trades are tested in person, in a booth, with the work assessed on finish. That is also why the replacement guarantee is longer on in-person testing, six months against three.
What does it cost?
No startup cost and no retainer. Government fees are passed through at cost, and the placement fee is staged across the process, none of it up front. Candidates pay nothing at any stage.
How long from brief to somebody starting?
Around two weeks for a local hire. For an overseas deployment it depends on the route, and the ranges we publish are honest ones, not the best case.
Tell us the role and the start date. We do the rest.
No retainer, no startup fee, and nothing is ever charged to the candidate. Call us on +353 1 903 8249, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm.
Looking for work in Automotive?
You will never pay us. Not once, not for anything.
Not to apply, not to be placed, not for your visa, your documents or your training. Employers pay us. Your wage is yours in full.
Everything else we cover