Retainer vs Full-Time Employee

Hiring a full-time embedded engineer is expensive, slow, and inflexible. A retainer with ETL gives you senior expertise on demand — at a fraction of the cost.

Annual Cost Comparison

Most companies underestimate the true cost of a full-time hire by 40-60%. Here's the real picture.

Recommended

ETL Retainer

Flexible monthly commitment, scale up or down

Monthly retainer From £3,000/mo
Recruitment fees £0
Employer NI & pension £0
Equipment & tooling £0
Holiday & sick cover £0
Training & upskilling £0
Bench time (idle) £0
Annual cost From £36,000
Higher total cost

Full-Time Employee

Senior embedded engineer, UK market rate

Base salary £65,000
Recruitment fees (20%) £13,000
Employer NI & pension £10,400
Equipment & tooling £4,000
Holiday & sick cover £7,800
Training & upskilling £3,000
Bench time (between projects) £8,000
Year 1 total cost £111,200

Feature Comparison

ETL Retainer
Full-Time Hire
Time to start
1–2 weeks
3–6 months
Breadth of expertise
Full team: firmware, BLE, Linux, mobile
One person's skill set
Scale flexibility
Scale up or down monthly
Fixed headcount
Notice period to exit
30 days
3–6 months + redundancy
Holiday & absence risk
Covered by team
Project stalls
Knowledge of your domain
Cross-industry experience
Builds over time
Upfront investment
£0
£13k+ recruitment
Ongoing management
Self-managed delivery
Requires line management
Risk if they leave
Team continuity
Single point of failure

The Retainer Advantage

Start in Days, Not Months

No recruitment process, no notice periods. We can begin within 1-2 weeks of signing. Your project doesn't wait for hiring cycles.

Access a Whole Team

One hire gives you one skill set. A retainer gives you firmware engineers, BLE specialists, Linux developers, and mobile developers — all from one contract.

Predictable Costs

Fixed monthly fee, no surprises. No employer NI, pension contributions, equipment costs, or recruitment fees. Budget with confidence.

Scale With Demand

Need more hours for a product launch? Scale up. Quieter quarter? Scale down. No redundancy risk, no awkward conversations.

Zero Single-Point-of-Failure Risk

If a full-time engineer leaves, your project stalls. With ETL, knowledge is shared across the team. Continuity is built in.

No Infrastructure Overhead

We bring our own tools, licences, development boards, and test equipment. You don't need to provision anything.

How Our Retainer Works

01

Discovery Call

We discuss your project, technical requirements, and the level of support you need.

02

Tailored Proposal

We propose a retainer that fits your budget and scope — no lock-in, no minimum term beyond 30 days.

03

Start Building

Your dedicated team begins work. Regular updates, shared repos, and direct communication from day one.

04

Flex as Needed

Increase or decrease hours monthly. Pause if you need to. No penalties, no drama.

Ready to Build Without the Overhead?

Talk to us about a flexible retainer that fits your project and budget.

Discuss Your Project