VacantC GO vs Recruitment Agencies vs Generic ATS: How Should a UK Law Firm Recruit?
There is no single right way to recruit. VacantC GO is a recruitment platform built specifically for UK law firms. It gives firms the tools to manage their own hiring, while VacantC Legal Recruitment, our specialist recruitment team, remains available when a role genuinely needs it.
In practical terms, VacantC GO is an applicant tracking system (ATS) for UK law firms, combining recruitment software, a branded careers page, candidate management and AI-assisted hiring tools.
One platform. Two ways to hire.
AI assists the process. It doesn't make the hiring decision.
Here is how the main approaches to legal recruitment compare.
- You hire regularly and want to manage it yourself: a platform like VacantC GO, at a flat monthly cost.
- You need a senior, confidential or hard-to-fill hire: specialist legal recruitment, such as VacantC Legal Recruitment, or VacantC Concierge if you already use GO.
- You need general HR software across the whole business: a generic ATS or HR suite can cover broader HR needs, but it isn't specialist. It won't be built around legal recruitment, so expect compromises on legal-specific workflows.
- You hire very rarely: you may not need a subscription, but occasional hires carry the same data protection responsibilities. CVs held in inboxes and spreadsheets still need to be stored, shared and deleted properly, so manual processes carry risk.
- You do a bit of everything: use VacantC GO for routine hiring and bring in VacantC Legal Recruitment for the roles that need specialist help.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | VacantC GO | VacantC Legal Recruitment (specialist recruiter) | Generic ATS | No ATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | £250 + VAT per month, per firm. Unlimited jobs and candidates, no user limits | Custom, subject to the role and your expectations. GO customers get 50% off standard fees through Concierge | Varies by vendor and plan | No software cost; staff time plus job board and advert fees |
| Commitment | 12-month contract; at least 30 days' written notice is required in advance of the renewal date. 14-day free trial included | Engaged role by role | Varies by vendor | None |
| Who does the work | Your team runs the process; VacantC support is available | VacantC's recruiters source, screen and present candidates | Your team | Your team |
| Built for law firms | Yes, designed for UK law firms | Yes, specialist legal recruitment | Usually designed for a broad range of industries | Not applicable |
| Tracking and pipeline | Full applicant tracking system with a visible pipeline for each vacancy | Managed by VacantC | Core feature | Spreadsheets and email |
| Careers page and job distribution | Branded white-label careers page, embeddable widget, and eligible roles shared with external job-board feeds | VacantC advertises and approaches candidates on your behalf | Varies by vendor | A hard-coded careers page on your own website (if you have one), applications sent to a general email address, and paid job boards |
| AI support | AI CV grading (crAIg), interview questions and competency tests, 90-day onboarding plans. Advisory only; a human makes the decision | Recruiter-led | Varies by vendor | None |
| Data handling | CVs are stored within the platform rather than routinely emailed or downloaded between hiring teams. Tools designed to support UK GDPR requirements, plus a full audit trail | Handled through VacantC's recruitment processes | Varies by vendor | Often CVs in inboxes and shared drives |
| Specialist recruitment | Add VacantC Concierge when specialist recruitment support is needed: 50% off standard recruitment fees, with no fee unless VacantC helps make the hire | This is the service: proactive search for senior, niche or confidential roles | Depends on your own sourcing | Limited to your network and adverts |
| Best for | Firms that recruit regularly and want control and predictable cost | Senior, niche or confidential searches | Firms needing a general-purpose tool | Very occasional hiring, although it relies on emailed CVs and spreadsheets, which carries data protection and process risk |
Other recruitment agencies are also available; this table shows VacantC's own specialist service alongside the alternatives. Statements about generic ATS tools are general because features and pricing differ by vendor; check current details with any provider you are considering.
A worked example on cost
Recruitment agency fees commonly run at 15 to 20% of salary. As an illustration, that would be £9,000 to £12,000 for one hire of a solicitor earning £60,000. A year of VacantC GO costs £3,000 + VAT (£250 + VAT a month on a 12-month contract), regardless of how many roles you fill.
This is not a like-for-like comparison. With GO, your team does the recruitment work, whereas an agency charges for doing that work on your behalf. The economics suit firms with the internal capacity to run their own hiring, such as a partner, office manager or HR lead.
What makes VacantC GO different from a generic ATS?
Most applicant tracking systems are designed to serve many industries. VacantC GO is built around the way UK law firms recruit. It isn't a generic HR tool adapted for the legal sector. It was designed specifically around UK law firm recruitment.
That means structured vacancies and candidate pipelines, a branded careers presence, job-board distribution for eligible roles, tools designed to support UK GDPR requirements, and AI assistance for CV grading, interview preparation and onboarding. It also has a built-in academy and knowledge base.
Why is GO built specifically for law firms?
Law firms don't recruit in quite the same way as a typical business. They often hire across fee-earning and business-services roles, value candidates who understand the sector, and balance internal hiring with specialist recruitment for difficult positions.
GO was built around that environment rather than adapting a general-purpose HR platform to it.
And because VacantC also operates a specialist legal recruitment business, firms using GO can move between self-managed recruitment and specialist support without changing platform or provider.
One platform. Two ways to hire.
Run your recruitment yourself with GO. Bring in VacantC's specialist recruiters when you need them.
VacantC Concierge is the second half of that. For senior, niche or hard-to-fill positions, GO customers can add support from VacantC Legal Recruitment at 50% off VacantC's standard recruitment fees. You only pay if VacantC helps you make a hire.
The idea is to use recruiters where recruiters add value, and to avoid paying recruitment fees where you don't need them.
Data protection, security and GDPR
Recruitment involves a lot of personal data, and email is a common weak point. VacantC GO is designed to reduce that risk by keeping CVs within the platform, shared and stored in the cloud, instead of routinely emailing or downloading them between hiring teams.
Tools designed to support UK GDPR requirements
- Consent captured at the point of application, with consent dates and expiry tracked
- One-click right to erasure through candidate anonymisation
- Subject access request (SAR) export on demand
- Automated retention enforcement, with a configurable retention period (default two years)
- A full timestamped audit log
- Optional blind recruitment mode, which removes identifying details from AI CV grading
Security and access
- Data encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest by the hosting infrastructure
- Role-based access for firm users, with optional two-factor authentication
- Candidate files stored under private per-firm paths
- AI outputs are labelled as AI-generated and are advisory only; hiring decisions stay with a human reviewer
How the arrangement works
VacantC acts as data processor for your firm, which remains the data controller. Every firm signs a Master Services Agreement and a Data Processing Agreement during onboarding, before any personal data is processed. GO is hosted on US-based cloud infrastructure, and our sub-processors and the safeguards for international transfers are covered in the DPA.
These tools support your firm's obligations. Your firm remains responsible for its own compliance, so take advice if you have specific questions about your processes.
When VacantC GO may not be the right choice
You need a headhunter
If you are hiring for a highly specialised, senior, confidential or particularly difficult role, specialist recruitment may be more appropriate. VacantC Legal Recruitment provides this, and GO customers can add it through Concierge.
You want recruitment fully outsourced
GO gives your team control. It does not remove the need for someone internally to manage the process. If you want the work handled for you, VacantC's recruitment team can run the search.
You recruit very infrequently
GO is a 12-month subscription. If you only make a hire every year or two, it may not provide enough value. The 14-day free trial lets you test it before committing. Whichever route you choose, candidate CVs and personal data still need to be stored, shared and deleted properly, so avoid leaving them scattered across inboxes and spreadsheets.
You need a complete HR system
GO focuses on recruitment and hiring. If you need payroll, performance management or absence management in one platform, a broader HR system may suit you better.
And sometimes the answer is both. A firm can use GO for its regular hiring and bring in VacantC's specialist recruitment team when a particular role needs a more hands-on search.
What law firms using VacantC GO say
The system has given us a far more structured and professional way of managing recruitment internally. Vacancies, applications and candidate progress can all be managed in one place, making the process considerably easier to oversee and reducing our reliance on emails, spreadsheets and separate recruitment channels.
VacantC GO provides law firms with a credible and cost-effective alternative to relying exclusively on traditional recruitment agencies, while retaining access to specialist support when it is needed.
We've only recently implemented VacantC GO, but we've already been impressed by both the platform and the team behind it. The system is intuitive, tailored to the legal sector, and has given us greater visibility and control over our recruitment process.
What has stood out most is VacantC's responsiveness to feedback, with feature suggestions being reviewed and, in some cases, implemented almost immediately.
Frequently asked questions
What is VacantC GO?
VacantC GO is a recruitment platform built for UK law firms. It includes a full applicant tracking system, a branded careers page, job-board distribution for eligible roles, AI tools for CV grading, interview questions and onboarding plans, and tools designed to support UK GDPR requirements.
Is VacantC GO an ATS?
Yes, it includes a full applicant tracking system. It also includes a careers page, an embeddable careers widget, AI assistance, an academy and knowledge base, and the option to add specialist recruitment from VacantC through Concierge.
What is the best ATS for a UK law firm?
There is no single best ATS for every law firm. The right system depends on how often you recruit, who manages recruitment internally and whether you need broader HR functionality. VacantC GO is specifically designed for UK law firms that want to manage recruitment themselves, with the option to add specialist legal recruitment support when needed.
Is VacantC GO designed specifically for law firms?
Yes. It isn't a generic HR tool adapted for the legal sector. It was designed specifically around UK law firm recruitment.
How much does VacantC GO cost?
£250 + VAT per month per firm, on a 12-month contract. There are no limits on users, jobs or candidates, and a 14-day free trial is included.
How long is the contract, and how do we give notice?
The contract is for 12 months. You need to provide at least 30 days' written notice in advance of the renewal date. You can try GO first with the 14-day free trial.
Is VacantC GO a replacement for recruiters?
No. GO is designed to change when a law firm needs specialist recruitment, not to eliminate it. Firms can use GO to manage routine hiring themselves and bring in VacantC's specialist recruitment team when a role requires sourcing, headhunting or a more hands-on search.
Can a law firm use GO and a recruitment agency together?
Yes. Many firms will use a platform for regular hiring and a specialist recruiter for specific searches. VacantC offers both: GO for running your own process and VacantC Legal Recruitment, at a discounted fee through Concierge, for the roles that need specialist help.
What is VacantC Concierge?
Concierge lets GO customers add VacantC Legal Recruitment, our specialist recruitment team, at any time. It is priced at 50% off VacantC's standard recruitment fees, and you only pay if VacantC helps you make a hire.
Is GO suitable for small law firms?
GO is designed for UK law firms of different sizes, with a flat per-firm price and no user, job or candidate limits. Whether it makes sense depends mainly on how often you recruit and whether someone in the firm can manage the process. The 14-day free trial helps you judge.
What is the difference between GO and a generic ATS?
Generic systems are typically built for many industries. GO is built specifically around UK law firm recruitment and comes with the option of specialist recruitment support from the same provider.
How does GO handle candidate data?
CVs are kept within the platform and stored in the cloud, so they don't need to be routinely emailed or downloaded. The platform includes consent capture at application, one-click erasure, SAR export, automated retention enforcement and a full audit log. Your firm is the data controller and VacantC is the processor, under a Data Processing Agreement signed at onboarding.
Where is data hosted?
GO is hosted on US-based cloud infrastructure. Our sub-processors and the safeguards for international transfers are covered in the Data Processing Agreement every firm signs during onboarding.
Does GO make hiring decisions with AI?
No. AI assists the process; it doesn't make the hiring decision. AI scores and generated content are labelled as AI-generated and are advisory only. Final decisions are made by a human reviewer.
What happens to our data if we leave?
Data is kept for 30 days after cancellation so you can export it, then permanently deleted. You can request written confirmation of deletion.
How quickly can we get started?
Customers describe signing up and starting to use the platform within minutes. You can begin with the 14-day free trial.
When should a law firm use a specialist recruiter instead of an ATS?
When a role is senior, confidential or genuinely hard to fill, and when you want the search handled for you instead of managed in-house. VacantC Legal Recruitment is our specialist service for this.
Choose how you hire
Run your own recruitment with VacantC GO, or speak to VacantC if you need specialist help.