Working with Sam is always great. He has a deep understanding of the roles I need to fill, coupled with his knowledge of the EU market and he gives his all for both the client and the candidate. This makes him an invaluable partner in the recruitment process.

Sam consistently delivers top-notch candidates and operates with the utmost reliability, making him my go-to technical recruiter. I’ve used Sam to hire Product Owners, Engineers (various types) and Engineering Managers.

Adam Castle – Head of Platform Engineering @ Sympower

Sam is one of a kind. Never have I met a person that talks so much and so fast, listen so well. Within no time, and maybe after one or two off interviews, Sam gets a grip on who you are as a person/professinal and what you need.
He’s results oriented, and get those results fast. He landed me a job at Scrambled, which was a perfect match. Unfortunately that adventure didn’t last that long due to covid. But then Sam was right there. Carefully assessing what I needed and when I was ready for the next step.

Like I said, Sam is something else, but definitely one of the best recruiters I have come across. And simply put, a good bloke.

Martijn – Lead frontend developer

Samuel is the rare recruiter who took the time to actually learn who I am, ask me what kind of role and company I was looking for, instead of immediately presenting me some random job opening.

Throughout the hiring process, he kept both sides informed daily. Super smooth!

Erwil Dral

Customer Success Manager & Product Manager

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Sam helped us hire a senior founding engineer, a critical role we couldn’t afford to miss. He was flexible and quick on his feet when our needs shifted mid-process. He asked the right questions to truly understand what we were after, and his extensive start-up experience meant he got the nuances.

From kickoff to aftercare, the process felt professional and authentic, and we ended up with a great hire.

Mathias – CTO

It’s always a pleasure working with Sam. He is very passionate, and enthusiastic and keeps his word. In my previous company and at my current company he knows to recruit te best IT profiles for us, has a structured way of working and is good at following up on conversations (seems easier than it is!).
Very happy to be working together, would definitely recommend him for scaling your development team

Jill – HR Manager

When you got air of me being on the market again; you were honest and a helping hand as a friend. Giving feedback on different elements in the process, and being open to do a mock interview; That’s a 10 out of 10.

I would love to recommend you to my friends and colleagues. However, you already placed them. And this time you placed me.

Tessa Van Walstijn – Frontend developer

Sam helped me get the job that aligned a lot with my career goals and skills. He was supportive, and professional throughout the whole process. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a new role!

Ioanna Vounzoulaki – Junior developer

I’ve had the unique pleasure of working with Samuel Holloway both as a candidate and as a client, and I can confidently say he stands out in the recruitment industry. Samuel was instrumental in placing me in my current role as Director of Engineering at StackState, and since then, has been an invaluable partner in helping me build out my engineering team.
What sets Samuel apart is his genuine passion for matching the right talent with the right opportunity. He goes far beyond the traditional recruiter role – he takes the time to deeply understand both the technical requirements and cultural aspects of each position. His approach is refreshingly candidate-centric; he fights tirelessly for his candidates, ensuring they find roles where they can truly thrive and grow.

In my experience working with Samuel to grow my team, his commitment to quality and thoroughness has been exceptional. He doesn’t just send CVs; he provides carefully vetted candidates who align with both our technical needs and company culture. His understanding of the tech industry and engineering roles is impressive, allowing him to have meaningful conversations with both candidates and hiring managers.

What I particularly appreciate about Samuel is his authenticity and work ethic. He puts in extraordinary effort to ensure successful placements, maintains transparent communication throughout the process, and isn’t afraid to provide honest feedback when needed. His recent venture with SOURCE.ME is a testament to his entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to improving the recruitment experience in the tech industry.

If you’re either looking for your next role in tech or building out your engineering team, I highly recommend connecting with Samuel. His combination of industry knowledge, genuine care for his candidates, and commitment to excellence makes him an outstanding partner in the recruitment process.

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Louis Lotter – Director of Engineering for Stackstate

I have worked with Sam both as a candidate and as a hiring manager. From both sides, I have been very satisfied with Sam’s services. Sam takes a different approach than the mainstream recruiters out there; he actually takes care of his customers and delivers on his promises. We have attracted both great freelance talent and permanent talent through his services in hard-to-fill roles.

Bram Versluis

Interim Head of Development

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Having spoken to many recruiters in my career, I can very safely say I’ve never come across a more like-able guy than Sam. He really took the time to get to know me, what drives me and what I look for in life and in my work. He’s very good at making sure you feel right about your decisions and he will be honest the entire way. I’m certain anyone will enjoy working with Sam the same way I have and he will definitely be the first person I call when I’m looking for a new position.

Tristan Jacobs

Front-end Developer

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Sam brings genuine energy and authenticity to recruitment that’s refreshing in this industry.

What stood out was his approach – he’s not your typical recruiter. Sam clearly cares about creating positive experiences for candidates and is working to elevate standards in engineering recruitment. His enthusiasm is infectious.

I’d welcome the chance to collaborate with Sam in the future.

Tzomily-Nasra Anvar – Lead Developer / Software Engineer

https://tzomily.substack.com/

I’ve really enjoyed working with Sam. Sam has a good overview of his client’s demands, both the hiring company and the candidate, acts quickly and is pragmatic. Introductions are swift and honest! When rounding up he also ensures an honest negotiation/discussion between the candidate & hiring company. From my experience, he creates a foundation for a long-lasting relationship between the hiring company & candidate and doesn’t go for the short-term win!

Pascal Verstappen – CTO for KORSIT

It was the second time I had the chance to experience firsthand Sam’s outstanding professionalism as a recruiter working together with him last December when I was looking for my next career move. As many of us as developers, I have come across a good number of tech recruiters but none of them was able to get close to the high level that Sam set as his standard. Because of this reason, he was the first one to come to my mind to reach out to when I started looking.

Sam clearly puts 100% (sometimes even more?!) into each of his project. I especially appreciate his well-organised, clear, fast-paced and responsive communication style, which frankly, I wish others in the field learnt from him.

After a second time being helped by Sam to find a great position to move ahead in my career, I cannot recommend him enough to others who are in the same situation right now. I can only join the recommendations before me that said “If Sam calls, pick it up!”. Indeed, you and your career as an engineer won’t regret it, I can reassure you of that.

Andras – Frontend developer

I had the pleasure of working with Samuel, and I can confidently say he is a highly professional and supportive recruiter.

From the very beginning, Samuel showed genuine interest in understanding my experience, skills, and career goals. He maintained clear and timely communication throughout the entire process and demonstrated an earnest and transparent approach. Thanks to his guidance, the process felt smooth, personal, and human from start to finish.

I highly recommend Samuel to any professional seeking opportunities or any company looking for a recruiter who truly cares about connecting the right people with the right roles.

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Henrique Domareski – Senior software engineer

The only recruiter I can actually fully recommend..

Sounds strange, but true. I’ve literally dealt with hundreds of recruiters over the past few years, some for longer periods then others, but there is only one that I am truly working with as a partner. That understands the needs thoroughly, that knows how to only send over candidates that truly are a good fit with the company, the role and the requirements. Sam makes sure that no time is spent unnecessarily screening resumes or doing interviews.

Sam also knows how to get the candidate in the best position to feel enthusiastic about the opportunity, is a good guidance when closing the deal and doesn’t stop there. His ‘aftercare’ is unique; checking in with placed candidates up to months after they have started. Giving little hints to them and me where necessary to make the most out of their time.

Now if only he would do something about these rates 😉..

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CTO, In Witness Protection from Recruiters

Samuel reached out to me recently with an amazing opportunity that got me really excited and willing to switch jobs. The whole process was really smooth and fast, he was always available for solving any of my questions, and really great to chat with. He is very pro-active and was on top of everything throughout the whole process, and managed to get me a real good offer. I’m extremely happy with how it all went, and I would definitely recommend Samuel if you’re looking for your next job.

Nathalia – Senior software engineer

Sam is one of the greats. Always mixing hard work with a lot of humour. You can say he is the Liam Neeson of recruitment “He will look for you and he will find you.”.I loved working with you!

Randy Daal – CXO

Sam has been of great help in finding new talent for my current as well as for my previous company. Fast, flexible and pleasant to work with!

Maarten Timmerman – Co-Founder & CFO

Loved working with Samuel! He is a great recruiter, but even more important really knows how to connect with people. Therefore I have yet to see a cultural mismatch made by Sam.

Thanks for getting me my new job Sam!

Lara Vreeke – People Ops at Quatt

I have enjoyed working with Sam over the past decade as a candidate and hiring manager. I also trust him enough to stake my own reputation by recommending him whenever someone in my network needs a recruiter.

Sam knows everyone and has a lot of experience. This allows him to get results that other recruiters can’t. He’s smart, pragmatic, and realistic. He won’t waste your time. That, and overall just being a really nice person, is why I’ve been happy to work with him for all these years..

Filip De Waard – Development Manager at Timewax

I’m very grateful that life led me to work with Sam. It’s rare in our industry to meet someone who is so transparent, open and at the same time so easygoing. At first, I had some doubts about my technical level, but Sam has a remarkable ability to understand people, not just from a technical perspective, but also on a personal level. Thanks to his support, I gained real confidence and was able to breeze through the interview stages, which ended with a fantastic offer.

I can only recommend Sam; he’s someone who brings out the best in others, both professionally and personally.

Mark Balyi

Senior React-React Native Developer

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I had the true pleasure working with Sam, and I can confidently say he’s one of the best recruiters I’ve ever met.

Not only did he help me land a great opportunity, but he also went above and beyond to adapt to my (admittedly tricky) schedule 😉 …and making the whole process smooth and stress-free.

Sam is professional, kind, and genuinely cares about the people he works with. He’s not just about filling roles; he makes sure the job is the right fit for you.

I’m incredibly grateful for his support, and if I ever need to make a career move again, he’ll be the first person I call!

Benoit Chabernaud

Infrastructure manager

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Sam changed my perception of external recruiters, for the better! From our first conversation, he showed genuine interest in who I am and worked hard to ensure that the role and company were a good fit for both my needs and theirs. Sam always kept me updated and proactively provided me with feedback and context to set me up for success during the interview process. The job search can be tough, and having someone like Sam there for support and guidance made all the difference.

Gabrielle Tang

Senior Engineering manager

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Working with Sam was an excellent experience. He reached out to me after I applied to a position for a company he was working with because he saw that there was more to my profile than my CV reveals on the surface.

In working with Sam I came to find that his methods are very much candidate-first. He took the time to get to know me, understand what I was looking for (and more importantly, exactly what I wasn’t), and only sent me leads when he felt they truly fit with those parameters.

Sam helped me to find a new role at a company that was not actually hiring at the time, effectively conjuring a position out of thin air by simply understanding who I am and what type of company / team would see the value I could add as a potential candidate – and putting us in a room together.

“Sam can find you a job that doesn’t exist yet” is just about the highest praise I could imagine giving.

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Jelle van Wijhe – Technical Product Owner and Backend Developer

Sam has been an incredible help to me and World of WOW in finding and placing a software engineer. From our very first conversation, it was clear that he is highly engaged and genuinely committed to understanding our company before suggesting any candidates.

What I especially appreciated was Sam’s ability to look beyond technical skills alone. He also focused on cultural fit, which is equally important for us. His involvement, empathy, and thoughtful approach made the entire process smooth and effective.

I would highly recommend Sam to anyone looking for a recruiter who goes the extra mile and truly cares about finding the right match.

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Niels Couwenberg

Co-Founder & Head of Product World of WOW

I had the pleasure of working with Samuel during my job search, and I couldn’t have asked for a better recruiter. From the very beginning, he was professional, transparent, and always supportive. Samuel consistently checked in with me, making sure the opportunities matched my skills and career goals, and that the company was a good fit for me.

Being recruited from abroad, I truly appreciated how Samuel handled the process — he was attentive, proactive, and made sure I felt confident at every step. His guidance made relocating and securing a role in the Netherlands much easier.

I highly recommend Samuel to anyone looking for a recruiter who is professional, approachable, and genuinely invested in your success.

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Artiom Nichifor

Software developer