About the client
Our client is a large, successful international manufacturer with a strong presence in mainland Europe, and a small but rapidly growing presence in the UK. As with any push into a new market, the challenge is not simply to find capable people, but to find people capable of many things. Early hires in lean teams need adaptability, breadth of capability, and the confidence to build processes rather than simply follow them.
What they need
A consistent challenge for smaller operations is striking the right balance between breadth of capability and depth of expertise - they need to excel in their core responsibilities while being able to contribute in other areas. The role in question exemplified this: a hybrid position spanning sales, project management, customer support and operations, with an expectation that the right person would take ownership of positive internal change from day one.
Our client had spent six weeks struggling to find people in their niche who fit these requirements before they came to us. We recommended widening the search beyond industry-experienced candidates and raising the bar at initial screening - using longer, more structured interviews to assess transferrable skills and evidence of an adapatable, proactive approach.
Three weeks later, three candidates had been submitted, two of which received offers. Four months on, the client reported that the hire has made exactly the impact they were hoping for.