Branding Agency recruitment case study | Intro.

This branding agency recruitment case study outlines the most frantic assignment I’ve managed in over twenty years in recruitment. From brief to offer, the process gathered momentum quickly, due to the candidates circumstances and the agency’s desire to secure them.

In most scenarios, when it comes to service delivery, speed often substitutes quality.  This is generally true when it comes to recruitment. To be blunt, whilst we can work at pace, experience shows that a full in depth search, proper candidate screening and preparation takes longer than a few days. At least it does when you want a quality service and outcome.

To clarify, the recruitment process has a direct affect on talent retention. A strong and well managed recruitment process increases the odds of achieving a better return on your recruitment and on-boarding investment.

However, sometimes even during the most in depth search the need to react quickly occurs. It certainly did in this assignment.

Branding Agency recruitment brief

Engaged to source a business development manager, the branding agency recruitment brief was fairly generic. Based on our consultations we felt their spec didn’t reflect the true level of talent they wanted to attract. In short, their spec was written as if aimed at a more junior business development executive. As a result, the agency brief wouldn’t attract the caliber of talent desired, or their budget allowed.

Probing deeper, we developed the agency’s recruitment brief. And whilst not vital to the candidate specification, we added a number of key skills and experience that weren’t in their original job spec. In addition, we explored a number of “nice to have skills”, that would really set our shortlist above their own advertised recruitment efforts.

As an international branding agency, among others, we added the following skills and experience to our search brief:

• Additional languages. Ideally Spanish &/or French
• Cross culturally savvy. i.e. an appreciation of different counties customs & cultures
• Rather than just B2B business development experience, experience of selling conceptual B2B branding or marketing services

So, with our revised brief agreed by the agency, we commenced our search.

The need for speed

Having identified and qualified the candidate, it was obvious they were a perfect match for the branding agency job, culture, fulfilling all the necessary and nice to have elements of our brief. However, the need for speed was required.

In short, having been furloughed, and concerned about the security of their current role, the candidate was already at second interview stage with another agency. However, they also felt our branding agency job was a perfect match, and offered them their dream international career.

Presenting the candidate to our client, and highlighting the need for speed, they agreed that it looked like a perfect match. Reacting as quickly as possible, a video interview was a arranged at the first available opportunity the Managing Director and Creative Director could both be involved.

Shortly after, the candidate received an offer from the other agency they had interviewed with. Recognising that to secure their ideal candidate our client needed to react quickly, within the space of six days from presentation of the candidate, the formal offer was accepted.

Of course the above doesn’t cover the time spent screening the other candidates or admin connected to the assignment. Given the pace of the assignment, and the work involved to deliver the successful outcome, all involved worked around the clock and well in to the evenings.

The majority of time spent on phone calls was between us and the candidates. In particular the succesfull one, who given their situation, required regular communication, advice and support.

What we also haven’t mentioned is the clients time. Their online job advert received c.400 applications. How long they spent screening the response, we don’t know. Perhaps they didn’t bother, given the strength of our shortlist. But assuming they did, reviewing 400 CV’s would have taken considerable sometime.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the success of this assignment was down to the collaboration of all involved. Our client reacted quickly, and communicated with us throughout the process. As a result,  they secured their ideal candidate.

The candidate trusted our management of the recruitment process. With an offer on the table, and getting pressure to accept, they held their nerve and ultimately secured their dream job.

Whether or not the succesfull outcome would have been achieved without us, we can’t honestly say. However, they clearly didn’t get the right level of talent from their own advertising efforts. Furthermore, given the clients busy schedule, they wouldn’t have had the time that we spent carefully managing their chosen candidate. Ensuring they held their nerve. As a result, I’m certain even if the agency job advert had sourced the candidate, they would have probably lost them to the other agency’s offer.

Recruitment isn’t just about attracting job applications, the process needs to be well executed and managed to attract and retain the best talent.

Looking to attract and retain talent, or a recruitment consultancy that can support your career search, talk to us. We connect talent with companies that invest in their people.