Case Study: Supporting A West Midlands Public Sector Organisation Failed By Their Previous Recruitment Partner

The client’s challenge…

The organisation was facing persistent difficulties in hiring niche technology professionals to support an important implementation programme. They had several recruitment agencies on their PSL (Preferred Supplier List), but these agencies were failing to secure the right niche local talent.

On the occasions when they did secure good talent, they experienced difficulties keeping the individuals engaged during the lengthy SC clearance process before their first day. This posed a particular challenge when the organisation needed to hire contractors, who are used to quick recruitment processes.

We were recommended to the organisation through trusted connections in the market, after the recruitment agencies the organisation usually worked with were unsuccessful in filling a Solutions Architect role.

Our actions…

After the public sector organisation reached out to us regarding the Solutions Architect role, we leveraged our extensive West Midlands-based tech network to identify suitable candidates local to their office. Once we had a list of qualified professionals, we launched an outreach campaign to assess their skills and availability. Due to our broad networks and regional tech landscape expertise, we were able to fill the role quickly.

Following this, we were pleased to help the organisation fill several contract and permanent positions, providing the same excellent service that secured the Solutions Architect.

Due to the nature of this public sector organisation, we proactively supported new starters through security checks (SC) and additional vetting procedures. The time between offer and onboarding is just as critical as sourcing and interviewing the candidate. If a new starter must undergo lengthy security checks during the post-offer period, delays can occur, which sometimes causes candidates to drop out of the process.

This can be a particular challenge when managing contractors, who might be missing out on work whilst waiting for checks to pass. On one occasion, a contractor who had accepted a job offer at this organisation had to wait 6 weeks before starting the role, during which time they were unemployed and not earning. Through consistent communication and engagement, we ensured the candidate remained fully committed and was successful in starting the role.

The outcomes…

By consistently delivering results when other agencies did not, we quickly earned the client’s trust. They appreciated our expansive local networks and ability to recruit West Midlands specialist tech talent.

During our 2.5 year partnership with this public sector organisation, we have supported their recruitment with 6 key hires, across Software Development, Digital Transformation, Cyber Security and Data Migration projects. On average, we put forward four candidates for interview for each role, highlighting our ability to identify candidates with the right mix of technical and soft skills.

When the organisation went back out to tender recently, we were invited to apply and then recognised as a Tier 1 agency on their PSL list. Our team are now referred to as their first-choice recruitment partner for all technical hires.