Case Study: Battling A Hiring Freeze

Fraser Dove International partnered with a groundbreaking pharmaceutical organisation specialising in developing products that identify disease. Operating worldwide, they are dedicated to advancing the speed and reliability of diagnosis so that patient lives are improved.

Our client was seeking a Director of Project Engineering to manage an underperforming department, ensuring that the right people are working on the right projects, and that they’re delivered on time and within budget. This unique opportunity would allow the successful candidate to navigate up and down the organisation and set people up for success.

Our client was finding that attracting and securing candidates was challenging due to the fierce competition in the nearby life science hub in Boston. With a smaller market presence, our client was keen to change their culture and brand positioning to secure more top talent, with the Director of Capital Projects role being at the forefront of this new venture.

Solution: Primary Search

Due to the specialist nature of the role and the required expertise, our exclusive search solution – Primary Search – was the perfect solution. This research-heavy, retained solution is designed to find, engage and qualify high-impact talent across geographies and regardless of whether they are seeking new opportunities.

Fraser Dove International was already working with the client on another position within the same team when they reached out for assistance. Following the discovery call with the client for this position, the Assignment Lead – Brett Lofthouse – and his research team conducted in-depth assessments of candidates. From this, he was able to deliver a shortlist of 6 exceptional Engineering leaders – 4 of which were invited to the first stage interview.

The search was unique in that it was conducted in the height of the global pandemic. Not only was it challenging to entice candidates to relocate and/or move organisations during such an uncertain time, but our client was forced to initiate a worldwide hiring freeze. This occurred at the time the client was almost ready to offer the successful candidate the position, meaning that unfortunately this role was included in the 4-5 month freeze.

Outcome:

The successful candidate had the right combination of experience and attitude; 15 years of extensive Engineering experience as well as great leadership abilities and aligned values.

Brett maintained communication between the client and candidate during the hiring freeze to ensure that both sides continued to be aligned and engaged. Once the freeze was lifted, Brett managed the offer negotiation between the candidate and client. Since the hiring freeze ran on for so much longer than anticipated, the candidate was due an annual bonus at his current organisation. Brett delighted the candidate by encouraging the client to give a more generous package that compensated him.

The client was overjoyed with how Brett was able to engage and excite top talent despite having a smaller market presence than some of their competitors located down the road in Boston’s life science hub. Brett’s engagement with top talent in the Engineering field increased our client’s visibility in the market.