Division: Engineering, Science & Space
Role/Assignment: Operations Manager
The Challenge
An Oxfordshire space technology company faced a critical recruitment problem when the Operations Manager it had spent months recruiting pulled out shortly before their scheduled start date.
The unexpected withdrawal left the organisation without a candidate for a pivotal operational position and created an urgent need to restart the recruitment process.
Having already invested months in securing the original candidate, the business could not afford another lengthy search.
The client needed an experienced Operations Manager who met the requirements of the position and, importantly, could be identified and engaged quickly.
Our Approach
As soon as we received the full job description, our Engineering, Science & Space team spoke directly with the hiring manager to understand the requirements in greater detail and establish which elements of the brief were essential.
Given the urgency, there was no time to rely on traditional advertising and wait for applications.
Instead, we immediately activated our specialist network and existing talent pool to proactively identify potential candidates.
Suitable individuals were provided with a detailed job description and information about the client and opportunity.
We then spoke with each candidate individually to establish their experience, genuine interest and availability before presenting them to the client.
Within the initial search, we identified and submitted four suitable candidates.
The Outcome
The client responded immediately.
On the same day the candidates were submitted, three of the four were invited to interview.
The client quickly identified a preferred candidate who was also immediately available.
From receiving the initial requirement to the successful candidate accepting the position, the entire recruitment process was completed within seven days.
The client subsequently told us:
“First of all, thank you for responding to our requirement so quick, you really did smash it!”
Key Results
✔ Operations Manager secured within seven days
✔ Previous candidate had withdrawn shortly before their planned start date
✔ Four suitable candidates proactively identified and submitted
✔ Three candidates invited to interview on the same day
✔ Immediately available candidate successfully secured
✔ Urgent requirement delivered without relying on traditional advertising
