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Maria
Head of IT recruitment in Lucky Hunter

IT staff recruitment: How We Found a Senior Product Designer for a British startup in three weeks?

Product
Finding candidates for a fledgling company can be challenging, but at Lucky Hunter, we embrace these hurdles. We genuinely enjoy collaborating with startups and assisting them in recruiting top-tier talent for their teams. :) Recently, the founders of a London-based startup reached out to us. Their firm specialised in business solutions for optimising telephone support services and was in search of a Senior product designer.

Are you curious how Maria, our Head of IT recruitment, secured a top-notch senior specialist in three weeks? Dive into the latest Lucky Hunter case study!

Task and Difficulties

A product designer plays a pivotal role in defining the overall concept of a product and shaping users' perceptions of it. This role carries significant weight and responsibility, further amplified by the fact that the selected candidate would be a trailblazer within the company, given the absence of such expertise within the existing team.
Consequently, the client emphasised a candidate with a robust professional background and a keen understanding of establishing essential business processes from the ground up.
We faced several difficulties:
  • 1
    The IT market is facing a notable talent shortage
    Finding senior-level experts is particularly challenging, as many candidates lean towards established companies over budding startups.
  • 2
    A specialist was needed for a foreign startup
    Since we were looking for a specialist for a European startup, the perfect candidate should be familiar with the nuances of the European market and adept at navigating the British segment. Additionally, fluency in English was a must-have.
  • 3
    The candidate needed to be good at prioritising tasks and thrive in a fast-paced environment
    They would be responsible for establishing numerous processes from the ground up, ranging from designing a prototype to refining and finalising a thoroughly tested design solution.
  • 4
    One essential criterion was the candidate's strong soft skills
    In the long run, this specialist would evolve into a pivotal partner, helping in product design development. Hence, aligning with the startup founders during interviews was crucial. The candidate needed to resonate with them, grasp their overarching vision, and comprehend the intricacies of the product.

How we solved the task

In our search, our primary tools were LinkedIn and AmazingHiring, complemented by Lucky Hunter's candidate database. The client's openness to candidates from different countries meant we weren't restricted to particular regions. Instead, we emphasised international experience, essential skills, and competencies. As a result, fluency in English and extensive experience quickly narrowed down our candidate pool.

Learn more about Lucky Hunter workflow.

The candidate we found had a broad professional background, including roles in local companies and large international firms. With experience in the UK markets, they understood its specifics and the client's target audience. Additionally, they met all the essential soft skills our client sought.

Frequently, when choosing specialists for senior roles, a common challenge arises: while candidates may excel technically, their soft skills might be lacking. Recognising the client's emphasis on cultural alignment and rapport, we meticulously assessed the soft skills of potential candidates.
Interestingly, the specialist initially had no intentions of switching jobs. Yet, by emphasising the product's value and highlighting the chance for invaluable international experience, we effectively motivated them to participate in the selection process for the position. :)
The specialist resonated so well with the startup founders that a remarkable synergy developed between them. Such alignment was so compelling that the client was willing to exercise patience. Given the circumstances, the candidate took three months to conclude responsibilities at their previous job before transitioning to the London-based team.

Furthermore, understanding the specialist's reservations—given their current stable position in a large company and uncertainties about joining a startup—the client took proactive measures.
They not only revised the job offer to make it more enticing but also incorporated attractive perks and proposed a trial week to alleviate any concerns.

Statistics

In total, we reviewed 51 CVs, sent 45 letters, and interviewed 12 candidates. Ultimately, the client extended an offer to one of these candidates.

Success factors

  • Partnership
    The client was receptive and involved, listening to our advice and participating in the selection process.

    The company founders promptly provided feedback and scheduled interviews swiftly despite their hectic schedules. Their enthusiastic presentation of the product left potential candidates leaving interviews with a sense of excitement and satisfaction.
  • Candidate Profile Determination
    We discussed the job specifics with the client and understood their main requirements: this helped us create a candidate profile and focus our search on relevant candidates.
  • Lucky Hunter professionalism
    Our recruiter, Maria, effectively crafted a motivation strategy and emphasised the position's key benefits to the candidate. As a result, the specialist became intrigued, even though they weren't actively looking for a new job.
At Lucky Hunter, we fill various IT positions, including executive roles. Learn more about our services and fill out the form; we will contact you to discuss the details of your case.
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