The client intended to operate their project across Spain, Italy and Portugal and had never worked within these countries before.
With no in-country experience or internal talent acquisition team, they had no way to gauge appropriate salary bandings or understanding of what an appealing incentive might look like for attracting candidates, particularly those willing to work for a start-up business.
The client needed support on the entire process, from market mapping to understand the major competitors, to salary benchmarking and package offerings advice to persuade candidates, and talent pooling to make an informed decision about where to base the project’s headquarters. NES Fircroft pro-actively contacted the Director to offer our expertise and due to our substantial European reach garnered through 50 years’ of operation across the continent, the client agreed an exclusive agreement.
Our Recruitment Solution
Through our large European office network we have built an exceptionally broad talent pool covering all aspects of the Energy market to offer an impressive array of skillsets. As such, we could mitigate any challenges that arose in the different areas of the client’s business to manage the build-out for the developer, and manage the hiring for the investors – navigating the different markets in tandem.
Market research
We performed extensive analysis and consulted the client regarding their next recruitment steps, including the most viable location to establish their headquarters. Our market knowledge made us pivotal in this decision; we knew where the talent pools where and the legislative requirements for onboarding personnel.
Comprehensive communication
We ensured transparency, referencing all pros and cons for prospective office locations and presented our findings in person, offering a platform for real-time feedback. Following the initial market research, we held regular check-in calls and continued to update the client about hiring developments in real time.
Market-leading candidate care
We managed the entire process, including the after-care of candidates and ensuring they were supported throughout the interview process. Where face-to-face interviews were required, we organised candidates’ travel arrangements to ease their logistics.
Extensive candidate screening
We performed vigorous candidate vetting and processing across all 3 stages of the client’s specified process: the informal initial discussion stage whereby technical aptitude and experience was initially assessed, a more formal discussion for the second stage - delving into competency-based scenarios, and eventually prepping candidates to meet the investor.
Candidate Attraction
The client wanted to ensure that they offered an attractive compensation package for their workers, and had not previously considered utilising a partially remote workforce. We demonstrated the viability of utilising a partially remote workforce and persuaded the client that this would be integral to a worker’s attraction and therefore enhance their business as opposed to jeopardise it.
From our consultancy, the client opted to be based in Barcelona, facilitating good transport options to the local energy talent pool for when they would be required to be physically present on site.
Quality Hiring
To enable the start-up to hit the ground running, we ensured that only the topmost of candidates were considered for interview:
1000
candidates screened
5
CVs presented per vacancy
50+
people qualified for every role
The Results
Our comprehensive and established onboarding process meant that in some scenarios we were able to complete the mandate to offer process as quickly as in 6 weeks.
Through our expertise we have hired the client’s entire team on a permanent basis, from Board level to their teams of engineers and analysts. Job titles have included:
- CEO and CFO
- Development Director
- Project / Asset Manager
- Technical Advisor
- Financial Controller
- Engineer
The client is so pleased with our delivery that we now also provide work for the investor and support their portfolio of projects