In recruitment, success often comes down to persistence, timing, and a little bit of luck.
A recent placement we made with a business in the HR and workforce management world is a great example of this. It’s also a reminder of how important long-term engagement and lead nurturing can be when it comes to building trusted client relationships.
This company first came up during a market mapping exercise. I connected with their CEO, their commercial director, and their head of sales. They accepted my connection requests but didn’t respond further. Like many recruiters, you move on with other projects, but the connection was made, and that’s what matters.
Some weeks later, I noticed the CEO had posted about a Head of Sales vacancy and how they were open to external recruitment support. That was my cue. I reached out, reminded them that I already worked with other divisions of their parent group, and highlighted that I could supply talent at a preferential rate thanks to that existing relationship. The conversation quickly turned into a formal brief.
Here’s the twist: they’d already made an offer to another candidate. But that individual pulled out at the last moment. Luckily, I was ready.
Around the same time, I had been in touch with a Head of Sales I knew well — someone I had recruited for in the past who was now ready for a new challenge. His profile matched perfectly with the brief. Within two weeks, he was offered the job and was ready to start.
For the client, it was a seamless solution to a sudden hiring problem. For the candidate, it was the right role at the right time. And for us, it was one of those “needle in a haystack” recruitment wins where the stars aligned.
But here’s the truth: those perfect matches are rare. For every successful placement like this, there are 50 or 60 processes where a candidate drops out, an interview cycle fizzles out, or a final offer doesn’t happen. Recruitment is about doing the hard yards, maintaining relationships, and being ready when timing swings your way.
This story is a reminder that recruitment isn’t just about matching CVs to job specs. It’s about building trust with clients, maintaining strong networks with candidates, and recognising that sometimes, persistence and timing are the difference between a missed opportunity and a perfect hire.