From the outside, this placement looked simple.
A CV was submitted.
Interviews were completed.
An offer was made.
The candidate accepted.
In reality, this hire was over 15 years in the making.
When a Role Exists for a Reason — Not Just Headcount
The role sat within an existing client operating in the HR tech and workforce management space. What made the timing critical was the recent implementation of agentic AI into their learning and development platform.
This wasn’t just another product update. It fundamentally changed the nature of their sales conversations.
Suddenly, prospects were engaging with a more sophisticated solution — one that touched on one of the most valuable and sensitive assets any organisation has: its people. That brought more stakeholders into the buying process, extended sales cycles, and raised the bar on what “good” looked like in a salesperson.
At stake wasn’t simply growth.
It was whether the business hired someone capable of navigating complex, consultative, multi-threaded enterprise sales — or someone who would struggle once the novelty wore off.
What Made This Placement More Complex Than It Appeared
On paper, the process looked clean and efficient.
Behind the scenes, it required judgement.
The candidate and I had known each other for well over a decade. We’d stayed in touch through different roles, industries, and stages of life. There was no constant selling of opportunities — just conversations, context, and continuity.
Individually, some of the candidate’s experiences might not have felt like a perfect match. They hadn’t spent their entire career selling learning solutions. But when you looked at the sum of their experience — human capital management, long sales cycles, working with internal subject matter experts, senior stakeholder engagement, sales presentations, and negotiation — the alignment was extremely strong.
Initially, the candidate wasn’t convinced.
They questioned whether they truly had all the capability the role required. From my perspective, the role wasn’t a stretch — it was a natural next step. Part of the recruiter’s job at this level isn’t just assessment; it’s helping good people see their experience clearly.
The Process Friction You Never See on LinkedIn
Even strong processes have friction.
One stage of the assessment involved a role-play with an AI agent — fitting for a business built around agentic AI. Unfortunately, we ran into technical issues: incorrect links, convoluted setup, and delays that could easily have derailed momentum.
Resolving that quickly mattered. Good candidates don’t disengage loudly — they disengage quietly.
Keeping the process moving, removing friction, and protecting the candidate experience was critical.
What Ultimately Secured the Hire
What tipped this placement wasn’t just capability or cultural fit.
It was decisiveness.
This was happening late in the year, with Christmas approaching. Many businesses slow down at that point. This one didn’t.
They:
Maintained a clear interview process
Moved quickly once alignment was established
Involved senior stakeholders — including executive leadership — at the right moment
Ran the entire process remotely, without unnecessary delays
At the same time, the candidate had two other opportunities at advanced stages. Both paused “until the new year”.
Both missed out.
What This Placement Says About Sales Hiring Right Now
There are two clear lessons here.
First, speed matters — not reckless speed, but structured decisiveness. If you find the right person, dragging a process out rarely improves the outcome.
Second, the strongest placements rarely come from a single advert or inbound CV.
They come from long-term relationships, deep understanding of capability, and knowing when timing, experience, and market conditions finally align.
This placement wasn’t about shifting a CV.
It was about knowing someone well enough to recognise the moment — and acting on it.
That’s the part of recruitment that rarely shows up on a job board, but makes all the difference.