Different Ways to Solve a Difficult
Hiring Situation
Most companies do not need the same kind of support.
Sometimes you already have a candidate. Sometimes you need more options. Sometimes the process is already running.
We help hiring managers solve critical procurement, supply chain and operations hiring situations quickly, simply and with less risk.
Most Companies Do Not Need a Traditional Search Process
When a company needs a new procurement or supply chain leader,
most hiring managers first try one of four things:
- their own network
- internal recruiting
- a generalist recruiter
- an HR freelancer
Sometimes that works. Often it creates unnecessary risk, delay or uncertainty.
The shortlist becomes too narrow. The assessment is too weak. The process becomes more complicated than it needs to be.
We therefore offer different ways to help depending on where you are in the process. You do not need to buy a full executive search if that is not what you need.
Which Hiring Situation Are You In?
Most clients come to us when they recognise one of the following situations.
We Already
Have a Candidate
You already have an internal favourite or somebody from your own network, but want to know whether the person is truly the right fit for the role and the next phase of the business.
Short proof points:
- Benchmark against external market
- Assess fit with business, culture and stakeholders
- Reduce the risk of a costly hiring mistake
We Need
More Candidates
You already have some candidates, but the shortlist feels too narrow or too similar. You want access to stronger people beyond your own network and internal recruiting.
Short proof points:
- Access to passive candidates
- Add stronger and more relevant profiles
- Keep your existing process
We Are Running a Process
The interviews are already underway, but you want an independent second opinion before making the final decision.
Short proof points:
- External review of final candidates
- Challenge assumptions and blind spots
- Create alignment between stakeholders
We Need a Flexible Search With Low Risk
The role is changing, the business is growing or you are not yet sure whether you need a permanent, interim or project-based solution.
Short proof points:
- Start small and scale if needed
- Lower upfront commitment
- Permanent, interim and project options
We Need an Interim or project solution
The situation is critical or urgent or the business cannot wait for a new permanent leader.
We provide a interim or fixed contract solution.
Includes
- Interim leaders for urgent situations
- Highly experienced leaders for a fixed period or task
Cost
Easy and transparent one off payment or monthly rate
We Need
to Hire Quickly and Confidentially
The situation is urgent or sensitive. The current leader may still be in place.
Short proof points:
- Confidential outreach
- Interim and permanent options
- Fast response and protected process
Why Hiring Managers Use Us For Hiring Support
Most companies first try... But often experience... We help by...
Their own network Same people, limited choice, uncertainty Adding strong candidates and external benchmarking
Internal recruiting Limited access to passive candidates Giving access to the market and specialised assessment
A general recruiter Weak understanding of the role Bringing deep functional knowledge and the right people
An HR consultant Advice without market access Combining assessment, benchmarking and candidate access
We do not ask clients to replace what they are already doing. We help them make it stronger, simpler and lower risk.
Designed to Make Hiring Easier
Easy
Clear processes, low admin and only the support you actually need.
Fast
Response the same business day. Candidates within days- not month.
Low Risk
Start small, assess before you decide and avoid a full search too early.
Guarantees
Flexible fee models, strong guarantees and clear benchmarks and assessments within days, not weeks.
Typical Situations We Help Solve
We are usually contacted when one of the following happens:
- The company has grown faster than the organisation
- Procurement or supply chain has become business critical
- The current leader is no longer right for the next phase
- The company already has an internal favourite, but wants certainty
- A private equity owner or board wants stronger leadership quickly
- A replacement must be handled confidentially
Why Hiring Managers Use Us For Hiring Support
Most companies first try... But often experience... We help by...
Their own network Same people, limited choice, uncertainty Adding strong candidates and external benchmarking
Internal recruiting Limited access to passive candidates Giving access to the market and specialised assessment
A general recruiter Weak understanding of the role Bringing deep functional knowledge and the right people
An HR consultant Advice without market access Combining assessment, benchmarking and candidate access
Why Traditional Recruitment Often Does Not Work
Most companies first try to solve these hiring situations themselves.
Sometimes that works. But often the process becomes too narrow, too slow or too uncertain.
They use: Common problem
- Their own network Too few candidates and too little assessment and external benchmark
- Internal recruiting Limited access to passive candidates and specialist knowledge
- A generalist recruiter Weak understanding of procurement and supply chain roles
- Or an external HR freelancer All with good process support, but little market access
Critical roles should not be hired like support functions
Hiring a senior Procurement or Supply Chain leader is rarely just a recruitment decision.
It is a business-critical decision with commercial, operational and leadership consequences.
But many companies still hire these roles through internal networks, in-house recruitment or generalist recruiters.
That often leads to slow processes, weak shortlists and expensive hiring mistakes..
Around 30% of leadership hires leave within 18 months.
Which Hiring Situation Are You In?
You are already running a hiring process but want an independent view.
You need help with the full search, but want flexibility and lower risk than traditional retained search.
The business cannot wait for a permanent hire:
Typical Private Equity Situations We Help Solve
The Company Has Grown Faster Than the Organisation
The company has expanded, acquired new sites or entered new markets, but procurement, supply chain and operations are still led as before.
Typical signs:
- Delays and bottlenecks
- Too much dependence on a few key people
- Weak management structure
- Limited ability to scale
The Current Leader Is No Longer Right for the Next Phase
The existing leader may have been strong operationally, but the company now needs somebody who can professionalise, build structure and lead a larger organisation.
Typical signs:
- The leader is overloaded
- Too much firefighting
- Weak delegation and limited leadership team beneath them
- The board or investors have lost confidence
The Investment Thesis Requires Stronger Procurement or Supply Chain Capability
The value creation plan depends on lower cost, higher resilience, improved supplier performance, international expansion or better operational control.
But the current leadership team may not have the capability to deliver it.
Why We Only Work With
Procurement and Supply Chain Leadership
We are not a general recruitment firm.
We focus only on operations, procurement and supply chain leadership because these roles require a different understanding of:
- external dependencies
- complexity and resilience
- supplier and production risk
- leadership in growing and changing organisations
- leaders who can build the next phase of the business
We therefore work with roles such as: CPOs, CSCOs, and COOs, as well as VP, Directors, and Senior Spcialists.
Our work is with companies where these functions have become critical to growth, profitability, resilience or transformation.
Different Ways We Help Private Equity Firms
1. Benchmark an Internal Candidate
You already have an internal favourite, successor or somebody recommended by the board or operating partner.
2. Add Better Candidates to an Existing Process
You are already running the process internally or through your own network, but want acceWe Want Stronger Alternativesss to stronger and more relevant candidates.
3. Get an Independent Second Opinion
You are close to making a decision, but want an external view beforeWe want a Second Opinion Review committing.
4. Flexible Search and Interim Solutions
You may not yet know whether you need an interim leader, a permanent hire or a phased solution.
Why These Roles Matter More in Private Equity
Procurement, Supply Chain and Operations can determine whether the investment case succeeds.
Many Private Equity firms focus first on commercial growth, cost reduction and management capability.
But in many portfolio companies, the biggest opportunity and the biggest risk sit in procurement, supply chain and operations.
Typical examples:
- Procurement is not professional enough to support margin improvement
- Supply chain cannot support the planned growth
- The company has become too dependent on a few suppliers, factories or people
- The current leader was right for the old business, but not for the next phase
- Following an acquisition, responsibilities are unclear and the organisation is no longer fit for purpose
In these situations, the issue is often not only strategy. It is leadership.