The brief
The client was consolidating a fragmented data estate into a single platform. The team needed data engineers, analytics engineers and a platform lead who could work with clinical, product and finance teams.
The business had no internal data recruiter and was competing with larger technology companies for the same people. It needed a small number of well-assessed hires, not a high-volume pipeline.
What we did
We built the role scorecards with the CTO and the incoming platform lead. We mapped the market across the UK, Portugal and the Netherlands, and approached people directly rather than relying on inbound applications.
Candidates completed a practical data modelling exercise and a structured interview. We gave the hiring team a written rationale for each shortlisted candidate, including the trade-offs between strong platform experience and domain knowledge.
The outcome
The client made 12 data and platform hires in seven months. Twelve-month retention was 92%. The platform team delivered a production data product four months after the final hire.
The client has since used the same scorecard for two additional data roles.
What the client said
“They understood the difference between a data engineer who can build a pipeline and one who can build a platform. That distinction made the shortlist useful.”
— Chief Technology Officer, healthtech business