Case Study 3
Late 2008: Rebstöck Consulting was retained on an exclusive basis by the Amsterdam-based EMEA HQ of a globally respected online media services SW house, having previously provided this client with twenty-five software developers and an additional five mid-level managers during 2008.
The Assignment:
To fill the position of General Manager/Country Manager by identifying and introducing high-potential executives with the following characteristics:
• know-how and experience in online media services
• strong business acumen and proven record
• expertise in SW development
• excellent people management skills
Their objective? To manage the company’s operations – and over 550 employees – in the Czech Republic.
The Challenge:
Our assignment was completely confidential, our client identity to be protected at all costs. The name of the Client company could under no circumstances be disclosed, either to any candidate or the general public in online or print advertising.
Our consultants discussed all requirements and competencies with the hiring managers and the Executive Board via videoconference. Despite the tight focus of the search, Rebstöck Consulting identified target companies and potential candidates.
Such candidates do not consider themselves “active seekers”. They do not register their applications with traditional recruitment companies, especially in the global economic uncertainty of 2008 and 2009.
The Differentiator:
Our competitive advantage lies in our ability to approach a large pool of potential yet passive candidates in a short time, due to the long-term relationships of our consultants with key managers, experts, decision makers and other sought-after specialists.
From the beginning of the search, we began collecting various references and verification sources – eventually coming to understand not merely the skill set, but also the personal ambitions and motivations of each potential candidate.
This is what enables us to do more than be a good partner, it enables us to save your valuable time.
The Outcome:
From research to screenings our pool was reduced to six. These semi-finalists passed through a round of telephone interviews, an assessment center designed and evaluated with the client, and two additional rounds of personal meetings with hiring managers.
The three finalists remaining were selected to meet with the Executive Board in Amsterdam for one final round. One of the three had the skill set, management experience and personality that the client was seeking for its operations in the Czech Republic.
Four months of extensive search and rounds of client meetings had come to completion as this candidate was offered the position of General Manager/Country Manager, and accepted.
