Case Study: Overcoming IT Recruitment Challenges for a UK Company

About The Client

Our client is a UK-based business who distribute to a wide range of customers.

The Challenge

The client first approached Adecco in 2023 to source high-calibre roles to support their business and address IT skills gaps they had identified within their teams:

• Head of Delivery
• Java Technical Lead
• Software Engineering Manager

The client faced unique challenges in recruiting for these roles and needed an experienced partner to help them remain attractive to new candidates in the competitive IT landscape.

Challenges included:

• A business reliance on a legacy programming language with limited candidate knowledge in the market.
• A preference for employees to be based on-site, conflicting with industry trends towards hybrid and remote working.

Our Solution

Our team worked closely with the client to understand their challenges. A key part of our solution was to reframe them in an appealing way to candidates.

This included:

• Positioning the roles as an opportunity for candidates to diversify their skills by maintaining critical legacy systems while training in modern technologies. We consistently highlighted internal training programmes and similar development opportunities offered by the client.
• Emphasising opportunities candidates would have to influence the adoption of other modern technologies as part of their contribution to the role.
• Promoting the client’s company culture and the benefits of working on-site, including the environment, amenities, face-to-face opportunities, and a collaborative team community.
• Highlighting the client’s position as a stable and established company, with job security in an uncertain market.
• Targeting candidates who had indicated an interest in long-term employment and working with both legacy and modern IT systems.
• Pursuing a personalised approach with each candidate tailored to their personal motivations.

In response to the client’s need for a Head of Delivery, we provided a targeted headhunting solution that focused on identifying and attracting candidates from organisations that had recently undergone redundancies. By sourcing talent from these companies, we were able to engage flexible, high-calibre individuals who were more likely to prioritise long-term job stability and prospects over short-term gain.

We successfully recruited Java Technical Leads by highlighting future career opportunities within the organisation. This approach helped to attract highly skilled candidates motivated by long-term growth.

To recruit for the Software Engineering Manager, we promoted opportunities within the role to oversee the introduction of new technologies. We also showcased to the client the advantage of offering flexible working opportunities to attract more top-rated candidates.

Adecco successfully placed candidates into each role. Our proven track record also led to the client engaging us to assist with future hiring needs.

Key Results

• Head of Delivery appointed within two months.
• Software Engineering Manager appointed within two months.
• Java Technical Lead appointed within one month.

Manage Your Permanent Recruitment Needs with Adecco

At Adecco, we have over 20 years of experience helping clients manage their flexible recruitment needs across the IT industry, including recruiting for senior positions and candidates with in-demand skills.

We are ready for any challenge, with the proven ability to scale up and down and change course as needed.