Successful Placements of the Month

April 2024

HELPING OUR CLIENTS REDUCE THEIR INTERVIEW-TO-HIRE TIMEFRAME

Laura Martinez and Arturo Ramierez from our Mexico City office partnered with a multi-national telecoms and software company to improve their recruitment process and reduce their interview-to-hire timeframe. This client's project was urgent so speed of recruitment was vital. Having worked with this client previously, they were confident of our ability to source, screen and shortlist candidates who were of a high calibre. 

The challenge was to find candidates within specific budget yet matched the high technical standards required by the client for this project. Arturo commented "We alway try to maintain two constants: speed in sending candidates and quality of the candidates sent. This ensures the client reduces the time spent during the interview process."

Laura and Arturo knew that finding the right candidate for this particular role in the short timeframe would require speaking with their network and obtaining a referral. This was in addition to searches on our Database and networking sites such as LinkedIn. Their efforts to utilise their network paid off as the placed candidate was referred to them, and once qualified through several conversations, the interview to hire timeframe was two weeks.

February 2024

SHOWCASING THE VALUE OF A DETERMINED, EXPERT RECRUITMENT AGENCY   

Bassan Karame, from our Dallas office, showcased that with an unwavering determination even a skeptical and demotivated client can reap the rewards of a good recruitment agency. Bassan's spoke with an organisation who had been trying to recruit a Head of Sales for six months (using their own in-house team) but to no success - causing a huge frustration to the Board of Directors. After several conversations, Bassan convinced a semi-skeptical Board member to use First Point Group based on our experience of not only recruiting sales professionals in the tech industry, but also that Bassan LOVED the challenge and was confident he could find the right person. It was that determination which convinced the client to use First Point Group. 

Bassan commented: "My goal was not only to make the placement, but to impress the client (I created a questionnaire for the candidates after researching about the role) while overcoming the mentioned challenges. This whole experience showed me the importance of being determined, confident, adaptable, and really understanding the needs of both the client and the candidate."

After just one week, and with a sole focus on shortlisting quality candidates in a rapid time, Bassan was able to shortlist three very good candidates. Using a combination of various candidate sourcing tools such as LinkedIn Recruiter, Bassan went further and utilised Bloomberg forums and Google to understand about how SaaS adds value to the clients industry. Equipped with this knowledge, Bassan was able to question candidates in-depth to qualify them. The client event said that if budgets permitted they would have hired two of the three candidates! The placed candidate was interviewed two days after being shortlisted and a week later was being flown in-person to interview with the CEO and the Board of Directors. A decision was made a couple of weeks after.

Bassan commented: "My goal was not only to make the placement, but to impress the client (I created a questionnaire for the candidates after researching about the role) while overcoming the mentioned challenges. This whole experience showed me the importance of being determined, confident, adaptable, and really understanding the needs of both the client and the candidate."

KEEPING IN CONTACT WITH CANDIDATES CAN HELP CEMENT YOUR CLIENTS POSITION IN THE TELECOMS INDUSTRY

One of First Point Group's clients, a global vendor in telecommunications, partnered with an operator and to assist them with their innovation center. As part of the project, our vendor client required a professional to undertake RAN 5G Feature Testing and Protocol Stack Analysis. Bassan Karame, from our Dallas office, was the lead recruiter for this role. Being a former telecoms engineer himself, Bassan knew that his best chance of finding the right candidate for this role would be through his network or First Point Group's CRM system (and contacting previously placed candidates - whether they are passive or active candidates). The successful candidate was identified two years prior for a different role but their skillset stood out. Bassan kept in contact ever since in case an opportunity arose - and here it was! Bassan contacted the candidate and fortunately, they had previous experience contracting for our client. To make it even better, they were finishing their current contract. After explaining the opportunity to the candidate, who was very interested due to the innovation center being located near their hometown, a interview was arranged and with no recruitment challenges during the process, the candidate started two months later. Despite being courted by other companies, Bassan successfully rekindled the candidates interest in rejoining our client by offering guidance on market trends and the current industry landscape. 

Bassan commented: "This achievement exemplifies effective teamwork among the candidate, client, and us as the preferred supplier. Moreover, this extended 18-month agreement presents an opportunity to further strengthen our partnership with the client in the USA.”

January 2024

ASSISTING A CLIENT IN BUILD A SUPPORT CENTER FROM SCRATCH WITH A TIGHT DEADLINE

Luz Nunez and Bassan from our Mexico City & Dallas offices respectively partnered with leading telecommunications organisation to build from scratch a new support center in Mexico City with a tight deadline. Armed with 20 years' experience and local market knowledge, our team had the expertise in recruiting specific roles to build a support center. The challenges were to find fluent English speaking candidates of a high calibre, but also to recruit in a timely manner as the clients project began two months before First Point Group joined the project (the client previous tried to recruit in-house but found it too challenging). In phase one, Luz and Bassan took a very detailed brief from the client as the recruitment process had to be as time-efficient as possible. Using myriad tools including our CRM, our website and LinkedIn Recruiter, Luz and Bassan recruited eight professionals within two and a half weeks (all started immediately), the most senior of which was a senior support engineer who was sourced, interviewed and offered in 48 hours! A rapid turnaround time. The Director of Talent Acquisition commented "Thank you for all your hard work and efforts partnering with us to complete this critical hiring in a faster than expected time frame. Look forward to an ongoing partnership."

MOVING CANDIDATES INTERNATIONALLY DESPITE CHALLENGES

 Hassan Khan and Rodi achieved a remarkable success story in relocating a candidate from India to Ireland for a job opportunity. After speaking with his client based in Ireland, Hassan began  a comprehensive search for the ideal candidate. This search initially led them to a candidate, who unfortunately declined the role after interviewing. However, the candidate’s interview feedback enabled Hassan and Rodi to use this information to refine the search for future candidates – which proved to be an invaluable resource.

Hassan & Rodi’s created a shortlist of three candidates, two of which were interviewed and progressed to the final stage. Having a candidate with the right skills and experience was the most important criteria to the client as working visas could be arranged. In the end, an exceptional and willing candidate based in India was successful. 

The relocation of the selected candidate from India to Dublin posed unique challenges, including thorough qualification regarding the cost of living and tax rates in Dublin, as well as the need for sponsorship, which caused a slight delay. Despite these challenges, the candidate's unwavering commitment to securing employment in the EU demonstrated his dedication to the role and reduced the likelihood of any setbacks in the relocation process. This success story exemplifies Hassan and Rodi’s ability to navigate international recruitment and deliver excellent results for their clients and candidates.

Rodi commented “I take great satisfaction in knowing that my efforts have positively impacted the candidate's life and that of his family.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALIFYING CANDIDATES TO FIND THE RIGHT ONE

Pendy Hou, from our London office demonstrated that taking a detailed approach of calling a candidate to qualify their experience can reap the right rewards, as detailed in this placement. This was a challenging role to fill as the hiring manager was looking for B2B experience and the majority of CVs found were very vague and difficult to identify whether they’re B2B or B2C focussed. This role was a Paid Media Manager for a global telecoms company. Pendy came across the successful candidates CV via LinkedIn Recruiter and whist their skills were good, it was difficult to ascertain from their LinkedIn profile was B2C orB2B. As such, he prioritised other (stronger) CVs - i.e. ones that appeared better on paper. Good LinkedIn Project admin allowed Pendy to come back to the successful candidates CV and he asked if they had Telco B2B experience, in Pendy's words " I was shocked to find out that she had worked with a major UK telco company but didn’t put it in her CV as she had condensed it to 1 page.." He persuaded the candidate to update their CV and they were very thankful that this advice helped them get the job. 

December 2023

KEEPING MOMENTUM DURING A LONG WORK PERMIT APPLICATION & DELAYED PROJECT START DATE

Clear and constant communication was the key to this successful placement. The hiring company were recruiting in Thailand but based in a different country. The process for obtaining a work permit is typically 2-3 months. Knowing this, our client wanted to ensure the interview process was as efficient as possible. At the start of the process, Sophie Zhang and Abby Huang from our Shenzhen office, agreed time frames with the client in relation to dates for shortlists to be submitted, interview dates etc. These clear guidelines ensured that the process would be smooth and expectation were understood.

Using a telecoms WeChat group, Abby was introduced to a candidate with exceptional technical skills. Despite his English-speaking skills not being as good as the client had initially preferred, Sophie and Abby managed to persuade the client that the candidates technical skills were so good, that his colleagues could assist with any translations.

The long process of work permit application time made it difficult to predict the project start date. Sophie commented: "Although I already managed the project team’s expectation for the on boarding date from the start, once the project kicked off, the client had a very huge pressure on the delivery expectation from internally and their end client. Thankfully, the candidates visa arrived earlier than expected so the project wasn't delayed by too long"

November 2023

FILLING A STRATEGIC ROLE WITH A CANDIDATE IN HIGH DEMAND

Ahmed Jamal Khan from our Dubai team was asked by his client, to recruit a a PR Manager -a position that would have a strategic role within the company. After taking a very detail brief from the client about the position and its responsibilities, Ahmed's first (and only) point of contact was our CRM System. Having recruited for PR positions within tech companies before, First Point Group had many PR Managers on its system. What made this process somewhat challenging was that Emirati candidates (which this client happened to be) are in high demand, so Ahmed had to keep his candidate engaged throughout the entire process. He did this by understanding the candidates motivations for job searching (personal and career wise). "The candidate wanted to a strategic position which would allow him to build and implement strategies and ideas, as well as have ample room to grow professionally. Exactly what’s on offer in this role." Ahmed commented.

October 2023

FINDING THE RIGHT CANDIDATE EVEN WHEN THE TALENT POOL IS LIMITED

Bassan Karame and Claye Moore from our Dallas office exceptional value and quality we provide in the competitive world of telecom and fiber optics. Our dedication to providing cutting-edge candidates for OSP roles has set us apart from our competitors. The teams screening process was driven by a deep understanding of client needs, efficiently identifying the highly qualified candidates. The successful candidate would be responsible for the Cost and Scope estimation, budgeting, dealing with materials and service suppliers for both Fiber Engineering and Construction for FTTH and Smart Cities projects. Finding OSP candidates in Dallas area with the required experience was the main challenge in this role, so to identify relevant candidates, Bassan and Claye used a hybrid approx of thoroughly searching LinkedIn, First Point Group's vast database as well as speaking to their network of telecoms professionals. After weeks of searching, the team identified six candidates and then after shortlisted two candidates to the clients. One candidate stood out as their personal motivations, professional goals and experience aligned with the job's requirements and company values. Although the candidate had multiple other options, their preference leaned towards our client due to the aforementioned factors. What made the effort worthwhile was the clients comment that this was a “plug and play placement, as John qualifications and skills are exactly what we were looking for."

BEING ADAPTABLE IS A VITAL SKILL FOR A RECRUITER

Pendy Hou, a telecoms recruitment expert based in our London office demonstrated that being adaptable and thoroughly understanding a clients requirement is vital for good recruitment.Initially, the client had a specific seniority level in mind for the role but later shifted their requirements, necessitating an adjustment in our search strategy, which caused Pendy to change his search criteria. "Having an in-depth discovery call with the hiring manager was instrumental in understanding the needs and intricacies of the job role" Pendy said. "This comprehensive approach provided me with the vital information necessary to craft an effective job advert". Several candidates applied and three were sent for initial interviews. The primary objective for the chosen candidate was to oversee generic global strategic procurement within telecoms and various other verticals. Though two of them reached the final stage, they were eventually not selected. The third one was successful. The entire process, from understanding the role's nuances to final placement, spanned four months. For the successful candidate, this role was not just a job. It symbolised an opportunity to be part of a renowned global telco group at the forefront of technological innovation and to contribute significantly to the global procurement strategy.

September 2023

SPEED AND QUALITY OF CANDIDATE ENSURES A HAPPY CLIENT

Ahmed Abouzaid recently placed a telecoms professional into a brand new client for First Point Group. This role would be pivotal for a new project for our client that demanded a profound understanding of technical intricacies.

Speed and quality of candidates was of the upmost importance in this placement as the client had been searching for the role themselves and two other recruitment agencies were involved. 

Determined to find the perfect candidates and knowing that this placement was time-sensitive, Ahmed dedicated two weeks to identify and qualify suitable candidates. Week one focused on creating a long list of candidates and presenting that to the client, followed by week two which focused on drilling down into each candidates skill sets and contacting them to understand their willingness to move jobs. This approach resulted in 2 shortlisted candidates alongside those presented by two other firms. The challenge was to ensure that the candidates skill was perfect and they would fit with the clients culture. Ahmed used our CRM system and his personal network of telecoms professionals, being a former telco engineer himself ensure he was contacting the correct people. The candidate selected for interview was one we presented, however, the challenge was that they were based in a different country to where the client was located.  Convincing a passive candidate from abroad to join a promising team required dedication, but after several successful interviews, the candidate’s genuine motivation was the challenging and promising opportunity presented by our client. They saw it as a chance to make a meaningful impact in a dynamic work environment.

“A challenging and incredibly rewarding placement, given the technical requirements of the position and the client's previous unsuccessful attempts to fill it.”

PERSEVERE AND THE PLACEMENT WILL COME

Katherine Zhu demonstrated that patience and perseverance can result in making a placement. Her client is a manufacture of submarine cables whose Hiring Manager is very well connected with candidates in that vertical. Having no luck in recruiting for a Business Development professional themselves, the client turned to First Point Group (Katherine has previously worked with this client). At the beginning of August Katherine was tasked by the client to find candidates for this role - a role that would help lead the charge to grow the business. The challenge Katherine found was that many of the candidates she initially spoke with had previously heard about the role via the client's Hiring Manager. Utilising both First Point Group's vast database of candidates and LinkedIn Recruiter, Katherine was able to filter through many candidates. After qualifying the candidates using the clients exhaustive list of requirements, Katherine shortlisted three candidates and sent them to the client. This process took almost a month. Much to the Hiring Manager's delight one of the three appeared (on paper) to be the exact candidate they were looking for. Katherine (eager for the candidate to impress the client) thoroughly prepared the candidate for the interview using First Point Group's interview tips. The client was extremely happy with the candidate and after one interview the candidate was offered. There were a few points of contention before the contract was signed which lasted a month. However, with perseverance and regular, clear communication Katherine was able to ensure that both the client and candidate were satisfied. 

August 2023

HELPING CANDIDATE DEVELOP THEIR CAREERS

Gemma O'Flaherty based in our Dubai office made one of her candidates fulfil a career goal by placing them into a social media company as a Client Solutions Manager.  After initially not sourcing candidates in city the role was based in, Gemma looked further afield and sourced a new candidate who was willing to relocate. With a family reliant on them and a wedding coming up,  there was an added personal pressure for the candidate to secure this role.  Gemma knew that with this candidates cheerful, positive personality, and experience, they would be perfect for the job. Gemma's role was to guide the candidate through the seven rounds of interviews by preparing them at each stage. "It can be a lengthy process, with anything up to seven rounds of interviews, but as long as you’re confident in your candidate, prepare them well, and create a strong and transparent relationship with them, then you have the key ingredients to a successful placement! " said Gemma. From start to finish the whole process took two months which was longer than usual. However, the dedication on both sides paid off as the candidate is having instant success in helping clients grow post-sales relationships  with advertisers.

PERSEVERANCE. PERSEVERANCE. PERSEVERANCE

Pendy Hou, from our London office demonstrated that with patience and regular communication with a client the right candidate will eventually come along despite challenges. This placement was the second Pendy placed with his client, a global telecommunications company.  It began in March 2023 (five months ago) when Pendy's client instructed him to recruit a Business Development Manager whose goal was to generate new business within their consumer electronics division. After taking a detailed brief from the client, Pendy was able to drill down into the requirements and identified (through various channels) several very good candidates that he shortlisted. However, this took several weeks as Pendy wanted to ensure he was presenting candidates to his clients that had the experience and capabilities to fulfil their goal of driving business. There was one standout candidate who interviewing was offered by the client.  Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances the candidate couldn't accept. This was frustrating to both Pendy and the client, however, Pendy reassured them that he had shortlisted several candidates who he felt would be just as good. Having made contact with one of the new candidates (the following day after the rejected offer) this individual was submitted to the client who, after interviewing, offered in a very short space of time. The new candidate was found in June and placed at the start of August. Overall, a long and frustrating process with bumps along the way. Pendy's determination to deliver for his client was what made this placement happen.