This client is a global leader in non-invasive orthopeadic products originating in the Icelandic region. Thanks to the innovative nature of these products, which are used in prosthetics for amputees, this company has experienced a rapid expansion of their company and was hiring several roles in new markets.
The problem is that until 2021 they did not have a direct proxy in the Czech Republic and Slovakia – only using other sellers that were selling products of their competitors as well.
The challenge:
The main issue their team was facing was their inexperience in recruiting in Central Europe. Their main office was based in The Netherlands and they were now recruiting positions in Czech Republic/Slovakia. Entering a new market can come with many challenges, as the candidates can behave differently, marketing techniques need to be adjusted, and the competition will be different, so this client was struggling to hire for any of their positions in this region.
One role, in particular, required a Product Specialist with a niche certification in orthopaedics to join their team, which is a hard-to-find profile to find in this region. So far the company had been posting job adverts in English on global job boards and LinkedIn, however, they were receiving very few responses with none being relevant for the position. They were at a loss on how to progress with their new positions.
Our Solution:
One of our Czech native recruiters reached out to this company to offer support with their recruitment. He was able to advise them on the current market situation in the Czech Republic and some trends that are ongoing. After hearing about their current strategy, he quickly realised why they were not receiving suitable applicants.
Candidates in the Czech Republic are less likely to use LinkedIn or global job boards when searching for a new position and favour more local Czech-based job boards instead. Thanks to his local knowledge and experience recruiting for niche positions, our recruiter knew where these adverts would gain more attention. He began positioning ads in the Czech language on more relevant websites using keywords that would attract the right professionals.
Within one week, this consultant had over 50 responses to his job advert and, after reviewing each CV, he shortlisted five possible candidates who could be a great fit.
The outcome:
Of the two open positions that the company needed support with, both roles were filled in less than 20 days with highly suitable candidates. Before this, the roles were open for three months with very little response. The client gained strong market knowledge on recruitment in Central Europe and has now built a relationship with a consultant who can advise them on future market trends and recruitment changes.
This consultant also met one of the placed candidates on a random flight to Prague – it’s a very small world!