Begin with the business outcome
Start with what the person must protect, change or deliver.
Proof after the placement
What happened after the hire?
A placement is not proof. What the person changes, protects or delivers after joining is what matters.
Every search is different. These outcomes show the evidence we look for before recommending someone.
3 monthsSenior Business Analyst promoted to AI & BI Lead.
NZ$200K+CAPEX funding secured for a new AI and BI capability.
5 working daysContractor started after a critical engineering resignation.
3 years laterInternational ERP specialist progressed into Domain Lead.
Commercial and capability proof
From Senior Business Analyst to AI & BI Lead in three months.
The situation
The business needed more than a traditional Business Analyst. It needed someone who could identify commercial opportunities, earn stakeholder confidence and turn emerging AI capability into useful business outcomes.
The risk was hiring for the title while missing the initiative, influence and commercial judgement the business would later need.
What made the person credible
- Turning unclear business needs into practical initiatives
- Working across technical and commercial teams
- Building support before formal authority existed
- Taking ownership beyond the original brief
The real proof
The original title did not describe the value the person would eventually create. The evidence was in the judgement, ownership and influence they had already demonstrated.
What happened after the hire
Growth in role, capability and commercial impact
Within 3 monthsPromoted from Senior Business Analyst to AI & BI Lead.
NZ$200,000+CAPEX funding secured to establish an AI and BI capability.
Capability createdBuilt a team with one direct report and six indirect contributors.
19 branchesLed the delivery of MenuIQ, an AI sales-enablement platform.
NZ$100,000+Incremental revenue generated by one user within five months, during a market downturn.
“Jess found someone who quickly grew beyond the original BA role and became central to building our AI and BI capability.”— Dan, CIO
Delivery protection
A critical contractor started within five working days.
The situation
A Lead Engineer resigned six months before a mandated B2B portal go-live. The deadline remained.
The team needed someone who could enter an active programme, understand the environment quickly and reduce the delivery exposure.
What the search focused on
- Relevant delivery experience
- Ability to become useful quickly
- Comfort joining a programme already under pressure
- Ownership without unnecessary disruption
The real proof
Speed mattered, but speed alone was not the result. The result was finding someone quickly without lowering the evidence bar.
What happened
Fast mobilisation without weakening the search
5 working daysThe contractor started within five working days of the brief.
6 months before go-liveThe person joined during a critical period after the Lead Engineer resigned.
3 months laterThe programme remained on track for the mandated B2B portal go-live.
“Jess understood the delivery pressure and found someone who could step in quickly. The contractor started within five working days and helped keep the programme on track.”— Peter, GM Technology
International specialist proof
Headhunted from Singapore. Domain Lead three years later.
The situation
A New Zealand medical device company needed a Senior ERP Specialist with capability that was difficult to find locally.
The search could not be limited to people already applying for jobs in New Zealand. It required identifying someone overseas with the right ERP depth and the ability to succeed inside a complex business environment.
What the search focused on
- Deep ERP knowledge relevant to the business
- Evidence of solving complex systems and operational problems
- Ability to work across technical and business stakeholders
- Adaptability to a new company and country
- Potential to take on broader ownership over time
Headhunted from SingaporeSenior ERP Specialist
Three years laterDomain Lead
The real proof
The business did not simply fill a difficult vacancy. It hired someone who could grow beyond the original role and take ownership of a broader domain.
The hiring logic
Different roles. The same hiring discipline.
The outcomes were different, but the evidence behind each recommendation followed the same principles.
Look beyond the closest title
Assess what candidates have demonstrated, not only the names of previous jobs.
Include the actual environment
Test whether the person can succeed under the real pressure, ambiguity and constraints.
Test ownership
Strong candidates can explain what they personally decided, changed and delivered.
This is why we present fewer candidates.
Not because the market contains only a few people. Because a credible shortlist should contain only people with evidence relevant to the outcome and environment.
Important context
No recruiter can promise that every hire will produce the same result. Performance also depends on leadership, onboarding, authority, resources and the environment the person enters.
15-minute Critical Role Review
What must your next hire deliver after joining?
Bring one critical role. We will identify the business outcome, the main exposure in the current brief and what credible candidates must already have demonstrated.
No sales presentation. No obligation.
Your Risk Map records
- The business outcome
- The hidden exposure
- The candidate evidence bar
- The recommended next decision
