01 / CONTRACT · TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP
They asked for a developer. The role needed a Technical Lead.
A New Zealand wholesale and distribution business.
What they asked for
A developer with the right platform skills.
What the role really needed
A key technical person was leaving. The handover was thin and the go-live date wasn’t moving. They needed someone senior enough to take ownership, not just write code.
What I did
I challenged the developer brief before starting the search. I got better information up front, and that showed the role needed a Technical Lead.
What came after
2 daysTo identify the Technical Lead
Day 3Interviewed
Day 5Started
The Technical Lead joined six months before go-live. Three months later, the client reported being ahead of the original roadmap.
02 / PERMANENT · APPLICATION SUPPORT
The candidate interviewed well. I advised the client not to hire.
A New Zealand business.
What they asked for
A permanent Application Support professional who could support their business systems and become a reliable long-term member of the team.
What was at risk
The wrong hire could mean ongoing support problems, lost time and extra pressure on the team, followed by the cost of recruiting again.
What I did
The candidate interviewed well, but the reference checks raised concerns. I advised the client not to proceed, even though it meant putting my recruitment fee at risk.
What came after
We revisited the brief and ran another search. The person they eventually hired stayed with the business long term.
I’d rather lose a fee than put the wrong person in a critical seat.
03 / PERMANENT · ERP & BUSINESS SYSTEMS
They asked for an ERP Business Analyst. The person became their AI & BI Lead.
A New Zealand business.
What they asked for
An ERP Business Analyst.
What the role really needed
Someone to fix the workflow, so productivity went up and costs came down.
What I did
I didn’t treat this as a keyword-matching exercise. The client needed someone who could improve how the business worked, not just someone with ERP BA experience. So I focused on the broader capability the role needed.
What came after
3 monthsPromoted to AI & BI Lead
NZ$200K+CAPEX secured to build the capability
19 branchesAI sales platform rollout
NZ$100K+Extra revenue from one user in five months
04 / SENIOR UX DESIGNER · PLATFORM REBUILD
They needed a Senior UX Designer. First, they needed a design foundation.
A business rebuilding its global ordering platform.
What they asked for
A Senior UX Designer for a major ordering platform rebuild. The role had been open for almost three months.
What the role really needed
Developers and delivery teams were joining, but there was no design system. They needed someone senior enough to build the foundations.
What I did
Before searching, I challenged the brief. I asked the Head of Product how design decisions were made and where the tensions sat between teams. I wanted to know whether the organisation could support a senior designer before recommending anyone.
What came after
The first Senior UX Designer began building the design system. As the programme grew to three delivery squads, the business needed more design capacity and came back for further senior designers.
LONG-TERM PROOF
One good hire matters. So does what happens eight years later.
I’ve worked with one New Zealand client for close to ten years. Over that time, they’ve trusted me with recruitment across IT operations, business solutions, data, AI and marketing. When their software business needed to grow, they brought me in there too.
8 yearsA person I placed as a Service Desk Analyst is still with the business, now a Senior Technical Specialist.
CLIENT VOICE
“Jess got underneath the job title quickly. She understood the delivery pressure, challenged what we really needed, and only brought people who made sense for the situation.”
Dan Morgan · CIO, Bidfood
“Jess takes the time to understand what we really need and doesn’t flood us with candidates. She puts forward people she genuinely believes are a strong match, which makes the process more focused and gives us confidence we’re considering the right people from the start.”
Carl Omundsen · CTO, Garmin NZ
“Jess understands what we actually need, only puts forward people she genuinely believes fit, and is honest about the strengths and trade-offs of each candidate. It saves us time and gives us confidence in who we meet.”
Brian Gould · MD, Blackwall
“I’ve worked with Jessica over the years to find people with the right skills, experience and team fit. We’ve had some high-calibre people join our teams as a result of her work. More than once, she’s been able to get us out of a bind when we needed a specific skillset at short notice.”
Peter Zavoda · GM Digital, NZ Post
Results depend on the person, the leadership around them, the environment, authority and resources available. These case studies show what happened after the hire; they are not a promise that every hire will produce the same outcome.
