Defence sector · Talent solutions

Case Studies

Five mandates, from stealth-mode start-up to established defence prime. How we find the right people in the narrowest and often invisible candidate markets.

CASE STUDY 01

AI Engineering Team

Early-stage start-up · <10 employees · Stealth mode · Underwater mapping

4
Positions filled at a company of under 10
6
Days to the first shortlist
10
Weeks total

Challenge

  • The candidates' relevant deep tech and defence experience is invisible on LinkedIn, often at their employer's request. Only earlier, non-defence roles are visible.
  • Neither job titles nor current employers give any clue. A classic keyword and title search doesn't work here.

Our approach

  • We identify the companies that defence firms have already recruited from successfully and repeatedly. This is based on our close network of established partners in the sector: we know first-hand which companies people actually move from.
  • Highly qualified specialists know other experts with a similar background and access to the same programmes.
  • The extensive search was coordinated transparently through a shared workboard.

Key takeaways

01Network as a multiplier

Referrals in this niche reach what no platform can.

02Access without visibility

We identified profiles that could not be found on any public platform.

03Full transparency

A shared workboard meant the client always knew where things stood.

CASE STUDY 02

Head of Public Affairs

Scale-up · ~400 employees · Stealth mode · Strike drones

38
Confidential first conversations
10
Candidates on the curated long list
6
Weeks total

Challenge

  • An extremely narrow market: policy profiles in defence are rare, highly networked and hardly ever actively looking.
  • Stealth mode shortly before launch, with founders well known in the market. Any uncontrolled outreach would have drawn attention prematurely.

Our approach

  • We used the political timing: the end of the legislative period opened a short window in which many policy profiles were open to a move.
  • We held 38 conversations across the wider policy environment and built a curated long list under stealth conditions, closely aligned with the client.
  • Only then came precise, personal direct outreach. No open sourcing, no job advert.

Key takeaways

01A controlled process

Candidate identification and outreach were aligned. The client stayed protected.

02Political context matters

Those who know the market recognise windows of opportunity and use them.

03Network over reach

The role was filled entirely through curated direct approach.

CASE STUDY 03

Security Officer (Geheimschutzbeauftragter)

Established defence prime · ~2,000 employees · Communication systems

<20
Publicly identifiable profiles in Germany
23
Conversations held
5
Weeks total

Challenge

  • The position is almost never made public on LinkedIn; the title itself signals discretion. Fewer than 20 people are publicly identifiable across Germany.
  • Growing demand: a rising order book turned a 20 per cent role into a full-time one. The search was for an absolute expert, tied to the company's site.

Our approach

  • We approached visible profiles in a highly personalised and approachable way. The goal was trust.
  • From there we gained access to the hidden market: 23 screening calls, mostly with profiles that cannot be found publicly, reached through referrals.
  • The eventual hire originally wanted to recommend a colleague and decided during the conversation to take the role himself.

Key takeaways

01The first message decides

With fewer than 20 visible profiles there is only one chance. Every message has to land.

02Keep the momentum

After first contact, speed and personal availability are what count.

03Trust as the foundation

Genuine interest in the person creates openness, whether for a move or a referral.

CASE STUDY 04

Sales Director / Country Lead

International cybersecurity company · Market entry Germany

7
Initially sceptical candidates persuaded to apply
37
Qualified candidate conversations
10
Weeks total

Challenge

  • Access to sales profiles was not the problem. The hurdle was the positioning of a UK company still little known in the German market.
  • Many German candidates showed a clear preference for defence companies with EU or German roots, seeing them as more sovereign and more strategically relevant to the European security and defence industry.

Our approach

  • We worked through the business model and its commercial substance and translated it into a credible story for the German market.
  • The role was actively sold, with context-specific arguments for each individual candidate.
  • Recruiting as sales: the candidate had to be convinced to apply, which meant the company had to convince first.

Key takeaways

01Understand the market context

Candidates judge employers not only on role and salary but on market positioning.

02Recruiting is sales

Those who understand the market and the business model can approach candidates convincingly.

03No standard story

Candidates are not won by forwarding a job advert but by resolving their reservations.

CASE STUDY 05

Sr. Business Development Manager

Established mid-sized company · ~200 employees · Project partner to major primes

2
Failed internal hires before our mandate
4
Analysis conversations before the search began
1
Lasting placement

Challenge

  • Two earlier hires before our mandate did not survive probation, one terminated by the company and one by the candidate. Another mis-hire would have been expensive and would also have cost internal trust.
  • A modern, family-driven company. What decides here is not the skill set but cultural and personal fit.

Our approach

  • On site with the client: analysing the failed hires and speaking with the line manager and HR to understand the culture and which kind of person actually works in this role, not just which qualification the job requires.
  • Candidates were informed realistically in advance: an honest picture of the role, the team and expectations before any commitment.
  • Fit-oriented pre-selection: competency- and values-based interviews, a curated shortlist with a reasoned assessment.

Key takeaways

01Cultural fit is part of the decision

After two mis-hires, what counts is not the best CV but whether the person fits the team.

02Past mistakes as a foundation

Understanding why predecessors failed makes the next selection far more accurate.

03Resolve doubts before the offer

Giving candidates an honest picture in advance prevents drop-outs during probation.

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