Our client, a Management Consultancy, wanted to expand an AWS migration project to seamlessly transfer their organisation's existing on-premises data centre infrastructure and workloads to the AWS cloud environment. This project involved a series of well-defined phases to ensure a smooth transition while maintaining security, reliability, and minimal disruption to ongoing operations.

Existing staff had been enrolled in AWS Partner Accreditation and associate development training but key skill gaps still existed.  Teams had to be on-boarded by Q end to ensure phase 1 project milestones were successfully closed. 

Osmii was introduced to the new team via existing relations with the Consultancy.  After meeting with management and understanding the scope, an advertising campaign was launched online via social media channels, and importantly pushed via existing Osmii AWS talent pools. Using Osmii’s results driven approach, we engaged in a headhunting campaign to fill the niche requirements.  A three stage interview process was set, with an in-depth, project specific, AWS focused screening at stage 1, followed by further project definition and culture based questioning.  As a contingency plan, the client also wanted to look at the contract market in order to have resources ready at phase 1.

Ten hires completed on time and under budget with AWS subject matter experts in all roles. 

Surplus profiles received and interviewed with a view to fast track for phase 2 hires.  All hires closed as full time permanent appointments. No need for secondary contract hires.  Key with closing permanent hires turned out to be the strength / scope of the client project. Communicating select project details to candidate pool, with this being a “go live project”, not a test case, in an emerging space was a high draw.

This project was the latest in many AWS cloud projects Osmii is helping our clients to deploy. Our understanding of the technical ecosystem helps our clients win and deliver digital transformation solutions with Amazon Web Services technologies embedded at their core. 

By combining our AWS Network, gained over 12 years’ experience in recruiting, and specialist domain expertise, we are uniquely positioned to help our clients to make the right hiring decisions while adopting and delivering next-gen technology projects.

For more information about our work with AWS please contact Barton@Osmii.com

Delivery Method: Contingent Permanent / Contract

Scaling AWS capability

Comwrap, part of the Reply Group, is a consultancy specialising in the deployment of customer experience and commerce platforms to clients. They partner with market leading technology ecosystems, Adobe, Magento and Ibexa to provide clients with best in class solutions to their digital marketing challenges. 

The Adobe Experience Cloud, of which Comwrap are a platinum partner, is the world’s leading platform for content, asset management, commerce, real-time personalisation, marketing automation and customer journey analytics. 

In 2022, Comwrap decided to hire a number of high profile individuals to build out the Adobe practice in the UK. 

They needed to build capability in this team, both on the advisory and delivery side.  Comwrap needed to further deepen their subject matter expertise in CDP, Data analytics, Adobe Experience platform and digital asset management. 

Osmii has operated in the digital marketing space for 12 years and has built multiple Adobe teams over the years. As a result, Comwrap turned to Osmii’s unique Adobe capability to build out the team. 

Osmii has an existing live network across Europe of expert Adobe professionals, however, we needed to uncover the profiles that could cope with wearing different “hats”, specialist voices in their space, and fantastic in front of clients. We needed to find people that could help define the capability rather than slot into an existing structure. In order to uncover these attributes, we developed a competency based scorecard during our headhunt process. Within this scorecard, we would ask each candidate the same questions and score them based on their answers. Given the fledgling status of the team, the overall culture of the team and team fit was vital to success, so we made sure that each screening interview was done in person, and a relationship was built with the shortlist. 

As Comwrap had amazing clients queuing up, they wanted the team to be in position before the end of 2022 in order to hit 2023 running. Osmii worked overtime during the Christmas period to deliver this, but also agreed with the client up front a winning 3 stage process. 

After 6 weeks from initial search we had secured four senior resources, all but one started before the New Year!

We recruited all technical advisory and implementation resources, which will really strengthen the Comwrap UK team and make them a real player in the Adobe space moving forward. 

For more information on how we build consultancy digital marketing capability across Europe, please contact max.birchenough@osmii.com 

Comwrap - Building Adobe Capability

 IBM Garage is a new team inside the larger IBM consulting organization. The ethos of this high growth team is to attempt to solve business challenges using new edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, RPA, and machine learning. AI, ML and automation technologies are extremely powerful but only if the business need is understood. There is no point automating something if the business does not see the value.  IBM Garage is a team that dedicates technical resource internally to a client, requesting the same resource to be matched from the client to try to solve challenges. IBM invented Watson – which really was one of the first baby steps toward harnessing AI for business.  

The client needed a new team of consultants that were not only technical experts within data science, analysis, ML and AI, but also had the fine balance of business acumen. It was vital that the technical profiles could meet with stakeholders and uncover challenges that could be solved – rather than starting from the conclusion that AI/ML is appropriate. IBM needed 5 profiles at enterprise architect and technical sales levels in Germany to meet the huge demand to use the Garage solution. 

We set up our search team to uncover consultancies that were niche specialists within the discipline. Rather than going for the larger consultancies that may have a practice of consultancies, we mapped out smaller players where the consultants would be acting as end to end solution consultants. We needed to uncover people that can analyse the business, the available data points and interpret this data into viable challenges and opportunities, and then have the ability to use technologies to solve the problem, the niche consultancies were the best place for us to hunt. We used our results based formula of 50/10/3 – to map, select and headhunt 50 relevant profiles per hire, achieving 10 interested and viable candidates, which reveals a final shortlist of 3 people. We replicated this search each time, putting huge efforts into reaching each person on our longlist. 

The intense headhunting uncovered a huge pool of passive candidates, but a very small amount of active candidates. We designed specific marketing material for the passive candidates to be well informed about the IBM consulting team, Garage specifically, but also we put huge emphasis on the career path of a typical architect, from enterprise level, to distinguished engineer, to chief. This was a huge differentiator against competition, as architects find it difficult to follow a career path. 

Osmii were the only recruitment consultancy to fill all 5 hires within the Garage team – and the 2022 headcount of 10 new hires have gone exclusively to Osmii. We love the Garage team!

For more information on AI / ML capabilities as well as the work we have delivered for IBM across Europe, please contact neil.mitchell@osmii.com 

IBM AI / ML Project

A global Consultancy Services company, covering IT services, consulting and business solutions. Headquartered in India and with over a dozen UK offices, they have a workforce of around 400,000 across the globe.

Our client uses Osmii to deliver into three main work streams; 1) Sales, 2) Digital and 3) SAP and Supply Chain, from Consultant through to Director Level.

Within Digital, a mandate was given to approve agency spend to close 9 “hard to find” profiles over a quarter. The following positions were given to us along with one other supplier:

2 x Engagement Manager - Digital Transformation

Engagement Director - Digital Transformation

Management Consultant - Digital Transformation

Advisory Partner - Digital Transformation

We targeted specific consultancies that already operate and have reference customers within CX and uncovered the consultants that are client facing and deal winners. For the transformation profiles we were able to source from a bigger client donor pool and the emphasis was more deal size focused as well as personality type.  The Client wanted to drive a specific culture within these teams, which led us focus on D&I initiatives to present broad candidate slates including, but not limited to more women.

We successfully placed 6 senior candidates across the project timescale.  The client was particularly happy with the market information we were able to share around D&I, and salary comparisons. 

Commercial – relationship building, strategic thinking, consultative 

Solution selling (Enterprise level) – FTSE1000

Client, a Tier1 Bank, wanted to expand a GCP trial phase into a larger scope of works.  Existing consultancy cloud teams were primarily AWS and Azure focused. Consultancy wished to use this GCP project as a template to become a leading Google Cloud Partner in the UK.  Existing staff had been enrolled in partner training and associate development but key skill gaps still existed.  Teams had to be on boarded by Q end to ensure phase 1 project milestones were successfully closed.  

Osmii was introduced to the new team via existing relations with the Consultancy.  After meeting with management and understanding the scope, an advertising campaign was launched online via social media channels, and importantly pushed via existing Osmii GCP associate network. Osmii, being a GCP Services partner, held existing networks in the UK GCP scene and these were to be quickly and effectively utilised.  A three stage interview process was set, with an in-depth, project specific, GCP focused screening at stage 1.  Planned to look at the contract market after initial search as concern that the permanent candidate pool would not support all 4 x GCP SME hires. 

Four hires completed on time and under budget with GCP subject matter experts in all roles. 

Surplus profiles received and interviewed with a view to fast track for phase 2 hires.  All hires closed as full time permanent appointments. No need for secondary contract hires.  Key with closing permanent hires turned out to be the strength / scope of the client project. Communicating select project details to candidate pool, with this being a “go live project”, not a test case, in an emerging space was a high draw. 

This project was the latest in many GCP cloud projects Osmii is helping our clients to deploy. Osmii is a Google Cloud Services Partner and our understanding of the technical ecosystem helps our clients win and deliver digital transformation solutions with Google Cloud technologies embedded at their core. 

By combining our Google Partner Network, 10 year’s experience in recruiting, and specialist domain expertise, we are uniquely positioned to help our clients to make the right hiring decisions while adopting and delivering next-gen technology projects.

For more information about our work with GCP please contact xavier.osipczak@osmii.com

Google Cloud Platform

Building and supporting communities is an integral pillar of Osmii.

With our latest website, we dedicate an entire page to our efforts within Diversity and Inclusion. 

We have 3 pillars: Eliminating the unconscious bias; having a diverse internal leadership team; and community integration.  

The last pillar has been difficult to promote since working with “women in tech” style movements, although hugely valuable on shining light on certain issues, doesn’t address the problem that there isn’t enough diversity in the tech world in the first place. We want to help solve that problem. 

So we looked for a partner that not only promotes more diversity in the tech industry but also does something about it. 

As a result, we’re welcoming into our partner network a brand new name. 

OpenUK is the industry association and advocacy organisation representing Open Technology, being open source software, open hardware and open data organisations across the UK. 

OpenUK’s vision is to develop UK Leadership in Open technology and will do this by building a loud and cohesive community around Open Technology, uniting people across existing projects, influencing Legal and Policy, and influencing a robust education and Learning system in Open technology. 

OpenUK will be joining our partner network which currently includes Google, DellEMC and AWS. 

Some of the initiatives that are particularly remarkable include 

A Kids’ Competition spanning 47 schools, sponsored by Red Hat, encouraging kids to get into open technology

A 3000 strong “ Digital Summer Code Camp” for young kids, through August

Creating an apprenticeship scheme for launch in 2022

Their University Group will host a  3 day Professors & Open Source Software Education (POSSE) training for up to 30 Universities as part of OpenUK Week in 2021, sponsored by Google

And of course, the OpenUK Awards currently open for nominations until 30 June, openuk.uk/awards.

Osmii will be exclusively working with OpenUK on a pro bono basis to help scale up their Exec team (VP and CXO level) and to help them build a fantastic and long-lasting community. 

Osmii is a technology recruitment firm working internationally with start-ups, major software vendors and global brands. We hire across Development, Cloud and Digital technologies and Open Technology is a major part of our work. Last year, for the second year running, we were named amongst the top 1000 Fast Growing Companies in Europe by the Financial Times.

So we have decided to give back to this community by helping to support OpenUK. 

It is a proud moment to give back to a community, and we are currently hiring for them so if Open Technology is your bag – and you love everything Open, please drop Jamie a line on 

OpenUK

Client wanted to consolidate and expand an email marketing team in a new London location. Existing teams in secondary locations were to be relocated or disbanded.  The technology stack had also been changed, Eloqua the legacy solution was to be replaced with Adobe Campaign. Initial brief was for 5 Adobe Campaign Specialists and 2 Email Developers.  A second wave of hires was to bring an additional 4 Adobe Campaign Specialists and additional Adobe Marketing Cloud functionality.

Osmii was introduced to the new team via existing relations with Adobe Professional Services.  After meeting the management and understanding the scope, an interview day approach was agreed, and technical / business decision maker appointed. Interview sessions to be done over two days on client site. 

Teams fully deployed on time and in budget across 2 sets of go to market campaigns.

Challenges we faced were that candidates were mainly permanent or in long term contracts. Osmii had a 3 month rolling SOW form client. It was key that we communicated the scope of the whole project so candidates could consider the opportunity beyond initial contract length. The client also understood the importance of project communication.  Combined with a decisive and coordinated on-boarding process our offer to close ratio remained high.

Osmii successfully delivered a 2nd wave and offered first refusal on subsequent team expansion into supplementary Adobe Marketing cloud teams. 

Client Type: Cloud & Data Brand – Tier 1 Telco 

Delivery Method: Contract Contingent - Exclusive

The client was a subsidiary company of a long standing client of ours.  They had heard of the good work we had delivered within the parent company and needed quick delivery in three different global locations.  The need was for four Storage / Virtualisation Architects who could define the architecture within a Tier 1 Banking client.  Shift and weekend work were highly likely to ensure the project was delivered within very tight deadlines. 

The Zurich roles took precedent as this was the HQ for the end client.  Our previous work in Switzerland was limited and the local talent pool was very scarce.  Research was required to understand 1) costs of living 2) the market rate 3) visa requirements, in order to offer a relocation package for EU citizens.  Next was London. Given our extensive product and market knowledge of the parent companies storage virtualisation solution, we were able to reach out to our existing network within the UK. Singapore was the last hurdle.  The local market and visa restrictions proved problematic. 

Our solid research in Zurich paid off and we were able to present two highly skilled architects a tempting relocation package.  They interviewed and were offered within two weeks.  London followed in quick succession and we placed two candidates the following week.  Due to our good work, we were then given three Storage Engineer roles in Zurich.  Our knowledge of the Swiss market enabled us to source these positions with relative ease.  

Virtustream 

The client had taken on another round of funding but only had a HR function in Israel. They needed extra resource to support their next phase of expansion into various European, APAC and Emerging Markets. 

They needed several hires including 1st on the ground Russia, Senior Sales and tech people in APAC, plus various servicing roles in Germany and London. 

Osmii had successfully supported the client previously with global projects into the German and UK office. Off the back of that success, Osmii was introduced to further various members of the HR team in Israel who supported individual markets. 

The client introduced a new hiring portal to support the influx of roles being opened up to us and candidates uploaded. This supported candidate management, tracking of interviews, feedback and next steps. 

All roles were added to the portal for the various regions, we would then establish a “high priority” list of ranking roles with the client. This would support urgent to less urgent hires.

1st wave of roles included were 1st on the ground Russia, Sales Director Singapore, Technical Solutions Singapore and Technical Solutions Germany. 

2nd wave of roles included Senior Customer Success APAC, Senior Customer Success Germany and Solutions Engineer UK, CSM’s UK + Germany. 

Due to the new portal from the client and prioritising of roles (ranking) this successfully supported several new senior hires into the business in Germany, Singapore and Russia. 

We had to introduce Dynamic Yield and sell the company to candidates who had very little knowledge of them. There were already big players in the different markets.

Osmii also had to overcome the clients re-prioritising of roles in different regions due to client internal re-structures/changes.  

We successfully delivered on roles the client had been struggling to complete themselves for several months in unfamiliar markets. With our knowledge and network we managed to place senior managers into the business who we will now look to support when they hire their teams. 

Client Type:  Martech - Marketing Personalisation Technology Vendor. Leader in their space

Location of project: Global expansion, Senior hiring (UK, Germany, Russia, Singapore)

Delivery Method: Permanent Contingent – Multiple hires  

MarTech Experience – personalisation, web analytics, optimisation

Commercial – relationship building, strategic thinking, consultative.

Technical – Front-end development (JavaScript, HTML, CSS)

Solution selling (enterprise level) – FTSE1000, Ecommerce

Dynamic Yield

The client wanted to build a successful Training Centre in order to cater for its hyper-growth and expansion of their customer / partner base. We needed top class Trainers in a saturated market willing to learn a new product and we needed them fast.

We had learned a lot from previous experiences with this particular client building out their EMEA Pre-Sales team. The client has a very long interview process with many touchpoints and bases a lot of their decision making on culture fit. Therefore It was critical for Osmii to meet headhunted candidates in person and tailor a Workday specific screening process. We made it our mission to meet Trainers that had excellent technical capabilities but also fantastic personalities. This would help us to dig deeper to identify the right talent and also build relationships with the candidates which would prove vital for a long process. Meeting the candidates face to face, no matter what country they were based in, was a vital step in keeping them engaged. 

Osmii successfully placed 10 trainers with the client making up almost two-thirds of the Client's EMEA team. 

Challenges: Trainers had to commit to 75% travel across EMEA – it reduced the talent pool of Trainers who could commit to this travel.

Next Steps: Our Trainers will be moving into senior roles and we are going through a new search for the next ramp up. We also need to look at exploring the contract side of the market.

What values has Osmii learned: Recruitment is much more than being on the phone: Get out of the office and meet your product! You build trust with your Client and Candidate. It is a win for everyone!

Workday

The client was going through a large hiring project within their Customer Development division and a number of key customers were missing a lead account manager. 

Due to the nature of the size of the project, the client needed assistance in hiring 10 roles within an exceptionally quick time scale of 6 weeks. 

Working with the client, we put together a Container proposal that would mean we could dedicate a full resourcing team to the project. Attempting to hire 10 people requires approximately 40 qualified people so our team needed to break down the project into bite-size milestones. 

Due to the tight time constraints of the project, agreed milestones were put in place to ensure the project was kept on track. Some of these milestones included a minimum amount of 15 qualified candidates and 10 interviews by week 1. We also included minimum CV to interview conversion percentages in order to keep the quality up. 

As part of the offering, we gave the client access to market maps, compiling information around the client's competitors, individuals of interest, responses and market news, whilst also giving Unilever a “Sentiment Ratio”. This is a score calculated by Osmii which provides a real-time gauge of what the market thinks about your brand and your interview process

The project was a huge success. Due to the size of the business, there were delays due to approval chains and ensuring the right people were available at the right times to fit within the agreed milestones but the overall project was delivered on time. 

Delivery Method: Container - Projects with 5-25 hires

Unilever

Client wanted to add two additional cross functional scrum teams to expand a Mobile Banking Project. Initially two teams of ten developers (BED / FED), a centralised Solution Architect and QE Strategist.  Based in a Central London location.

Both teams were to have a similar blend of skills and a central shared resource element.  The client wanted two drops of starters, across two months.  The plan was to focus on speed, quality, cost and a need to keep the client involved throughout the screening / interview process.  Technical tests were created, an interview panel was pre-selected, and google docs / drives utilised to keep stakeholders connected. 

Osmii ran an intense pre-screening period lasting 2-3 weeks in which approximately 150 CVs were pre-screened and technically tested (online client approved testing).  After testing, phone interviews were conducted with final phase candidates interviewed across client open days for final selections. Osmii were allowed access to the interview panel, reducing admin time across the project. Once all results were collected, the client had the relatively simple task of selection using tracker documents with rates and feedback in one place. The Client Talent Acquisition team are happy to date, and the client awarded Osmii future business.

Delivery Method: Contract Contingent – Exclusive

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