Specialist Hiring: Maximizing Success with Targeted Talent Sourcing

Situation 

A local authority in the southwest of England had a robust talent acquisition team but required additional support for front-end headhunting and sourcing assignments. A new and niche position for a harbor master demanded a comprehensive strategy to locate the right specialist.  

A habor master ensures the safety of all users of a harbor, including managing vessel traffic, investigating marine incidents and maintaining compliance with all safety codes. The ideal individual had strong leadership capabilities and the ability to hit the ground running, leveraging past experience. 

With only 433 official harbors and fewer than 300 harbor masters in the UK, the talent pool was limited. Plus, the role would require the ideal individual to relocate. To tackle these challenges, the authority engaged PeopleScout for a calculated approach, utilizing our Talent Sourcing solution from the Amplifiers™ suite. 

Solution 

Our specialist senior professional sourcing team demonstrated a keen understanding of the local job market and quickly captured the client’s interest. We devised a strategy targeting individuals with: 

• Experience working as a harbor master 
• A harbor master diploma 
• Strategic leadership qualities with a commercial mindset 
• Membership in the British Ports Association 

Our recruitment team employed a multifaceted approach, reaching out to potential candidates through LinkedIn and job boards. Given the specialist nature of the position, we had to think creatively. The team looked to social media and found a popular Instagrammer who had completed a charitable sailing journey to every port in the UK. By analyzing engagement on his posts, we identified key contacts relevant to the position. 

The team worked tirelessly, reaching out to these contacts and identifying potential candidates. Our search extended across the UK and even to the Middle East. While this broader search boosted candidate quality, it required more in-depth conversations with candidates about relocation possibilities and lifestyle changes to ensure a comprehensive fit for the role. 

Results

Through our efforts, we approached 123 individuals as potential matches. Out of these, 47 engaged with us, resulting in a notable engagement rate of 38%—well above the usual industry range of 18% to 25%.  

Following a detailed and technical screening process, we successfully shortlisted seven candidates. This final shortlist included a mix of local candidates and those willing to relocate, demonstrating the effectiveness of our strategic recruitment approach.