When one of our clients - a tech leader in network monitoring solutions - needed to recruit within their product team, they turned to us for support. Their goal? To find a Principal Product Manager and a Principal Product Designer capable of shaping their strategy and driving innovation. Here, we share some insights on how we helped them achieve their goal and provide tips on how you can make the most of product recruitment services like ours.
The Challenge
Our client faced two primary hurdles during their talent search for experienced product leaders:
- Niche Industry Expertise: They needed candidates with extensive experience in network monitoring and familiarity with industry competitors, which narrowed the talent pool significantly.
- Geographic and Scheduling Constraints: Time zone differences across the U.S. created challenges for scheduling interviews and aligning team feedback.
To top it off, the client's leadership team's busy schedules meant they couldn't always join qualification calls for candidates.
Our Approach
We tackled these product recruiting challenges head-on by:
- Deep Competitor Research: We targeted candidates with relevant experience by analysing competitors in the industry to ensure we reached professionals with the exact expertise the client needed.
- Flexible Communication Strategies: Recognising the time constraints, we adapted using detailed questionnaires to gather requirements instead of relying solely on qualification calls.
- Candidate-Centred Process: We worked closely with candidates to address their scheduling and relocation concerns. This attention to detail allowed us to overcome logistical hurdles.
Within weeks, we shortlisted five highly qualified candidates: three for the Principal Product Manager role and two for the Principal Product Designer role.
The Result
Consortia made two successful placements - a Principal Product Manager and a Principal Product Designer. Both candidates seamlessly integrated into the client's team and were instrumental in driving the company's product strategy forward.
Here's what one of the candidates had to say:
"I never would have known about the job if it wasn't for Ryan. He helped me prepare for the interview and helped keep everything moving forward. He provided me with feedback and followed up with the company. For example, when the hiring company wasn't very responsive, I heard back immediately after he contacted them. I landed the job and would certainly work with Ryan again should I need to find a position in the future."
Tips for Maximising Recruitment Success When Hiring Product Leaders
If your company is looking to fill critical product roles, here are some tips to make the most of recruitment services:
- Be Open About Challenges: Whether it's time constraints, niche skill requirements, or location issues, share these upfront. The right recruitment partner will adapt their approach to address these challenges and find the right product person.
- Trust the Process: Find a recruitment partner who understands the product market. Even if you can't be deeply involved in every step, you need to trust your recruitment team to keep you informed and represent your company professionally.
- Focus on Candidate Experience: Product recruitment isn't just about filling the roles - it's about building a positive employer brand to create effective, strong, long-lived product teams. Treat candidates with respect and transparency and follow a candidate-centred process to ensure a smooth onboarding and a positive outcome.
At Consortia, we specialise in finding top talent for hard-to-fill roles within the specialist areas of Product, Development, Data and Engineering. We are always passionate about helping you find the right person! If you are looking for top product managers or product leaders to join your team, you can explore our product recruitment services to learn more about us.