Recruiting Assignment: Build-Out of a Database Analytics Department (12 Assignments)
Organization: Loyalty / Direct Marketing Company
Situation
The client set out to build a highly sophisticated database analytics department. This initiative aimed not only to support internal programs and existing customers but also to establish a new profit center by offering advanced analytics services to external clients. This was a transformative undertaking requiring multiple new hires to form an entirely new department.
Assessment
The department required a unique blend of technical and business expertise to address complex data challenges. The search timeline was highly compressed, and as all positions were newly created, evolving job descriptions added further complexity. Flexibility—both in the hiring process and candidate profiles—was essential to success.
Challenge
The hiring manager provided only broad-stroke guidance and emphasized one universal requirement: an insatiable curiosity. No single candidate could cover every technical skill, but as a team, the hires needed to collectively fulfill the full spectrum of business and analytical requirements. The challenge was in assembling this “mosaic” of talent while ensuring complementary skills and cultural alignment across 12 new hires.
Solution
This long-term client engaged The ExeQfind Group, supported by The QualiFind Group, to lead the search. Together, we deconstructed the role requirements into categories and launched a wide-ranging sourcing strategy spanning consulting firms, academia, and industry. By leveraging executive search consultants and specialist recruiters, we identified candidates with overlapping capabilities, maximizing efficiency. Within four months, the department was fully staffed with PhDs in statistics, econometrics, actuaries with predictive modeling expertise, and analysts from diverse industries.
Candidates
The 12 hires represented a diverse range of backgrounds, including consulting, financial analysis, data science, and academia. Each shared the curiosity the client valued most. Collectively, they brought the complementary skills needed to deliver against the department’s ambitious mandate. Importantly, even traditionally “backroom” hires were capable of stepping into client-facing roles when required.
Postmortem
Despite the challenge of integrating 12 diverse hires, the team quickly became operational. Only one candidate, transitioning from academia to corporate life, was not a cultural fit and was replaced swiftly. The rest of the team established a high-performing department, validating the client’s vision and delivering value ahead of schedule.
Footnote
The QualiFind Group and The ExeQfind Group remain preferred recruitment partners for this client, supporting searches across an expanding range of disciplines well beyond analytics.