Rebuilding Trust and Delivering Results for a Niche Animal Health Company

Challenge

We were engaged by a specialized animal health company to take over a critical search for a leadership role within their commercial organization. Prior to our involvement, the client had partnered with a large, well-known recruiting firm with a global brand and significant resources. Despite months of work, the search had stalled. The client was frustrated with the lack of qualified candidates, the limited understanding of the animal health market, and a transactional approach that did not reflect the complexity or nuance of their business.

When they decided to pivot and engage a more specialized boutique firm, they approached us. From the outset, we knew we were stepping into a delicate situation. Not only had confidence in the recruitment process been eroded, but the previous firm had already reached out to a broad segment of the market. This meant that the talent pool had been partially tapped, and we had to work with extra caution to avoid duplicate outreach or the appearance of confusion in the market.

In addition, some candidates had already formed negative impressions based on their experience with the previous firm, which added another layer of complexity. We had to rebuild trust, reframe the opportunity, and reintroduce the client in a way that would engage senior-level candidates and position the role more strategically.

Solution

Our first step was to conduct a detailed intake with the client, not only to align on the ideal candidate profile but also to review who had already been approached, how they had been contacted, and what feedback had been received. We requested the previous firm’s candidate list, and while incomplete, it provided a starting point for us to avoid duplication.

We then conducted our own market mapping exercise, identifying adjacent sectors and slightly nontraditional profiles that may have been overlooked. Because of our deep understanding of the animal health industry, we were able to target candidates with the right technical knowledge, market familiarity, and commercial instincts without relying solely on the obvious or over-sourced talent pools.

We also carefully rebranded the opportunity in our candidate outreach. Rather than focusing on the vacancy or the title, we framed the role as an opportunity to join a mission-driven company with an innovative portfolio and a leadership team looking for long-term impact. We took time to speak personally with each candidate, sharing our insights into the company’s culture and ambitions and rebuilding credibility where previous communication had fallen short.

Throughout the process, we kept communication extremely clear and coordinated. We ensured that the client knew where we were sourcing from, what feedback we were receiving, and how we were positioning the company in the market. This helped them feel confident in the direction of the search and restored some of the confidence lost in the earlier process.

Outcome

Within four weeks, we had assembled and presented a shortlist of four highly qualified and well-aligned candidates, all of whom had not previously been contacted by the former agency. The client was impressed not only by the caliber of the candidates but also by the depth of our industry insight and the care we took in managing the messaging around the opportunity.

One candidate in particular stood out due to their rare combination of technical expertise in animal health, business development experience, and strong alignment with the company’s values and goals. After a thoughtful and deliberate interview process, the client extended an offer, which was accepted enthusiastically.

This case reflects our ability to step into a complex and politically sensitive situation and still deliver results with professionalism, precision, and care. By taking a more strategic and relationship-based approach, we were able to rebuild credibility in the market and help our client move forward with the right hire. The company later remarked that the experience with us was completely different from what they had come to expect from search firms, and they have since partnered with us on additional recruitment needs.