95%+ of candidates progressed to interview while building internal digital capability

Challenge

Navigating workforce transition while maintaining stability.

Solution

A people-centred Career Transition Programme.

Outcome

  • Greater workforce resilience
  • Supported career confidence
  • Maintained operational continuity

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How Davidson Executive & Talent helped a leading Australian financial services organisation secure 15 technology professionals in five months while building permanent engineering capability and supporting diversity objectives.   

0 %

of candidates presented progressed to interview 

0

 technology professionals recruited over five months 

0

permanent hires and 8 contractors appointed

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of 5 technical lead appointments were female 

Building capability before knowledge walked out the door 


A leading Australian financial services organisation was investing in the growth of its digital and data ecosystem. 


To support the next stage, it needed to strengthen its internal engineering capability. This included permanent engineers and technical leaders who could maintain and evolve the environment over time. 


There was also a timing challenge. 


Knowledge needed to transfer from the initial build team before key resources rolled off the project. The organisation needed to secure internal capability quickly enough to support that transition. 


The talent market made this harder. Many strong technology candidates preferred contract opportunities, while the organisation needed to build permanent capability. 


Technical skills alone were not enough. Hiring leaders also wanted people suited to the organisation’s culture, operating model and long-term direction. 


Davidson Executive & Talent partnered with the organisation to find and engage the specialist talent required. 

Reaching candidates who were not actively looking 

Davidson first worked with hiring leaders to understand the technical requirements behind each role. 


The team also developed a detailed understanding of the organisation’s operating model, culture and decision-making environment. 


This context shaped how candidates were identified and approached. 


Many suitable candidates were not actively searching for permanent positions. Standard advertising and keyword searches alone were unlikely to reach the full potential market. 


Davidson activated established specialist technology networks and engaged consultants across its national business to identify prospective candidates. 


Candidate engagement then became critical. 


Rather than presenting roles in isolation, Davidson gave candidates detailed information about the organisation’s strategy, operating model, technology environment and long-term career opportunities. 


This helped prospective hires understand both the immediate role and the contribution they could make as the organisation developed its internal digital capability. 


Structured reviews of candidate progress, recruitment priorities and hiring activity kept decisions moving throughout the engagement.

95%+ of candidates progressed to interview 

Across the transformation program, Davidson placed more than 70 contractors and six permanent employees into critical technology functions. 


The source reports that placements were delivered in line with project schedules and changing workforce demand. 


This scale of hiring provided capability across multiple specialist disciplines during a significant period of technology change. 


It also gave the organisation one recruitment partner able to support both contingent and permanent requirements across different areas of the technology workforce. 


But securing specialist capability was only part of the challenge. Maintaining continuity within engineering teams was also important as the transformation progressed.

Person working at a desk in a bright office, looking at a computer screen

Supporting diversity in technical leadership 

The recruitment strategy also supported the organisation’s diversity objectives. 


Of the five technical lead appointments made during the engagement, two were female. 


This provided a tangible diversity outcome within the technical leadership appointments while the organisation continued building its broader engineering capability. 


The evidence does not rely only on hiring numbers. Client feedback also reflects the experience of working with Davidson: 

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all the placements you have made with [us] so far. It is always a pleasure working with you. Your communication style is very professional yet relaxed, you are always on top of everything and you have great candidate control skills. Thank you for your contribution to the team and for always being thorough with your screenings and for always sending us your best candidates.

Building the team behind digital growth 

Growing digital capability requires organisations to think beyond the technology being built today. They also need people who can carry that capability forward. 


For this financial services organisation, Davidson Executive & Talent helped secure 15 technology professionals in five months, including seven permanent hires. 


More than 95% of candidates presented progressed to interview, while two of five technical lead appointments were female. 


Together, these results demonstrate a targeted recruitment approach that addressed immediate capability requirements while adding permanent engineering and technical leadership capability to the organisation.


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