Hiring with Purpose

  • Multiple executive hires who will impact the future of this iconic brand's influence on the creator economy. 

  • Increased both female and POC diversity within leadership positions.

  • Talent Acquisition Augmentation to support strategic growth surge.

Outcomes

Speed

7 roles filled in 7 months including VP and C-level talent.

Flexibility

Fractional structure allowed budget and time flex to meet changing demands.  

Cost Efficiency

Total billing = 1/3 of typical executive search fees while providing significant added value.

Diversity

Hires: 85% POC, 85% female.

Mission

Iconic crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter, hired visionary leader, Everette Taylor as CEO to drive innovation and refresh the platform’s relevance in the creator economy. With a reputation for building diverse, mission-driven, highly effective teams, Everette was eager to ignite significant cultural, product, and GTM shifts via a strong leadership team. 

Fueling innovation and vision with people

Goals

Hire Multiple Key Leaders

Uplevel:

Diversity:

Impact:

Attract talent from high-value brands.

Drive diversity to authentically resonate with the larger culture-creator market globally.

Accelerate momentum of change management and market impact strategic hires.

    • Structure: Public Benefit Corporation and Unionization complexity.

    • Confidentiality: Sensitive nature of searches.

    • Compensation: Competing for top talent with constrained salary bands.

    • Systems Change: ATS system transition.

Approach

Strategic Fractional Hiring Engagement

Vocation LLC is designed to support complex search engagements. The firm is uniquely focused on creating holistic support. Bottom-line business objectives are tied to each organization's corporate mission and vision throughout the hiring process. This approach creates strong client and candidate engagement, resulting in better outcomes and more efficient use of resources. With this level of authentic communication, Vocation creates impactful hires that are directly aligned with the role and the business’ success.

Targeted Executive Search

Attraction of high-value candidates from global brands for confidential roles including sourcing outreach, interview management, and offer negotiation.

How: Partnered closely with CEO to activate his network. Utilized authentic outreach, brand storytelling and deep listening to generate talent pools directly aligned with the business' larger vision.

Augmented Talent Acquisition Function

Provided additional strategic hiring bandwidth during key growth period.

 
How: Served as a thought partner to CEO, CFO, and HR leadership. Embedded within the TA and People team to manage the full lifecycle recruitment process for mid-career and executive roles. Plugged seamlessly into the company's technology, ATS and processes.

Diversity and Inclusion

Intentionally engaged a diverse slate of candidates with the goal of authentically resonating with the larger culture-creator market globally.

How: Executed direct authentic outreach and storytelling to candidates and influencers of color. Streamlined communication with executives to help "sell in" in-demand talent. Deep listening and advocating to help craft offer details to fit candidates’ and clients’ personal, career, and business objectives.

Results

In seven months, rapidly hired top talent creating the solid foundation for Kickstarter’s vision for growth, positioning and company culture. 

Press:

Fortune - Kickstarter’s new finance chief

People of Color In Tech  - Kickstarter’s New Chief Financial Officer Is A Black Woman – Meet Sindy Wilson

AdWeek - Kickstarter Taps Ex-Twitter Talent to Help Put Itself Back on Cultural Map

PRWeek - Kickstarter fills lead marketing and comms roles with Twitter Vets

    • People and Talent Solution - Elevated the People team with a new VP of People who lead the ongoing culture and growth of the organization.

    • Supported hiring managers with other GTM  placements including:

      • Head of Content

      • Sr. Lifecycle Marketing Manager

      • Sr. Email Marketing Manager

Outreach

~185% more monthly candidate sourcing activity than company average.

Engagement

More than 38% outreach response rate doubling industry standard.

Next

Hiring for Marketing Transformation