How We Approach Difficult Hires.

Some roles are hard not because of seniority — but because expectations are unclear, talent is scarce, or the business cannot afford to get it wrong.

Difficulty Is Rarely About Seniority

We work on roles across levels — junior, mid, and senior — that are difficult for different reasons:

niche skill combinations
unattractive mandates or locations
tight budgets under high expectations
stalled or failed searches
internal misalignment on what “good” looks like

Titles don’t make roles hard.
Decisions do.

Clarity Before Search

Before we speak to a single candidate, we work with hiring managers and TA to clarify:

what problem this role must solve
which trade-offs are acceptable
what success looks like after 6–12 months
what will not be prioritised

Most weak shortlists come from weak role definition.

We fix that first.

HOW WE ACTUALLY FIND THEM

Most of the candidates we place are not actively looking. We identify them through direct market mapping — researching who holds the right profile in the right companies, then approaching them with a specific, credible reason to have a conversation.

This requires knowing the market well enough to have that conversation. It is why every search at Substance is handled by a senior recruiter — not an researcher passing names to someone else.

Disciplined Screening, Not Volume

Every candidate is screened directly by senior recruiters.

Our team has delivered in agency environments and later succeeded in internal roles — which means we assess candidates with a realistic understanding of:

on-the-job performance
stakeholder expectations
delivery under pressure

We do not optimise for pipeline size.
We optimise for decision quality.

End-to-End Ownership

Searches are handled hands-on, from brief to offer.

There are:

no junior handoffs
no account layers
no disappearing acts

The person defining the role is the same person engaging the market, screening candidates, and managing the process through closure.

Accountability is direct.

When Companies Typically Engage Us

When a role is hard to fill, regardless of seniority
When the cost of a wrong hire is high
When internal teams need external judgment, not more CVs

hear from our clients

Learn why our clients consistently choose us to hire for their needs

Deema had only one role to work on, for us but showed her dedication. She managed to source good and passive candidates within a short time frame. She provided a valuable pre-placement advise which no other recruiters did.

Having worked with numerous recruitment firms, Deema stood out as one of the most reliable and trusted partner. She is prompt, responsive and when it comes to understanding our business and hiring challenges, advising us on the next step to improvise the process and selection and her execution - she is spot on. I truly enjoyed working with Deema, and would not hesitate to recommend her to other hiring managers.

I am impressed with your work!

Our industry is niche - Deema has outstanding knowledge and experience in pre-search consultancy, market and talent movements, pre-selection and post placement. She consistantly provide high calibre candidates throughout the hiring process and even provide strong back up pool of talent.

Deema stood out from the crowd. She has proven highly effective in providing Temenos with numerous and quality senior candidates. She worked hard and also very strategic in how she approach to identify and fill the role. She is transparent throughout the process and never fails to keep us posted, which many recruitment partners failed to do. She is direct, honest and she is great recruiting partner to work with!

How We Approach Difficult Hires.

Difficulty Is Rarely About Seniority

Clarity Before Search

HOW WE ACTUALLY FIND THEM

Disciplined Screening, Not Volume

End-to-End Ownership

When Companies Typically Engage Us

hear from our clients

The role is too important to get wrong.

We define “good” before we search.

You see fewer profiles. Each one earns its place.

The person you brief is the person who closes.

Have a role that's been open too long — or one you cannot afford to get wrong?

No pitch. No proposal. Just a straight conversation?

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