← All case studies
Case study - Completed specialist search
How TalSource resolved a four-month Principal Power Systems Consultant search in four weeks
Two specialist agencies and three industry job boards had failed to produce a candidate who passed the first interview. TalSource changed the search strategy, outreach and assessment process.
Case study at a glance
The original hiring problem
Before TalSource
The client had been searching for a Principal Power Systems Consultant for four months.
- Two specialist agencies had been engaged.
- The role had been posted on three industry job boards.
- The process produced only a small number of CVs.
- None of the candidates passed the first interview.
- Every unqualified CV consumed senior engineering time.
We have tried the obvious routes. They have not worked. We need someone who can lead complex network studies, interface with the DNO and TSO on connection agreements, and mentor three junior engineers. The clock is ticking: we have a live framework agreement with a major utility that needs this resource.
Search diagnosis
Why the previous search failed
Before sourcing began, TalSource diagnosed why the earlier process had stalled.
The brief was too generic
The specific requirements were buried beneath a broad Power Systems Engineer description.
The search relied on active candidates
Job boards were unlikely to reach the employed specialist the client needed.
Assessment happened too late
There was no meaningful pre-qualification before senior engineers invested interview time.
The TalSource approach
What TalSource changed
The search combined domain-specific market mapping, human-led passive-candidate engagement and structured assessment before client interview.
-
Days 1-2 - Map the actual market
AI-assisted sourcing mapped the UK and Irish market against the technical and advisory requirements of the role.
- Transmission connection studies
- GB grid-code compliance
- DigSILENT proficiency
- Senior client-facing advisory experience
- 32 candidates mapped
- 8 matched the work without using the advertised title
-
Days 2-8 - Engage passive specialists
A TalSource consultant with Power Systems knowledge contacted the mapped candidates using specific information about the study type, client environment, team structure and career rationale.
- 7 positive responses within 48 hours
- 3 more within 72 hours
- 10 candidates engaged
- 8 agreed to assessment
-
Days 9-22 - Assess before client interview
Eight structured assessments covered the technical, advisory and leadership evidence the role required.
- Power Systems fundamentals and methodology
- GB grid-code and connection experience
- DigSILENT proficiency
- Client advisory capability
- Team leadership
- 8 structured assessments completed
- Reviewed asynchronously by the hiring manager
- 3 selected for team interview
Completed result
After TalSource
The article supports a completed search and the following outcomes.
- A passive candidate was placed
- The candidate had not applied for a role in more than two years
- The four-month delay was resolved in four weeks of active search
- The candidate started four weeks after accepting
- They took ownership of two live connection studies during their first month
- They began a structured mentoring programme
- The resource gap was closed and the framework agreement maintained
The wider lesson
What this search demonstrated
Domain-specific mapping
Search the actual technical landscape rather than relying only on job titles.
Credible, specific outreach
Give passive specialists enough relevant context to consider a conversation.
Front-loaded assessment
Let senior engineers review structured evidence before investing time in first-round interviews.
Have a difficult search that is not producing the right candidates?
See how TalSource could approach the role differently.