A Process Built to Deliver the Right Hire First Time.
Guaranteed.
The 6S Process is our six-stage search methodology. From initial scoping through to post-placement support. It’s how we deliver 97% right-first-time hiring across every role, every sector, and every geography. No shortcuts. No variation. Just a proven system that works.
97%
right-first-time
12-18 mo
guarantees
60+
countries delivered
The Problem With How Most
Recruiters Work
Traditional recruitment relies on individual recruiter instinct. The result? Inconsistent outcomes, wasted time, and mis-hires that cost more than the recruitment fee.
Recruiter-dependent quality
Most agencies don’t have a standardised process. Quality varies person to person, search to search. You’re betting on getting a good recruiter, not a good system.
Volume over precision
The incentive is to send candidate profiles quickly, not to send the right ones. You end up sifting through candidates who look good on paper but don’t match what you actually need.
No accountability for outcomes
Short guarantees (or none) mean the recruiter gets paid when someone starts – not when they succeed. If it doesn’t work out, you’re back to square one.
Our 6S Process exists to solve this. A structured process that delivers consistent, guaranteed outcomes, regardless of who runs the search.
Six Stages. One Outcome.
The Right Hire.
Every stage of 6S exists for a reason – to remove guesswork, build alignment, and ensure you hire right first time.
Scoping
Align Before You Search
What Happens
We meet with all key stakeholders, not just HR, to understand the role in context. What does success look like in 6 months? 12 months? What’s the team dynamic? What’s been tried before? We dig into the real requirements, not just the job description.
Why It Matters
Most failed searches fail here. Misalignment between stakeholders, unclear expectations, or a job spec that doesn’t reflect reality. Scoping ensures everyone is on the same page before we invest time sourcing candidates.
What Makes Us Different
We challenge assumptions. If the brief doesn’t make sense or the expectations are unrealistic, we’ll say so. Better to fix it now than waste weeks on a search that won’t land.
Scorecarding
Define What "Great" Looks Like
What Happens
We build a detailed scorecard covering technical skills, experience, competencies, and cultural fit. This becomes the objective standard against which every candidate is evaluated, no gut feel, no shifting goalposts.
Why It Matters
Without a scorecard, hiring decisions drift. Interviewers assess candidates against different criteria. Feedback is subjective. The loudest voice wins. A scorecard creates consistency and defensibility in how you evaluate.
What Makes Us Different
We don’t just list requirements, we weight them. What’s essential vs. desirable? What can be trained vs. what must be proven? This forces prioritisation and prevents “unicorn hunting.”
Sourcing
Find the Candidates Others Can't
What Happens
We use market intelligence, forensic search techniques, and global networks to identify candidates. This includes passive talent who aren’t actively looking, often the highest-quality candidates in the market.
Why It Matters
The best candidates aren’t on job boards. They’re not responding to LinkedIn InMails from recruiters they don’t know. Reaching them requires targeted research, warm introductions, and a compelling approach.
What Makes Us Different
We don’t rely on a database. Every search involves original research, mapping the market, identifying target companies, and building a long-list of candidates tailored to your specific requirements. Global reach across 60+ countries means we find talent wherever it sits.
Selecting
Assess With Rigour, Not Gut Feel
What Happens
We rigorously assess candidates against the scorecard, technical capability, experience, competencies, and cultural fit. Only candidates who meet the bar are presented. Typically 3-5 qualified candidates, not a stack of candidate profiles.
Why It Matters
Losing a candidate at offer stage is one of the most frustrating outcomes in recruitment. Weeks of work, multiple interviews, internal alignment, all wasted because the candidate took a counter-offer or had concerns that weren’t addressed.
What Makes Us Different
This is where 6F runs in parallel. We assess not just whether candidates can do the job, but whether they will thrive in it, motivation, circumstances, and alignment with your culture and trajectory.
Securing
Get to "Yes" Without Surprises
What Happens
We manage the offer process end-to-end: compensation expectations, counter-offer risk, notice periods, and candidate concerns. We ensure your preferred candidate accepts and commits, with no last-minute drop-outs.
Why It Matters
Losing a candidate at offer stage is one of the most frustrating outcomes in recruitment. Weeks of work, multiple interviews, internal alignment, all wasted because the candidate took a counter-offer or had concerns that weren’t addressed.
What Makes Us Different
We don’t wait until offer stage to understand candidate motivations. Through 6F, we know their drivers, their concerns, and their deal-breakers before you invest significant time. If there’s a risk, we surface it early, not when it’s too late.
Satisfying
Support Beyond Day One
What Happens
We stay engaged post-placement to support onboarding and ensure both client and candidate are set up for success. Regular check-ins during the first 90 days. Early identification of any issues. Proactive support, not reactive firefighting.
Why It Matters
Hiring doesn’t end when someone signs a contract. The first 90 days are critical for retention and performance. Problems that surface early can often be resolved, if someone’s paying attention.
What Makes Us Different
Our 12-month guarantee isn’t just a safety net, it reflects our commitment to the long-term success of every placement. We stay involved because we’re accountable for outcomes, not just placements.
The Search Process and the Fit Methodology
Working Together
6S tells us how to find and secure candidates. 6F tells us whether they’ll succeed once they’re there.
6S — The Search Process
Scoping, Scorecarding, Sourcing, Selecting, Securing, Satisfying. The structured process that ensures every search is executed with rigour and consistency.
6F — The Fit Methodology
Fit, Freedom, Family, Fulfilment, Fortune, Future. The six dimensions we assess to ensure candidates are aligned with your culture, expectations, and trajectory.
6S and 6F run in parallel throughout every search. Technical skills get candidates into the process – but 6F determines whether they’ll stay and succeed. This is why 97% of our clients hire from the first shortlist, and why we can offer guarantees that competitors won’t match.
The Results of a Structured Search Process
97%
right-first-time
The majority of our clients hire from the first shortlist we deliver — because 6S ensures we only present candidates who meet the bar.
12-18 mo
guarantees
We stand behind every placement. If it doesn’t work out, we fix it. That’s the confidence a structured process gives us.
4 wk
shortlist delivery
Rigour doesn’t mean slow. Our process is designed to deliver qualified candidates in agreed timeframes — typically 3-5 candidates within 4 weeks.
Case Study
How 6S delivered a critical hire in 6 weeks
Client
Global manufacturing company
Challenge
A senior engineering leadership role open for 4 months with a previous agency — no successful hires.
Approach
Full 6S process with stakeholder alignment, scorecard development, and targeted sourcing across three geographies.
Outcome
Shortlist of 4 candidates in 4 weeks. Offer accepted in week 6. Candidate still in role 18 months later.
Three Services.
One Methodology.
6S powers our search work across every engagement model – whether you need one critical hire or a scalable embedded solution.
Critical Hire Search
Milestone search with a 12-month guarantee and shortlists delivered in weeks, not months.
Executive Search
VP to C-suite hires that shape your future. Leadership profiling, internal benchmarking, and an 18-month guarantee that traditional exec firms won’t match.
Embedded Recruitment
Dedicated recruiters in your team, running our methodology at scale. Typically 40% more cost-effective than equivalent search volume.
Proven Across
Four Specialist Sectors
The methodology is consistent. The market knowledge runs deep.
Industrial & Engineering
Manufacturing, automotive, electronics, semiconductors, robotics, defence, aerospace and automation.
Energy & Infrastructure
Oil & gas, power & utilities, renewables, construction, data centre infrastructure, testing & inspection.
Life Sciences & Process Industries
Pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices, chemicals, food & beverage, FMCG production and process manufacturing.
Advanced Technologies
IoT, connected devices, software, AI/ML, , SaaS, robotics, automation, sensors, data, analytics, digital transformation and IT services.
Whether you’re hiring a Plant Director in Germany, a VP of Engineering in California, or a Regulatory Affairs lead in Singapore, the 6S process adapts to the market while maintaining the rigour that delivers results.
Resources & Insights
Expert perspectives on hiring, talent strategy, and building exceptional teams.
Ready to see what a
structured search looks like?
Let’s talk about your hiring challenges. We’ll show you how 6S applies to your searches — and why it delivers hires that succeed long after day one.