The Client
This Nairobi-headquartered organization operates as a global incubator and accelerator for startups, supporting early-stage companies across multiple regions. Its own hiring needs mirror those of the founders it backs: roles appear quickly, span several countries, and blend commercial and operational skills that are difficult to define — let alone fill — through conventional recruiting channels.
The Challenge
The incubator needed HR and recruitment support for hiring across multiple regions, without building an internal talent acquisition team of its own.
Key challenges included:
- Recruiting for roles in different countries as needs emerged, rather than on a fixed hiring calendar
- Filling hybrid positions — such as an Executive Assistant who also acts as a Market Developer — that don’t map neatly to standard job titles
- Sourcing specialist marketing talent, including digital PR, from outside its home market
- Assessing candidates thoroughly before they reached leadership, to protect scarce executive time
- Getting new hires productive immediately, given the pace of a startup environment
They needed a recruiting partner that could interpret intent, not just match keywords.
The Solution
The relationship predates this engagement — we had recruited for the organization before — and the client returned to us to handle its worldwide HR outsourcing needs.
Our approach included:
- Job-Description-In, Shortlist-Out Model: Whenever the client needs staff, they send a detailed job description and requirements; we handle everything from there.
- Candidate Selection & Initial Assessment: We screen and assess candidates before shortlisting, sending through only those who genuinely fit the requirements for each position.
- Multi-Country Sourcing: We placed an Executive Assistant / Market Developer and a Digital PR & Marketing specialist, drawing talent from South Africa and the United States.
- Lean Account Team: The client works directly with a small 1840 team — our CEO and their main HR manager — keeping decisions fast and communication direct.
- Tooling Alignment: We collaborate inside the client’s own stack, using HUI and Whereby.
The Outcome
The engagement gave the incubator a recruiting function it could switch on whenever a role opened, in whichever market it opened.
They gained:
- Placements delivered across two countries — South Africa and the United States
- Candidate shortlists that consistently matched the requirements for each position
- Talent able to begin working immediately, with no ramp gap after selection
- Quick, timely, efficient responses and effective communication throughout
- Roughly $43,000 in annual payroll savings on the South Africa placement versus a U.S. equivalent
The client rated the engagement 5.0 overall, said there were no areas to improve, and recommends 1840 & Company highly.
