Case Studies
Real outcomes from fractional Head of Talent engagements. No fluff. Just infrastructure builds, critical hires, and measurable ROI.
Some of the companies I've worked with recently
EarthDaily Federal: Defense Tech & Geospatial Intelligence
Contracted as Lead Talent Consultant through 2026. Built complete recruiting infrastructure from zero, closed critical hires in under 30 days, and delivered 200%+ ROI on monthly retainer.
The Challenge
EarthDaily Federal had no recruiting infrastructure. No ATS. No standardized interview process. No fraud detection. No pipeline. They were a growing defense tech company working on geospatial intelligence contracts requiring cleared talent (Secret/TS/SCI), and they needed to scale fast while maintaining CMMC compliance.
The clock was ticking on federal contracts. Critical positions—Controller and Backend Engineer—remained unfilled. They needed someone who could both build systems and close hires simultaneously. No ramp time. No learning curve. Just execution from day one.
The Approach
I embedded as fractional Head of Talent and built the entire recruiting function from scratch while simultaneously closing critical hires. This wasn't just filling roles—it was constructing the infrastructure the company would own forever.
Infrastructure Built:
- BambooHR to Lever ATS migration planning and implementation roadmap
- AI-powered resume screening system with fraud detection protocols
- Standardized interview scorecards for technical and leadership roles
- Cleared hiring workflows (Secret/TS/SCI) with CMMC compliance built-in
- Sourcing frameworks for geospatial scientists, backend engineers, and finance leaders
- Interactive status reporting systems for hiring manager visibility
- Pipeline tracking and candidate relationship management
- Outbound recruiting playbooks for specialized technical roles
Critical Hires Closed:
- Controller: Closed in under 30 days. Finance leadership with defense contractor experience.
- Backend Engineer: Closed in under 30 days. Specialized in geospatial data processing.
The Results
200%+ ROI in the First 90 Days
$47K invested. $315K in total compensation placed. Agency fees avoided: $79-95K (25-30% of placements). Add the 15+ recruiting systems they now own permanently, and the total value delivered exceeds $140K—a 200%+ return before the engagement even ends.
Speed to Hire
All critical roles closed in under 30 days versus industry average of 90+ days for cleared technical positions. No sacrificing quality for speed—every hire met strict technical and cultural requirements.
Owned Infrastructure
EarthDaily Federal now owns a complete recruiting system: ATS roadmap, interview frameworks, fraud detection, sourcing guides, and candidate pipelines. They can scale hiring without me. That's the point.
What This Actually Meant for the Client:
- Met federal contract deadlines by filling mission-critical roles fast
- Built CMMC-compliant recruiting processes required for defense work
- Eliminated future dependency on external recruiters or agencies
- Created repeatable hiring systems that scale as the company grows
- Reduced fraud risk through systematic screening protocols
- Established cleared talent pipelines for future hiring needs
The Key Takeaway
Most fractional recruiting engagements fail because they're just temporary labor—bodies filling seats until someone full-time shows up. This worked because I built infrastructure the company would own forever while simultaneously delivering immediate hiring outcomes.
That's the difference between a recruiter and a fractional Head of Talent. Recruiters fill roles. Fractional Heads of Talent build the machine that fills roles—and then hand you the keys.
Legal Managed Services: Building a Sales Hiring Machine
Complete GTM talent infrastructure build: 18 hires in 14 months, 90% retention in notoriously difficult roles, and full automation from sourcing through scheduling.
The Challenge
A legal managed services company was in crisis mode. They had just terminated most of their sales team for theft and were working with a retained search firm that couldn't deliver the right talent. The clock was ticking. Revenue was stalled. And they had zero confidence in their ability to identify trustworthy, high-performing salespeople.
The problem wasn't just filling empty seats—it was rebuilding trust in the hiring process itself. Sales roles in legal services require a specific blend: technical understanding of legal operations, consultative selling skills, and the resilience to handle long sales cycles. Most companies struggle to retain these hires beyond 12 months. The client needed a system that could consistently identify, attract, and retain top performers who wouldn't blow up the organization.
The retained firm had failed because they were doing what retained firms do: submitting resumes and hoping for the best. No vetting infrastructure. No cultural screening. No red flag detection. Just expensive placements that didn't work out.
The Approach
I didn't just fill roles. I built the entire talent acquisition infrastructure from zero, focusing on three core pillars: process, automation, and cultural fit.
1. Complete Process Restructure
- Designed role profiles that mapped to actual success patterns, not generic job descriptions
- Created standardized interview frameworks with behavioral assessments specific to legal sales
- Implemented a multi-stage vetting process that identified resilience and cultural alignment early
- Built feedback loops between hiring managers and the talent team to continuously refine criteria
2. End-to-End Automation with Psychology-Based Screening
- Headhunted specific profiles from legal tech, SaaS, and professional services backgrounds—no resume sorting, no spray and pray
- Built psychology-based video screening system: candidates recorded 1-minute responses to behavioral prompts delivered by an actual person, revealing character, communication style, and cultural fit before any live interviews
- Created automated scheduling systems that reduced coordination time by 80%
- Designed candidate nurture sequences to keep passive talent engaged
- Video screens became the critical filter—caught misalignment early and accelerated decision-making for strong candidates
3. Talent Pipeline Development
- Established ongoing sourcing channels rather than reactive job postings
- Built relationships with candidates who weren't ready to move yet but fit the profile
- Created a talent database organized by role type, experience level, and availability
- Maintained consistent outreach to keep the pipeline warm
The Results
18 Successful Hires in 14 Months
Built the entire GTM function from scratch after a catastrophic team termination. Every role—from Account Executives to Sales Engineers to SDRs—was filled with candidates who passed rigorous cultural, competency, and character requirements. The psychology-based video screens caught red flags the retained firm had missed and accelerated decisions on strong candidates. No settling. No "good enough for now" hires.
90% Retention Rate
In an industry where 12-month retention is considered good, we achieved 90% retention across all sales hires. Only 2 of 18 hires left within the first year—both for personal reasons unrelated to job fit.
Fully Automated Pipeline
Sourcing, screening, and scheduling became completely automated. What used to take 20+ hours per week of manual coordination now ran in the background, freeing the team to focus on candidate experience and closing.
What This Actually Meant for the Client:
- Sales team could scale without constant backfill and retraining costs
- Consistent performance across new hires rather than the typical 50/50 success rate
- Predictable hiring timelines—no more scrambling to fill urgent openings
- Reduced cost-per-hire through automation and better targeting
- Cultural cohesion as the team grew, rather than fragmentation
The Key Takeaway
The retained search firm failed because they were selling placements, not building systems. Expensive retainers. Polished candidates. No vetting infrastructure. That's why the client ended up with a sales team that committed theft.
The fractional approach worked because I was invested in outcomes, not placement fees. I built systems that detected problems early. I created processes that identified character and culture fit—not just skills on a resume. And I handed them an infrastructure they could run without me.
That's what real talent strategy looks like. Not transactions. Systems.
Ready to Build Infrastructure That Scales?
Whether you need to fill critical roles fast, build recruiting systems from zero, or scale a function without losing quality—let's talk about what's actually possible when you hire fractional leadership instead of transactional recruiters.
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