When a top-10 global hedge fund discovered that a promising candidate had been placed with a direct competitor, the trail led back to North Bridge. By the time North Bridge reached out, the client already knew the name.
What followed became one of the most consistent and productive recruiting partnerships in North Bridge’s history, which is built entirely on a track record that spoke before any formal conversation began.
The client’s New York office was growing its recruiting coordinator team quickly and needed a reliable external partner to help build it. Each recruiting coordinator hired would go on to support two to three internal recruiters, meaning the quality of every placement had a direct effect on the firm’s broader talent acquisition output.
Their internal interview process added another layer of difficulty. The client doesn’t share interviewer names, team details, or manager information with candidates ahead of interviews. That level of limited information can create problems. Candidates may feel underprepared, which increases both anxiety and drop-off rates.
The client needed a partner who could consistently bring candidates through that process without losing them along the way.
Once engaged, North Bridge applied its two-step screening process to every candidate from the start.
Because the client’s own interview process gave candidates very little to work with upfront, North Bridge invested heavily in preparation at every stage. This included:
Because of North Bridge’s embedded relationships in this market, qualified candidates were consistently ready to submit within 24 hours of receiving a new role brief. The groundwork was already in place.
Three years into the engagement, North Bridge has made 12 placements at the firm: 10 recruiting coordinators, one executive assistant, and one administrative assistant. Ten of those 12 remain with the client today, resulting in a retention rate of over 83%.
The client responded well to both the candidate quality and transparency North Bridge brought to every search. What they appreciated most was the additional context provided upfront: where each candidate stood in other processes, realistic start dates, and a clear picture of the person before any offer was extended. That level of visibility reduced back-and-forth and kept roles moving even when the client’s own timeline ran long.
The placements added up to something larger than filled seats. North Bridge has now placed approximately half of the client’s recruiting coordinator team, with a group of roughly 20 that continues to grow. Because each coordinator supports two to three internal recruiters, the stability built at that level has strengthened the firm’s overall recruiting capacity in a meaningful way.
For prospective clients operating in similarly demanding environments, the takeaway is straightforward: North Bridge’s ability to guide candidates through a long and deliberately opaque interview process reflects a recruiting model built on accountability at every stage.
If your organization operates in a similarly complex hiring environment and needs a recruiting partner with the precision and accountability to match, reach out to North Bridge today.
