Client Case Study
From Frustration to Fulfilment: Sourcing Technical Talent to Succeed
Finding the appropriate technical skills and experience is challenging. We consider factors beyond the typical qualifications. Attributes such as cultural fit, shared values, and a dedication to delivery distinguish our candidates. This success is made possible by our reliable network of cyber security and risk professionals.
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This approach, coupled with our ability to understand our client’s landscape and subject area, allows us to reliably identify skilled candidates for even the most demanding positions, particularly within the highly regulated sectors in which many of our clients operate.
The Struggle is Real
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As one of the world’s largest banking organisations, HSBC operates across 60 countries and serves millions of customers globally.
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Alex Young, HSBC’s Head of Security Solution Architecture, sought high-quality technical resources to strengthen his team, but found himself in a difficult spot:
“We’ve struggled for a while to source good quality solutions architects. Many of the previous candidates we received were either engineers who were too niche, without the design experience we needed, or essentially just consultants who talked a good a game but lacked real delivery and solution skills.
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We’ve even had instances where people had no cyber experience whatsoever. We’ve additionally been hamstrung, during a time of exceptional growth, with long turnaround times on even first stage interviews via other suppliers.”​
Listen, Learn, Deliver
Delivering effective resourcing outcomes starts with a comprehensive understanding of the client’s needs.
Alex’s requirements were clear. He needed architects with a robust security background, familiarity with highly regulated environments, and genuine hands-on experience.
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Candidates of this calibre can be notoriously hard to find, but we’ve spent years building our trusted network of highly skilled security practitioners.
We’ve also developed a talent acquisition function that has the capability to tap into new talent pools. We’re fortunate that we work with candidates repeatedly across multiple engagements, and therefore receive large numbers of referrals and recommendations.
“A Breath of Fresh Air”
After sharing multiple qualified candidates, this quickly led to a successful placement in Alex’s team. A short time after we supplied a further three candidates, all of whom had a similar skill set.
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At every stage, we were able to offer options to Alex that he described as, “a breath of fresh air”, with respect to skills, experience, and cultural fit.
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Our work with Alex has secured a successful partnership for the future, as he describes:
“i-confidential have been able to provide high-quality security architects and land interviews within a fortnight, which has helped us tremendously to deliver our 2024 portfolio on time.”
A major asset has been the candidates’ experience in other large financial institutions. This has traditionally been a major hurdle with other suppliers, but it enables HSBC to begin design output much more quickly.
We’ve doubled the size of our team this year, and each of the i-confidential architects we’ve brought on board have been of the highest quality, with tremendous experience across our various domains of cyber security.”
“10/10 – we will be hiring more in future.”
Conclusion
We were delighted to help Alex and the team at HSBC solve their resourcing problems quickly and effectively. We consistently deliver this result for our clients – a success we believe has been years in the making.
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We prioritise client relationships, and are able to consistently deliver flexible, high-quality resource solutions tailored to meet the unique demands of every engagement.
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At i-confidential, our focus extends beyond merely placing candidates. We create partnerships and consistently provide value, regardless of the scale or complexity involved.
