Recruitment and talent acquisition for critical roles.
Critical roles require method, not merely volume.
VAGAR supports organisations in defining the role, understanding the market, identifying candidates, structuring the assessment process and preparing onboarding. The scope may cover the complete process or only the stage where additional capacity or judgement is required.
When a vacancy requires more than publishing an advert.
Not every recruitment process requires the same depth. This intervention is particularly useful when a poor decision would have a significant operational, financial or human impact.
The role is not yet sufficiently clear
Decision-makers have different expectations, the job description is outdated or there is uncertainty about the level of responsibility that is actually required.
The required profile does not respond to adverts
The organisation needs to reach professionals who are not actively looking for a new role, which requires direct search, market insight and a credible approach.
The decision depends too heavily on first impressions
Interviews do not produce comparable information, criteria change during the process or there is insufficient evidence to support the final choice.
The process does not end with the hiring decision
The role has sufficient visibility, complexity or critical relationships to justify preparing objectives, key contacts and review points for the first 90 days.
Six areas of work across the talent cycle.
Each area may form part of a complete process or be commissioned independently. Open each section to see what it may include.
01 Before the advert Role diagnosis Define the role, align decision-makers and test whether the search is viable before beginning the process.
Role design
Clarify responsibilities, expected outcomes, competencies, critical relationships and the possible evolution of the role.
Decision-maker alignment
Build a shared understanding of the required profile, assessment criteria and conditions for making the decision.
Market feasibility
Test the availability and conditions of the profile before assuming unrealistic timescales or employment terms.
Expected outcome: a sufficiently clear role to guide search, assessment and decision-making.
Discuss the role02 The search Active search and headhunting Map the market and approach relevant professionals directly, including candidates who are not actively looking.
Market mapping
Identify organisations, career paths and professional communities where relevant experience is most likely to be found.
Active search
Identify and qualify potential candidates against the agreed profile, without relying solely on applications received.
Candidate approach
Present the opportunity with context, transparency and a value proposition suited to the professional being approached.
Expected outcome: a clearer understanding of the market and a group of potential candidates identified against defined criteria.
Discuss the search03 The assessment Assessment and selection Establish comparable criteria and gather sufficient evidence to support the decision.
Competency-based interviews
Use a common structure to explore real situations, decisions made, results achieved and learning gained.
Fit with the role and working conditions
Examine the relationship between demonstrated experience, the role requirements and the practical conditions of work and collaboration.
Professional references
Gather structured information about the candidate’s professional track record, with prior information provided to the candidate, permission to contact the references supplied and appropriate data-protection safeguards.
Expected outcome: a recommendation supported by defined criteria and comparable information.
Discuss assessment and selection04 The first 90 days Onboarding the new employee Prepare objectives, relationships and review points so that onboarding does not depend on improvisation.
Onboarding plan
Organise objectives by phase, essential information, key contacts and review points for the first 90 days.
Critical relationship map
Identify who decides, influences, delivers and depends on the role in order to guide the first interactions.
Review points
Establish moments for review and adjustment between the organisation, the manager and the new employee during the transition.
Expected outcome: clearer expectations and the ability to correct misalignment at an early stage.
Discuss onboarding05 Market pulse Talent intelligence Understand availability, conditions and market movements before opening or redesigning a search.
Compensation benchmarks
Gather relevant reference points to frame the employment proposition, considering the role, sector, location and context.
Competitor mapping
Understand where comparable talent may be found and how other organisations present similar opportunities.
Availability analysis
Assess the relationship between demand, supply, employment conditions and location before defining a recruitment strategy.
Expected outcome: more realistic recruitment decisions and better-framed hiring expectations.
Request a market assessment06 Before urgency Talent pipeline and succession Identify vulnerabilities in critical roles and build relationships before an urgent vacancy arises.
Succession risk
Identify roles where an absence or departure would create dependency, loss of knowledge or operational difficulty.
Talent pipeline
Map and maintain awareness of relevant profiles before there is an immediate recruitment requirement.
Talent value proposition
Clarify what makes the organisation and the opportunity relevant to the professionals it seeks to attract.
Expected outcome: less dependence on urgent recruitment processes and greater preparation for critical roles.
Discuss the talent pipelineSupport is adapted to the organisation’s current position.
Not every client needs to delegate the complete process. The scope is defined after understanding what already exists, what is missing and who should retain each responsibility.
Complete process
From role diagnosis through search and assessment to decision support and preparation for onboarding.
Intervention at one stage
Support focused on a specific need, such as active search, interviews, references or onboarding.
Market insight and preparation
Market assessment, definition of critical roles, talent pipeline, succession or talent value proposition.
Deliverables that make the process usable.
Deliverables depend on the commissioned scope. The proposal identifies what will be produced, by whom and at what stage.
Before searching for candidates, we frame the decision.
The initial conversation helps us understand the role, context and urgency. Only then is the appropriate scope defined.
We understand the need, organisational context, impact of the role and what has already been attempted.
We clarify the role, criteria, decision-makers, employment conditions and feasibility of the search.
We define the stages, responsibilities, deliverables, timetable and investment before work begins.
We carry out the agreed work and maintain clear decision points with the organisation.
In-depth recruitment also requires clear boundaries.
- The service is particularly suited to critical, specialist or leadership roles. It is not presented as high-volume, non-specialist recruitment.
- The hiring decision always belongs to the organisation. VAGAR structures the process, produces relevant information and presents a reasoned recommendation.
- Timescales and outcomes depend on the clarity of the role, the conditions offered, market availability and the client’s capacity to make decisions.
- No process can guarantee the future retention or performance of the person hired. The method seeks to reduce uncertainty in the decision but cannot remove the risks inherent in recruitment.
- Assessment criteria are defined against the role and applied consistently. Decisions remain subject to human oversight, without using irrelevant data or relying solely on automated decision-making.
- The processing of candidate and reference information is framed by the scope of the process and the applicable confidentiality and data-protection requirements.
Before beginning a recruitment process.
The initial conversation helps confirm whether the challenge, scope and required capacity are suited to a VAGAR intervention.
What types of roles does VAGAR work on?
The service is primarily intended for critical, specialist, coordination or leadership roles where a poorly supported decision could have a significant impact. Suitability is assessed according to the profile, market and intended scope.
Can we commission only one stage?
Yes. The intervention may focus on role diagnosis, active search, assessment, references, market intelligence, pipeline development or onboarding. The proposal also defines how that stage connects with work carried out internally.
How long does a recruitment process take?
It depends on the role, the market, the conditions offered and the organisation’s speed of decision-making. Following the initial diagnosis, the proposal presents an estimated timetable and the factors that may affect it.
Does VAGAR guarantee that the role will be filled?
It would not be rigorous to guarantee an outcome that also depends on the market, the conditions offered and the decisions of the parties involved. The commitment is to the quality of the method, transparency of information and delivery of the agreed scope.
Who makes the final decision?
The decision belongs to the organisation. VAGAR helps define the criteria, conducts or supports the assessment and presents a reasoned view so that the decision can be made with better information.
How is the investment determined?
The investment depends on the complexity of the role, the depth of the search, the stages included and the support required. It is presented in a proposal before work begins.
The role is critical. The process should be too.
We begin by understanding the role, the market and the stage at which the organisation requires support. We then determine whether it makes sense to proceed and define the appropriate scope.